Electrical Stimulation Therapy for Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder Pain

Patients with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) often have intractable neuropathic pain resulting from damage to the spinal cord. Prior anecdotal reports (e.g., Int J MS Care 2019; 21:76) have shown that noninvasive, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation with the FDA-approved “Scrambler” device (GEOMC, Inc., Seoul, Korea) may be an effective therapy for patients with persistent central neuropathic pain.

To further evaluate the effectiveness of this approach, investigators conducted a randomized, single-blind, sham-controlled trial in which 22 NMOSD patients with central neuropathic pain received either Scrambler therapy or a sham intervention for 10 consecutive workdays. At baseline, the median baseline pain score among pa…