1000 Section - A case of efficacy of dysesthesia-matched TENS for chronic numbness and pain in spinal cord injury.

Wednesday, May 20, 2026

6:00 PM - 7:30 PM PT

Presenting Author/Autor expositor(s)

YM

Yoshihiro Matsumoto, MD

Rehabilitation Physician
Kohshinkai Ogura Hospital
Kanoya, Kagoshima, Japan

Corresponding Author/Autor a quien dirigir la corr(s)

MU

Makoto Ueno, MD, PhD

Assistant Professor
Department of Rehabilitation and Physical Medicine, Kagoshima University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences
Kagoshima, Kagoshima, Japan

Co-Author/Coautor(s)

SS

Shun Shimomichi, MD

Rehabilitation Physician
Kohshinkai Ogura Hospital
Kanoya, Kagoshima, Japan
KS

Keizo Shigenobu, MD

Deputy Hospital Director
Department of Rehabilitation, Kohshinkai Ogura Hospital
Kanoya, Kagoshima, Japan
TO

Tadashi Ogura, MD

President of the Medical Corporation Kohshinkai
Department of Orthopedics, Kohshinkai Ogura Hospital
Kanoya, Kagoshima, Japan
MS

Megumi Shimodozono, MD, PhD

Professor
Department of Rehabilitation and Physical Medicine, Kagoshima University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences
Kagoshima, Kagoshima, Japan

Case Diagnosis: A man in his 70s presented with chronic, refractory neuropathic pain 16 years after a complete Th12 spinal cord injury (SCI). His symptoms included constant numbness (Numeric Rating Scale [NRS] 2–6) and severe, activity-induced lancinating pain (NRS 8–10), which resulted in significant functional decline and social withdrawal. Previous treatments, including nerve root blocks and polypharmacy, had failed to provide adequate relief, prompting a search for novel therapeutic options to improve his quality of life.

Case Description: The patient was treated with dysesthesia-matched transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (DM-TENS), a novel modality where stimulus parameters are tuned to match the patient's subjective dysesthesia. This strategy successfully managed activity-related pain fluctuations, resulting in significant and sustained analgesia. Key outcomes included a marked reduction in the frequency of breakthrough pain and a substantial improvement in the patient's overall activity level, enabling the resumption of outdoor activities.

Discussions: While previous reports have shown DM-TENS to be effective for numbness after SCI for up to 3.3 years, this is the first report to demonstrate its efficacy in a patient 16 years post-injury. The intervention demonstrated significant immediate and carry-over effects, with the benefits attributed to the active stimulation. From a biopsychosocial perspective, physiological pain relief fostered psychological reassurance, which in turn enabled improved social functioning and broke the cycle of chronic pain.

Conclusions: In conclusion, DM-TENS was an effective modality for this patient with chronic, refractory pain secondary to SCI. The therapy successfully interrupted the vicious cycle of pain-induced inactivity, leading to a dramatic improvement in activity levels. This case suggests that DM-TENS is a potentially effective treatment for patients with long-standing neuropathic pain, even many years after the initial injury.