Chronic pain in neck and upper extremities is debilitating; considering the lack of evidence for long-term efficacy of opioids, there is an urgent need for clinical evidence on non-pharmacological interventions like spinal cord stimulation (SCS).

Ten-kilohertz SCS, a paresthesia-free therapy, can be especially beneficial for patients who cannot tolerate uncomfortable paresthesia in the neck region. The current review aimed to systematically study the published clinical literature documenting the efficacy and/or safety of cervical 10 kHz SCS therapy.

Review identified 15 studies reporting efficacy and/or safety of cervical 10 kHz SCS therapy.

Meta-analysis of the data showed that 83% of the patients achieved response (≥ 50% reduction) and 39% reduced or eliminated their opioid use following 10 kHz SCS therapy. Implant site pain, lead migration, and infections were commonly reported adverse events.

Current findings suggest that 10 kHz SCS therapy could be a promising, safe, minimally invasive alternative for the treatment of pain in the neck and upper extremities.