Short-term peripheral nerve stimulation for pain relief in adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: Short-term peripheral nerve stimulation serves as a neuromodulation therapy that modulates neural activity to provide therapeutic benefit, particularly pain relief. This study investigated the effectiveness of short-term peripheral nerve stimulation as a minimally invasive approach for achieving pain relief. METHODS: We systematically searched PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar from database inception till September 10, 2026, for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in adults comparing short-term peripheral nerve stimulation with sham stimulation or usual care. The primary outcome was the change in average pain intensity during the implantation period. RESULTS: Eight RCTs (543 participants) were included. Compared with the control group, the intervention group showed significant reductions in average pain intensity during the implantation period at 1-4 weeks (SMD = -0.48, 95% CI = -0.71 to -0.26, P < 0.0001) and 5-8 weeks (SMD = -0.96, 95% CI = -1.22 to -0.70, P < 0.0001), but no significant result after electrode removal. For worst pain intensity, the intervention group showed a greater reduction than the control group at all time periods except 1-4 weeks after EOT. Improvements in pain interference were delayed, becoming significant at 5-8 weeks during the implantation period (MD = -1.34, 95% CI = -1.86 to -0.82, P < 0.00001) and ≥8 weeks after the end of treatment (MD = -1.09, 95%CI = -1.69 to -0.50, P = 0.0003). Subgroup analyses showed improvements in postoperative pain. The usual care-controlled subgroup showed more pronounced and sustained benefits than the sham-controlled subgroup, and the chronic pain subgroup also showed more pronounced and sustained benefits compared to the acute/subacute pain subgroup. CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis provided preliminary evidence that short-term peripheral nerve stimulation may relieve pain during the implantation period, but not all outcomes suggest sustained improvements after electrode removal. REGISTRATION PROSPERO: CRD420251243978.