ArticleCureus2023
Spinal Cord Stimulation and Related Health Information on Social Media: An Analysis of Instagram Posts.
Article in Cureus, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 2 citations in OpenAlex.
- The Implementation of Social Media in Neurosurgery: A Systematic Review of the Literature.Acta neurochirurgica · 2025Pooled it
- Social Media Perspectives on Clavicle Fractures: A Content Analysis of Instagram Posts From Patients and Surgeons.Cureus · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
2 authors at 1 institution in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionSpinal cord stimulation (SCS) has been a well-established, effective, minimally invasive procedure for the treatment of chronic medically refractory neuropathic pain involving the limbs and trunk. Social media platforms, including Instagram, are increasingly being used for medical education and sharing patient experiences. This study aimed to investigate posts related to SCS on Instagram. METHODS AND MATERIALS: This study presents a comprehensive analysis of Instagram posts utilizing the hashtags #spinalcordneuromodulation, #spinalcordstimulation, #spinalcordstimulationsurgery, #spinalcordstimulationtherapy, and #spinalcordstimulationimplant, all of which were collected on August 1, 2023. The outcomes were organized into four distinct source-based categories: posts generated by medical practitioners (both surgeons and non-surgeons); content shared by medical organizations; content created by patients; and content from indeterminate categories. The content was further classified based on its nature, encompassing educational material and reflections on patient or physician experiences. Moreover, the impact of users was evaluated in terms of their follower count and the count of posts.
resultsThe search yielded a total of 4983 posts. The majority of posts were created by medical practitioners (38.53%, n = 1920). The distribution of remaining Instagram posts about SCS was as follows: medical organizations for 35% (n = 1744), patients for 24.12% (n = 1202), and indeterminate categories for 2.35% (n = 117). Among the collected posts, 348 (41.4%) originated from accounts associated with medical practitioners, 286 (34%) from medical organizations, 145 (17.2%) from patients, and 62 (7.4%) remained unspecified. The statistical analysis revealed a significant difference in follower distribution between medical practitioners and all other groups (p<0.001). Reported side effects included pain over the implant (n = 257; 88.92%), lead migration (n = 18; 6.22%), infection (n = 9; 3; 11%), and seroma (n = 5; 1.73%).
conclusionsWhen searching for posts about SCS on Instagram, one is more likely to encounter posts authored by medical practitioners that are mostly focused on educational content. Posts created by medical practitioners may be overshadowed and buried among numerous other posts created by patients. We suggest posting educational medical content with the hashtag #MedEd in an attempt to make educational content more easily accessible.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.