Abbott – DISTINCT Trial for Chronic Low Back Pain

Dr. Allen Burton, MD, Medical Director at Abbott Neuromodulation, discusses the DISTINCT trial (Dorsal spInal cord STImulatioN vs mediCal management for the Treatment of low back pain) that will investigate the effectiveness of Abbott’s BurstDRTM spinal cord stimulation (SCS) in patients with chronic low back pain that have not had any surgeries and where other therapies have been unsuccessful or not an option.

Dr. Allen W. Burton is medical director of Abbott’s neuromodulation business, inclusive of Abbott’s neurostimulation and chronic pain management product portfolios. He is a board-certified anesthesiologist with an added certification in pain management and brings nearly 20 years of experience in patient care to Abbott, alongside a strong background leading large-scale clinical research programs. Dr. Burton joined Abbott in October 2015 and served as principal investigator for the ACCURATE and SUNBURST clinical trials. Prior to joining Abbott, he served as Chairman of the Department of Pain Medicine at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center from 2000-2011. From 2011-2015, Dr. Burton practiced privately with Houston Pain Associates, where he directed clinical research and participated in many clinical trials. Dr. Burton obtained his bachelor of science at the University of Notre Dame, medical doctorate at Baylor College of Medicine, and completed his residency at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School. He has published more than 50 peer-reviewed articles and authored two text books, taught and lectured nationally and internationally, and played an active leadership role among numerous pain societies and editorial boards.