Background~Chronic degenerative changes in the shoulder are a frequent source of debilitating chronic pain. In particular, osteoarthritis of the shoulder has been estimated to affect up to 32.8% of the adult population over the age of 60, and OA in general is one of the most frequent causes of disability in the United States.1 OA impacts the quality of life of tens of millions of Americans and carries a significant economic burden of over $60 billion in the U.S. each year.2~Degenerative joint disease in the shoulder is commonly managed with physical therapy and over-the-counter medications, but these modalities can be insufficient for pain management as degeneration progresses.3 Corticosteroid injections, radiofrequency ablations, and even partial or total shoulder arthroplasty are used to treat advanced cases3, and these interventions often either have limited long-term effectiveness or are associated with significant invasiveness or other side effects and complications.~Peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS) is a neuromodulatory technique that seeks to provide pain relief through stimulation of the nerves that innervate the shoulder (e.g., the suprascapular nerve and axillary nerve). A novel, 60-day percutaneous PNS system that is FDA-cleared has shown effectiveness for chronic shoulder pain following stroke and shoulder impingement syndrome4-15, and has demonstrated the potential to provide sustained relief following the short-term, 60-day treatment.8, 15-18 The mechanism of action of neuropathic pain in osteoarthritis is proposed to be via peripheral sensitization (e.g., axillary and suprascapular nerves) that leads to subsequent upstream hypersensitization of the central nervous system; the proposed mechanism of long-term pain relief with 60-day PNS via reconditioning of the CNS to reverse hypersensitization therefore suggests that the treatment may be effective for degenerative shoulder including OA.19, 20 However, no study has prospectively evaluated the use of 60-day, percutaneous PNS for the treatment of debilitating pain associated with degenerative changes in the shoulder. The goal of this study is therefore to collect data on the use of 60-day PNS for the treatment of chronic pain associated with degenerative shoulder.~Objectives~The study objective is to gather post-market data regarding the effectiveness of the SPRINT PNS System for the treatment of chronic shoulder pain due to degenerative changes of the shoulder.
The purpose of this research is to gather post-market data regarding the effectiveness of the SPRINT Peripheral Nerve Stimulation (PNS) System for the treatment of chronic shoulder pain due to chronic degenerative changes of your shoulder. The System delivers mild electrical stimulation to the muscles in your shoulder. The System includes up to two leads (small wires) that are placed through your skin into your shoulder. The leads attach to a device worn on your body that deliver stimulation (called a Stimulator). The device is cleared by the FDA for up to 60 days of use for the relief of chronic or acute pain.