Spinal Pain—The Scope of the Problem
Spinal pain is, simply stated, a quagmire for health plans, employers, physicians, and patients. It is estimated that low back pain alone costs our society $100 billion annually.¹ In the United States, back pain is responsible for the loss of an estimated 150 million workdays each year and is the second most common cause of absence from work in adults under 55 years of age.²

Shortcomings of Conventional Treatment
Spinal back pain patients typically undergo initial, conventional therapies such as transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), physical therapy, and a host of pharmaceutical agents. If the pain does not resolve, patients often proceed to more invasive procedures, such as injections and surgeries. There is a significant void in available treatments between these two pathways.

Percutaneous Neuromodulation Therapy
The Percutaneous Neuromodulation Therapy (PNT) System is a minimally invasive, office-based treatment. Ideally, the PNT System is intended for patients whose pain has not been adequately controlled by initial therapies, filling a critical void in the treatment of spinal pain. PNT is based on an innovative dimension of the new and growing field of neurotechnology—the application of electrical therapies to treat diseases and disorders that affect the central nervous system.

The PNT System delivers electrical stimulation through fine-gauge filament electrodes (250 micron diameter) that are housed in sharps-safe casings called Safeguides. The Safeguides are used to temporarily insert the electrodes to a depth of three centimeters for lumbar application and two centimeters for cervical application. They enable the delivery of electrical stimulation directly to the deep tissues in order to reach the nerve pathways that lead to the dorsal horn of the spinal column, where pain signals are processed and transmitted to the brain. Researchers believe that the stimulation delivered through PNT modulates the hypersensitivity of the nerve cells that give rise to persistent pain.^3,4

Studies have shown PNT to be effective for many patients in reducing pain, improving activity levels, decreasing reliance on pain medications, and enhancing sleep. For the vast majority of patients, the therapy is well tolerated, with little to no discomfort and few side effects.^5,6,7

¹Cherkin DC, et al. Physician Variation in Diagnostic Testing for Low Back Pain.
  What You See Is What You Get. Arthritis and Rheumatism. Vol. 37;15-22. 1994
²Guo HR, et al. Back Pain Prevalence in U.S. Industry and Estimates of Lost
  Workdays. American Journal of Public Health. 1999
³White PF, Craig WF, et al. Percutaneous neuromodulation therapy: Does the
  location of electrical stimulation effect the acute analgesic response?
  Regional Anesth and Pain Medicine. 2001
⁴Hanai F. Effect of electrical stimulation of peripheral nerves on neuropathic pain.
  Spine. 2000
⁵Seroussi R, Gliner BE, Steinintz E, Schmitt S, Gamburd R, Firlik AD.
  Effectiveness of percutaneous neuromodulation therapy for patients with chronic
  and severe low back pain. Pain Practice, Volume 3,
  Issue 1, March  2003.
⁶Borg-Stein J, Seroussi RG, Schmitt S, et al. Safety and efficacy of
  percutaneous neuromodulation therapy in the management of subacute radiating
  low back pain. In Press, Pain Practice, Volume 3, Issue 2, June 2005
⁷Ghoname ES, Craig WF, White PF, Ahmed HE, Hamza MA, Gajraj NM, et al.
  The effect of stimulus frequency on the analgesic response to percutaneous
  electrical nerve stimulation in patients with chronic low back pain. Anesth                 Analg.1999