Treating Chronic Pain Is Hard. An Experimental Approach Shows Promise.

Treating Chronic Pain Is Hard. An Experimental Approach Shows Promise.

(New York Times) – A guitarist in a death metal band was one of several people who found that personalized deep brain stimulation eased their pain and helped them reduce pain medication. Chronic pain, defined as lasting at least three months, afflicts about 20 percent of adults in the United States, an estimated 50 million people, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In about a third of cases, the pain substantially limit…