Spinal Cord Stimulation

What is spinal cord stimulation?

Spinal cord stimulation is a treatment option for chronic pain that uses electrodes to deliver low-voltage electrical currents to your spine. These electrodes give you a pleasant, tingling sensation in areas where you normally experience chronic pain.

Your Pain Medicine Consultants provider surgically places the electrodes in the epidural space of your spinal cord and you control the electrodes using an external hand-held device.

The electrical currents can effectively block pain sensations, giving you relief from chronic pain in your back, arms, and legs.

Is spinal cord stimulation right for me?

If you’ve tried other pain relief therapies without success for at least six months and if surgery isn’t an option, you may qualify for treatment with a stimulator.

To determine if spinal cord stimulation is right for you, your Pain Medicine Consultants provider recommends a trial procedure. They implant temporary leads to your spine, customizing stimulation treatments to address your pain needs.

If the trial is successful, your provider may approve you for implantation surgery.

What conditions can be treated with a spinal cord stimulator?

Spinal stimulation therapy may be an effective treatment option if you have chronic pain that can’t be resolved with other therapies. You may qualify for spinal cord stimulation if you have:

• Spinal nerve damage
• Failed back surgery
• Peripheral neuropathy
• Complex regional pain syndrome

If you have other conditions that result in chronic neck or back pain, spinal cord stimulation may help you reduce your dependency on medications, while still getting relief of pain.

What happens during implantation of the stimulator?

To permanently implant the stimulator, you receive general anesthesia to put you in a deep sleep and keep you comfortable. Your surgeon inserts the leads into the space above your spinal cord, using only a small incision. Lead placement depends on the site of your injury and type of pain.

In addition to the leads, your surgeon implants a small generator in your abdomen or buttocks to keep the system functional. Once everything is in place, your surgeon closes your incisions; you can expect to rest in recovery before going home.

Following your surgery, your Pain Medicine Consultants provider gives you after-care instructions to ensure your incisions heal properly. You also must limit your activities to protect the stimulator system, avoiding movements like bending, stretching, and lifting.

The system can help relieve pain immediately and you can expect regular follow-up visits to check that your pain relief is ongoing.

Find out more about the benefits of spinal cord stimulation by calling Pain Medicine Consultants today or use the online booking feature.