Medical Break-Through For Chronic Back Pain

Hunter residents suffering from back and limb pain may be able to breathe a sigh of relief thanks to new research by Dr Marc Russo.

The Newcastle pain specialist and his patients have been involved in major research into the use of a new spinal stimulator which helps patients with chronic back pain.

The spinal cord stimulation device uses high - frequency waveforms to treat hard - to - treat pain in the back and limbs.

The research examined 280 cases in Australia including 70 in the Hunter.

Low - frequency systems have been used since the 1960s but this is the first system to have success with high-frequency waves and has led to significantly reduced pain-killer use among patients.