Guidance
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has issued full guidance to the NHS in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland on Peripheral nerve-field stimulation for chronic low back pain.
Description
The lower back is commonly defined as the area between the bottom of the rib cage and the buttock creases. Chronic low back pain is tension, soreness and/or stiffness often worsened by movement lasting more than six weeks in the lower back region. Low back pain is a common disorder, affecting around one-third of the UK adult population each year. Peripheral nerve-field stimulation involves implanting electrodes in the back, connected to a neurostimulator under the skin. The aim is to mask the back pain by modulating the transmission of pain signals to the brain. The patient uses a remote control to deliver low voltage electrical stimulation to the subcutaneous tissue layers of the lower back. The stimulation causes a tingling sensation (paraesthesia) in the area of the body associated with the pain, easing the discomfort.
Coding and clinical classification codes for this guidance.