Neurotechnologies for treating pain rely on electrical stimulation of the central or peripheral nervous system to disrupt or block pain signaling and have been commercialized to treat a variety of pain conditions. While their adoption is accelerating, neurotechnologies are still frequently viewed as a last resort, after many other treatment options have been explored. We review the pain conditions commonly treated with electrical stimulation, as well as the specific neurotechnologies used for treating those conditions. We identify barriers to adoption, including a limited understanding of mechanisms of action, inconsistent efficacy across patients, and challenges related to selectivity of stimulation and off-target side effects. We describe design improvements that have recently been implemented, as well as some cutting-edge technologies that may address the limitations of existing neurotechnologies. Addressing these challenges will accelerate adoption and change neurotechnologies from last-line to first-line treatments for people living with chronic pain.

中文翻译：

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神经技术治疗疼痛

用于治疗疼痛的神经技术依赖于中枢或周围神经系统的电刺激来破坏或阻断疼痛信号传导，并且已商业化用于治疗各种疼痛病症。尽管神经技术的采用正在加速，但在探索了许多其他治疗方案之后，神经技术仍然经常被视为最后的手段。我们回顾了通常用电刺激治疗的疼痛状况，以及用于治疗这些状况的特定神经技术。我们确定了采用的障碍，包括对作用机制的了解有限、患者疗效不一致以及与刺激选择性和脱靶副作用相关的挑战。我们描述了最近实施的设计改进，以及一些可能解决现有神经技术局限性的尖端技术。解决这些挑战将加速神经技术的采用，并将神经技术从慢性疼痛患者的最后一线治疗转变为一线治疗。