The market for spinal cord stimulation (SCS) systems, used for treating chronic debilitating pain, is expanding relentlessly, and companies like Abbott Laboratories, Medtronic, Boston Scientific and Nevro are all vying to gain more market share with their respective technologies. At this year's annual meeting of the North American Neuromodulation Society (NANS) in Las Vegas, physicians were presented with the latest clinical evidence backing these innovations. This article looks at the overall SCS market, discusses study findings presented at NANS and the latest innovations. It also provides insights from two established pain management specialists on factors they think will drive SCS technologies forward.

Redwood City, Calif.-based device-maker Nevro Corp. kicked off the annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference in San Francisco on Jan. 8 with the announcement it received US FDA approval for its next-generation Senza II spinal cord stimulation system and better-than-expected Q4 earnings results.

As scientific and industry experts prepare to gather in Edinburgh, Scotland, later this month for the 13th International Neuromodulation Society Congress, Medtech Insight spoke to Timothy Deer, INS president and a pain-management specialist, about what's ahead in neuromodulation and what to expect at the meeting.