Efficacy and Influencing Factors of Short-Term Spinal Cord Stimulation for Postherpetic Neuralgia: A Retrospective Study

Purpose: To investigate the efficacy and influencing factors of spinal cord stimulation (SCS)for postherpetic neuralgia (PHN). Patients and Methods: A total of 80 patients diagnosed with postherpetic neuralgiaand treated at the Pain Department of Shanxi Medical University between March 2022–March 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were divided into two groups according to theactual treatment received in clinical practice, with 39 cases in the SCS group and 40 cases in the PRF group. One patient in the SCS group was excluded due to loss to follow-up at 4 weeks after treatment The experimental group underwent spinal cord stimulation (SCS) treatment, while the control group received pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) treatment. The Visual Analog Scale, Self-Rating Anxiety Scale, Self-Rating Depression Scale, and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index were administered before surgery and at 1, 4, 12, and 24 weeks post-surgery, respectively. Results: The VAS, SAS, SDS, and PSQI scores in both groups were significantly reduced at 1, 4, 12, and 24 weeks after treatment (P< 0.05), and the scores in the SCS group were significantly lower than those in the PRF group (P< 0.05). Multivariate linear regression analysis indicated that gender, age, and disease duration had significant effects on the efficacy (P< 0.05). Conclusion: Spinal cord electrical stimulation is more effective than pulsed radiofrequency for treating postherpetic neuralgia. It significantly reduces pain levels, improves sleep quality, and alleviates anxiety and depression in patients. Factors such as gender, age, anddisease duration may serve as potential determinants of the effectiveness of SCS.