Science AI Journal
Medicine · Research topic

Open research questions in Pain Management and Treatment

260 gap statements mined from Pain Management and Treatment papers in our 7.9M-paper local library, which holds 1,143 papers on the topic — drawn mostly from each paper's own stated research gap, future-work, challenge and limitation notes, and its abstract. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one.

Choosing where to publish on Pain Management and Treatment? See the ranked Medicine journals.

What the literature leaves open

  • There is a lack of real-world evidence for the effectiveness of restorative neurostimulation for mechanical chronic low back pain. Prior studies have not assessed the impact of restorative neurostimulation on physical function and lifestyle tracking.

    Restorative neurostimulation of the lumbar multifidus muscles improves mobility, strength, pain and disability in patients with mechanical chronic low back pain · 2026 · DOI

  • The potential benefit of exercise interventions for mechanical chronic low back pain may not be achieved due to an inability to perform the exercise. There is a need to investigate the effect of restorative neurostimulation on muscle health.

    Ultrasound estimated connective tissue proportion is lower after 6 months of restorative neurostimulation therapy: an exploratory analysis · 2026 · DOI

  • Limited data exist regarding the early postoperative pain course for patients who undergo either primary or secondary TMR. There is a need to understand the postoperative pain course to aid in patient education and expectation management.

    Early Postoperative Pain Course following Primary and Secondary Targeted Muscle Reinnervation: A Temporal Description of Pain Outcomes · 2024 · DOI

  • Motor cortex stimulation(MCS) has been used for over 30 years to treat refractory chronic neuropathic pain, but its efficacy, mechanisms of action, and the optimal electrode placement remain debated.

    Where are effective contacts located for motor cortical stimulation? A large retrospective series · 2026 · DOI

  • Epidural fibrosis (scar) around chronically implanted spinal cord stimulation (SCS) leads contributes to the late loss of efficacy known as the tolerance phenomenon, yet how maturing scar reshapes the intraspinal electric field, and which programming paradigms resist it, remain poorly understood.

    Epidural Fibrosis Raises Thresholds but Preserves Recruitment in Conventional Spinal Cord Stimulation: Lateral Steering Is Fragile · 2026 · DOI

  • Although SCS can offer substantial relief, responses vary, and robust biomarkers to guide personalized programming - especially in the era of novel waveforms and high-density leads - are lacking.

    Functional MRI reveals brain activation patterns associated with optimization of spinal cord stimulation parameters in treating chronic pain · 2025 · DOI

  • Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is widely used to manage chronic pain, yet its supraspinal mechanisms remain incompletely understood.

    Functional MRI reveals brain activation patterns associated with optimization of spinal cord stimulation parameters in treating chronic pain · 2025 · DOI

  • While racial and ethnic disparities in the use of electroconvulsive therapy have been well studied, these disparities have not been well studied for TMS.

    Enhancing Precision in Chronic Pain Management: A Model-Based Investigation of the Physiological Effects of Spinal Cord Stimulation in a Randomized Controlled Trial · 2025 · DOI

  • However, the subjective perceptions of these changes to bodily function and sensations have not yet been explored.

    A malevolent force: A qualitative exploration of perceptions of changes in bodily function and sensations in complex regional pain syndrome · 2025 · DOI

  • Future research should focus on individualized benefit-risk balance, incorporating patient preferences.

    Efficacy and safety of a millimetre wave medical device for pain neuromodulation in peripheral OA: a crossover randomized trial · 2025 · DOI

  • Future research should investigate the neural mechanisms underlying psychological predictors of spinal cord stimulation success. Studies should examine the effectiveness of personalized treatment plans that address cognitive, emotional, and behavioral factors.

    Beyond device parameters: psychological predictors of spinal cord stimulation success and their neurobiological mechanisms—a narrative review · 2026 · DOI

  • The need for a comprehensive behavioral analysis to parse analgesia from other effects of potential pain therapeutics. The lack of understanding of pain-like behaviors in animal models of CRPS.

    Ethological profiling defines pain behaviors and parses analgesia from drug side effects in a mouse model of complex regional pain syndrome · 2026 · DOI

  • The recharging procedure can be restrictive for some patients and affect their satisfaction. There is a need to evaluate the usability of the spinal cord stimulator recharging procedure in patients with neuropathic pain.

    Evaluation of the usability of the spinal cord stimulator recharging procedure in the treatment of neuropathic pain. A quantitative and qualitative study · 2026 · DOI

  • However, the lack of a control group represents an important limitation. Further investigation of knowledge retention at three, six, and 12 months would be beneficial to ensure trainees retain the benefits of educational sessions.

    Perioperative Awareness of Spinal Cord Stimulators Amongst Non-consultant Hospital Doctors · 2026 · DOI

  • The neural mechanisms underlying TUS effects on pain processing are not well understood. The potential delayed effects of TUS on pain processing are not well characterized.

    Multi-focal ultrasound neuromodulation to the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex disrupts behavioural and neural pain processing · 2026 · DOI

  • The certainty of our results is limited due to the inclusion of observational studies and heterogeneity in study outcomes. Prospective, well-powered RCTs studying standardized opioid outcome measures are needed to confirm these findings and elevate the quality of evidence.

    Change in opioid use following spinal cord stimulation: a systematic review and meta-analysis · 2026 · DOI

  • Second, generalization is limited by the relatively homogeneous study population, which was mostly composed of residents of Sohag Governorate and for which all data were gathered at Sohag University Hospital. First, the sample size was insufficient to support the potential of generalizing the results.

