rTMS may ease nerve pain after spinal cord injury, but not anxiety or depression

This review looked at whether repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) helps people with spinal cord injury who also have neuropathic pain. The analysis pooled data from seven small randomized trials involving 159 patients. The main finding was that rTMS, compared to a sham treatment, appeared to reduce pain severity. However, the review did not find a significant impact on anxiety or depressive symptoms. Safety data were not reported in the included studies, so we do not know about side effects or tolerability. The results are based on pooled data, which show an association but not direct cause-and-effect. A key reason to be cautious is the high variability between the studies, which means the findings may not be consistent. For readers, this suggests rTMS shows promise for pain relief in this group, but more research is needed to confirm its benefits and understand its effects on mood.