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Peripheral Nerve Stimulation for Neuropathic Pain Cather ine R ichmond, cst L E A R N I N G O B J E C T I V E S s Define neuromodulation and neurostimulation s Review how pain is transmitted s Understand the Gate Control Theory s Explain the difference between neuropathic and nociceptive pain s List the components of a PNS system A 2016 study by National Center for Health Statistics estimated that the financial impact was approximately $560 billion dol- lars from lost productivity, direct medical costs and disability programs. 1 Efforts to combat this health problem with narcotics have unintentionally contributed to the opioid crisis. 3 Therefore, the financial and societal impact of chronic pain underscore the importance in con- tinued development of non-pharmacological interventions. Peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS) is a type of neuromodulation emerging as an effective non-narcotic treatment option for chronic neuropathic pain. NEUROMODUL ATION Neuromodulation is broadly defined as “the alteration of nerve activity through targeted delivery of a stimulus, such as electrical stimulation or chemical agents, to specific neurological sites in the body.” 4 Neuromodu- lation that alters nerve activity with electrical stimulation is interchange- ably referred to as neurostimulation. Chronic neuropathic pain affects between 8-15% of the population in the United States. 1,2 Patients suffering from chronic pain are likely to experience a diminished quality of life due to a loss of function, sleep disturbances, anxi- ety and depression. SEPTEMBER 2020 | The Surgical Technologist | 403