Harnessing Spinal Cord Stimulation and Neuromodulation for Functional Restoration: From Pain Management to Motor Recovery

Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) has expanded beyond pain treatment, becoming a neuromodulatory method capable of recruiting spinal and supraspinal circuits involved in motor recovery. This review summarises mechanistic knowledge, supports engineering developments, and describes the changing clinical translation of SCS in rehabilitation. Mounting scientific data shows that SCS’s effects go beyond dorsal column modulation and may involve segmental networks that promote activity-dependent plasticity and sensorimotor pathway restoration, probably due to a combination of Hebbian and non-Hebbian mechanisms (synaptic potentiation, interneuronal reorganisation, and altered afferent–efferent coupling). More recent advances, such as bursts and the high-frequency paradigm, closed-loop control, and data-driven parameter optimisation methods, improve the precision, stability, and calibration of stimulation for each individual. By combining SCS with non-invasive forms of neuromodulation (TMS, tDCS, and peripheral nerve stimulation), one can potentially further intensify corticospinal plasticity and maintain improvements in functions. Spinal cord stimulation remains an established treatment for chronic neuropathic pain, including failed back surgery syndrome and complex regional pain syndrome. In recent years, however, increasing attention has been directed toward its potential role in motor recovery after spinal cord injury and stroke. Progress in this area is limited by patient heterogeneity, variability in outcome measures, the complexity of multimodal rehabilitation protocols, and regulatory and logistical constraints—particularly when adaptive or closed-loop systems are used. Current evidence suggests that motor-restorative applications of SCS should be interpreted cautiously and integrated within carefully designed rehabilitation programmes, with attention to patient selection and realistic expectations regarding the durability of the benefit.