Evaluation of the Effect of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation of Motor Cortex on Failed Back Surgery Syndrome Pain Control in Short Term; a pilot study

This study aimed to evaluate the short-term efficacy of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on the treatment of failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS) Methods: In this prospective clinical trial study, 13 patients with FBSS were selected to undergo rTMS, including 5 sessions of stimulation of the primary motor cortex of 90 trains with a frequency of 10 Hz for 2 seconds and an inter-train interval of 20 seconds with a total pulse rate of 1800. The time of each session was 30 minutes with an intensity of 80% of the motor threshold. The severity of pain before and after the intervention was measured by the short-form McGill Pain Questionnaire and visual analogue scale.The mean pain severity was 26.54 ± 6.78 and 14.92 ± 10.1 before and after rTMS, respectively. The severity of pain significantly decreased after the intervention (P=0.001). According to the McGill pain questionnaire, the severity of pain in the patients was decreased by 44.09 ± 27.32. The mean of the severity of pain according to VAS was 77.31 ± 16.66 before rTMS and 53.46 ± 22.49 after rTMS which showed that pain intensity was significantly decreased after the intervention (P=0.006).The use of rTMS of the primary motor cortex in patients who have undergone lumbosacral spine surgery and suffer from pain related to FBSS is associated with a significant reduction in the severity of pain. Because rTMS is a non-invasive treatment method, it can be used as a suitable treatment for these patients.