Table 4.

SCS placebo checklist—Items to include when reporting trials of SCS including a placebo arm

Item	Recommendation
Programming and management when the study includes patients with non‐rechargeable devices	Report programming parameters for the active and the sham arm
	Describe how the patient handheld programmer was managed
	State how blinding was ensured if the patient handheld programmer was provided to the patients
	For studies that utilize a subthreshold programming as a comparator:
	Identify the position that the threshold was measured in
	State if a feedback loop/position adjustment was utilized to vary current with position
	Report the duration of daily use and frequency of programmer interactions
Programming and management when the study includes patients with rechargeable devices	Describe how a similar recharging burden was ensured in the different arms (i.e., report the frequency and duration of recharging)
	Report how the patient handheld programmer was managed (particularly if it contains a feedback screen that allows the subject to assess IPG charge)
	Describe what provision was made for subjects to switch off their SCS in an emergency if patient handheld programmer was withheld
Research team	State if the team was split into blinded and unblinded side with no intermixing
	Report if there was one unblinded programmer member of the team
	Clearly state which members of the research team were blinded
Effectiveness of blinding	Describe how effectiveness of blinding of patients and members of the research team was assessed
Sham sensations	Describe how sham sensations were managed

IPG, implantable pulse generator; SCS, spinal cord stimulation.