NATICK, Mass., June 30, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Boston Scientific Corporation (NYSE: BSX) welcomes the recent landmark report to Congress by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the National Academy of Sciences titled Relieving Pain in America: A Blueprint for Transforming Prevention, Treatment, and Research.  This comprehensive study, mandated by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, identifies pain as a major health problem in the U.S. and lays the foundation for chronic pain care, research and education for the next decade.

"This report will be integral in raising awareness and removing barriers to appropriate care for the more than 100 million Americans suffering from acute and chronic pain," said Michael Onuscheck, President of Boston Scientific's Neuromodulation Division.  "It also validates the positive clinical and patient outcomes we see every day that allow thousands of pain sufferers to return to more normal and productive lives.  As referenced in the report, spinal cord stimulation [SCS] is one of the recognized approaches in treating patients with chronic pain, with improved collaboration between primary care physicians and pain specialists being critical in removing barriers to appropriate care."

Boston Scientific's Precision Plus™ SCS System (www.ControlYourPain.com) is indicated as an aid in managing chronic intractable pain of the trunk and/or limbs, including unilateral or bilateral pain associated with failed back surgery syndrome, intractable low back pain and leg pain.  With pain being the most common reason Americans seek medical treatment, tens of thousands of patients with chronic pain have found that SCS systems help them manage their pain.  SCS is a reversible therapy that manages pain through an implantable pulse generator that delivers pulses of electricity to the spinal cord through SCS leads.  It is a clinically proven and cost-effective option for chronic neuropathic pain patients who have failed conventional medical management.

The IOM report highlights a number of important technologies for treating and managing chronic pain, discusses strategies for removing barriers to appropriate care and recommends improvements in pain research, care, education and treatment.  While mandated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of Health, the IOM report has received widespread support from consumer and health organizations, advocacy groups and medical device manufacturers, including Boston Scientific.  The complete report may be accessed at www.iom.edu/relievingpain.

About Boston Scientific

Boston Scientific is a worldwide developer, manufacturer and marketer of medical devices whose products are used in a broad range of interventional medical specialties.  For more information, please visit: www.bostonscientific.com.  

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SOURCE Boston Scientific Corporation