    Neurophysiological assessment of spinal excitability in chronic low back pain: a case-control study · 2026 · DOI

  • Future research should focus on the early, preventive application of targeted muscle reinnervation (TMR) and targeted sensory reinnervation (TSR) during primary amputation. Future research should explore the use of TMR and TSR to prevent the development of phantom limb pain and create a physiological basis for intuitive control and sensory feedback from bionic prostheses.

    Adaptive stimulation as a method for reducing phantom pain in amputeated limbs · 2026 · DOI

  • Outlier values were primarily attributed to US attenuation from subcutaneous adipose tissue. The study had a small sample size and was limited to a specific population.

    Ultrasound estimated connective tissue proportion is lower after 6 months of restorative neurostimulation therapy: an exploratory analysis · 2026 · DOI

  • Despite these numbers, relatively few studies have evaluated outcomes after elective transtibial amputation.

    What Are the Patient-reported Outcomes After Elective Transtibial Amputation? A Comparison of CRPS, Neuropathic Pain, and Other Conditions That Lead to Late Amputation After Limb Salvage · 2026 · DOI

  • The future of spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is increasingly being shaped by the vision of integrated, intelligent neuromodulation ecosystems—systems capable of seamless communication across spinal, cortical, and peripheral neural networks.

    NEUROMODULATION REVOLUTION: HOW EMERGING SPINAL CORD STIMULATION DEVICES ARE TRANSFORMING PAIN AND NEUROLOGICAL CARE · 2026 · DOI

  • Importance Preoperative antibiotics are currently recommended before sacral neuromodulation (SNM), but no guidelines exist for postoperative prophylaxis.

    Cost-Effectiveness of Antibiotics in Sacral Neuromodulation · 2026 · DOI

  • The study had a small sample size, - The study had a limited follow-up period, - The study did not assess the long-term effects…

    Effectiveness of pre-emptive targeted muscle reinnervation on post-amputation pain in patients undergoing above knee amputation: A randomized controlled trial · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a lack of evidence on the effectiveness of pre-emptive TMR in reducing postamputation pain, - There is a need to understand the pathophysiological mechanisms of postamputation…

    Effectiveness of pre-emptive targeted muscle reinnervation on post-amputation pain in patients undergoing above knee amputation: A randomized controlled trial · 2026 · DOI

  • Chronic pelvic pain without a clear etiology remains a diagnostic challenge in gynecology - There is a need for a structured approach to diagnostic evaluation…

    Restoring pelvic stability and nerve function with dextrose injections: A clinical framework for chronic pelvic pain · 2026 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Pain Management and Treatment

Most recent work

Find a gap in your own Pain Management and Treatment sub-topic

This page shows what the Pain Management and Treatment literature already flags as unresolved. To narrow it to your specific question, search the Research Gap Finder: the search is free with a free account and lists the papers closest to your topic first. Unlocking that topic (50 credits, charged once) fills the comparison table from our 7.9M-paper local library and writes the gaps from its rows.

Open the Research Gap Finder →

Related topics in Medicine

Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare and Education
4,200 open questions
Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research
2,789 open questions
Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes
2,285 open questions
Cancer Immunotherapy and Biomarkers
2,273 open questions
Liver Disease Diagnosis and Treatment
2,102 open questions
Sports Performance and Training
1,952 open questions
Parkinson's Disease Mechanisms and Treatments
1,915 open questions
Mosquito-borne diseases and control
1,849 open questions
Open questions raised by papers listed on this page include: (1) There is a lack of real-world evidence for the effectiveness of restorative neurostimulation for mechanical chronic low back pain (“Restorative neurostimulation of the lumbar multifidus muscles improves…”, 2026); (2) There is a need to investigate the effect of restorative neurostimulation on muscle health (“Ultrasound estimated connective tissue proportion is lower after 6 months of…”, 2026); (3) Future research should investigate the neural mechanisms underlying psychological predictors of spinal cord stimulation success (“Beyond device parameters: psychological predictors of spinal cord stimulation…”, 2026); (4) The lack of understanding of pain-like behaviors in animal models of CRPS (“Ethological profiling defines pain behaviors and parses analgesia from drug…”, 2026); (5) There is a need to evaluate the usability of the spinal cord stimulator recharging procedure in patients with neuropathic pain (“Evaluation of the usability of the spinal cord stimulator recharging procedure…”, 2026). 260 gap statements have been mined from Pain Management and Treatment papers in our 7.9M-paper local library, which holds 1,143 papers on the topic; the gaps come from whichever of those papers state one. They are mostly the research gaps the authors state and the papers' abstracts, plus future-work, limitations and challenges passages. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one, so you can read the original claim in context.

Tools for your next paper

Gaps & Literature SearchFind open questions in any field — 1,100,000+ open gaps mined from our own library.Pre-CheckIs your paper ready? Acceptance odds for top, mid and open/emerging journals, in seconds.Journal FinderA ranked shortlist of target journals from a 17,500-venue index.Duplicate Publication CheckerCheck for prior publication across 7 sources and our local library.Citation GeneratorFreeA DOI or title → APA, MLA, Vancouver, Chicago, BibTeX, RIS. No signup.Graphical Abstract MakerFreeTurn your findings into a colorblind-safe graphical abstract.

How Pre-Check worksHow AI Review works

Compare the category — Honest roundups of the AI research tools, ours listed alongside the alternatives.

Command palette

Jump anywhere, run any action.