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Current Pain and Headache Reports
Published in: Current Pain and Headache Reports 12/2015

01-12-2015 | Neuromodulation (M Gofeld, Section Editor)

Review of the Uses of Vagal Nerve Stimulation in Chronic Pain Management

Authors: Krishnan Chakravarthy, Hira Chaudhry, Kayode Williams, Paul J. Christo

Published in: Current Pain and Headache Reports | Issue 12/2015

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Abstract

Recent human and animal studies provide growing evidence that vagal nerve stimulation (VNS) can deliver strong analgesic effects in addition to providing therapeutic efficacy in the treatment of refractory epilepsy and depression. Analgesia is potentially mediated by vagal afferents that inhibit spinal nociceptive reflexes and transmission and have strong anti-inflammatory properties. The purpose of this review is to provide pain practitioners with an overview of VNS technology and limitations. It specifically focuses on clinical indications of VNS for various chronic pain syndromes, including fibromyalgia, pelvic pain, and headaches. We also present potential mechanisms for VNS modulation of chronic pain by reviewing both animal and human studies.
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Metadata
Title
Review of the Uses of Vagal Nerve Stimulation in Chronic Pain Management
Authors
Krishnan Chakravarthy
Hira Chaudhry
Kayode Williams
Paul J. Christo
Publication date
01-12-2015
Publisher
Springer US
Published in
Current Pain and Headache Reports / Issue 12/2015
Print ISSN: 1531-3433
Electronic ISSN: 1534-3081
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11916-015-0528-6