Limited evidence supports the efficacy of spinal cord stimulation (SCS). Therefore, it is crucial to assess the usefulness of this invasive procedure before implanting permanent electrodes in each patient. An N-of-1 trial is an experiment in which a single participant undergoes periods of comparative treatments. We illustrate how an N-of-1 trial design may permit clinicians to conduct such an assessment in an individual patient.Case report.University teaching hospital.A 61-year-old man patient with refractory postherpetic neuralgia scheduled for SCS implantation.Percutaneous octapolar lead placement into the epidural space for SCS at T5-T6, and placement of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulator (TENS) electrodes upon the painful area on the patient's back. We provided electrical stimulation via TENS or SCS according to a computer-generated random number list. Each stimulation period lasted 5 hours, followed by 1 hour of rest.At the end of each period, a blinded assessor evaluated the degree of pain relief, pain intensity, area of stimulation, and the patient's satisfaction. The study had a 5-day duration. Results. In this patient, spinal stimulation was equally efficacious as TENS.We encourage clinicians to perform an N-of-1 trial in every patient before implanting permanent electrodes for SCS.