Spinal cord stim

Speaker 1...and that’s where spinal cord stimulators come in, right? These implanted neurostimulators are used for refractory chronic pain, and it’s a valid option for many. But the question we’re often asked is, how does this intervention, and specifically its long-term use, relate to biological aging and all-cause mortality?

Speaker 2Exactly. The evidence is complex. We know that unrelieved chronic pain itself can accelerate biological aging. For example, a study in *GeroScience* from 2025 (PMID 39847262) found that painful diabetic neuropathy is associated with accelerated epigenetic aging and telomere shortening compared with painless neuropathy. So, the goal of pain relief is crucial.

Speaker 1Absolutely. Relieving severe pain can improve quality of life significantly. But for spinal cord stim, what does the evidence say about its *direct* impact on longevity or biological aging markers?

Speaker 2That’s where the clear, long-term evidence is still developing. While managing pain is vital, and spinal cord stim can provide that, we lack definitive studies showing it *reverses* or *slows* biological aging or directly impacts all-cause mortality positively over decades. The focus in research has largely been on pain reduction and functional improvement.

Speaker 1So, while the underlying chronic pain *itself* is linked to accelerated aging, we can’t yet say spinal cord stim specifically *decelerates* aging or alters all-cause mortality, even if it alleviates the pain.

Speaker 2Precisely. We need more robust, long-term studies to understand those broader impacts. It's a critical area for future research, balancing the known benefits of pain relief with the unknown long-term effects on aging and mortality.