Yes, you are right. R hip = right hip. I simply got a steroid injection into the R hip joint, hoping that would give some pain relief while I wait for a hip replacement. Surgeons here are booked out several months so it may be this winter before I can get the right hip replaced. All I can suggest is that you and your doctor be absolutely certain the pain is coming from your spine before the spinal device is implanted. If pain is not originating in your spine, the trial with the spinal stimulator probably will not give satisfactory results. And you will then know that the pain is originating elsewhere. Good luck!
I've had a SPECT scan which identified the L5-S1 level of my spine and also the R S-I joint as having rapidly proliferating arthritis and therefore contributing to the pain I was experiencing.
No similar studies were done on the R hip joint.
I have an Abbott spinal cord stimulator, placed in February 2023. it was the newest device, non-rechargeable. The disadvantage for me it was too large on my small frame (5'7", 120 lbs) and protruded out. I had it replaced with an Eterna, and it is good! Do the trial first, it is five days, with a battery placed outside your spine. No Showering until it is removed. The trial was successful, and I then made plans to have the SCS surgically implanted. I interviewed three doctors: two neurosurgeons (one from Mayo in Phoenix) and one orthopedic doctor. I chose the neurosurgeon who has performed 100"s of them, and was off-the-record recommended by the Abbott rep. Ask for the paddles, and not the lead wires, it is a better process for the pain to transmit to the brain, to alleviate the pain. The recovery is not easy, 6 weeks, and I am extremely active with racquet sports and other endeavors. I will say, it is doing its job. I don't have the pain in the morning as I did before. I had a spinal fusion L4-S1 ten years ago, and it didn't work out. There are five SCS companies, and I chose the one the pain management doctor told me about. Some could be aggressive when relieving pain. if it is your hip, then you escaped that type of surgery.
I have an Abbott spinal cord stimulator, placed in February 2023. it was the newest device, non-rechargeable. The disadvantage for me it was too large on my small frame (5'7", 120 lbs) and protruded out. I had it replaced with an Eterna, and it is good! Do the trial first, it is five days, with a battery placed outside your spine. No Showering until it is removed. The trial was successful, and I then made plans to have the SCS surgically implanted. I interviewed three doctors: two neurosurgeons (one from Mayo in Phoenix) and one orthopedic doctor. I chose the neurosurgeon who has performed 100"s of them, and was off-the-record recommended by the Abbott rep. Ask for the paddles, and not the lead wires, it is a better process for the pain to transmit to the brain, to alleviate the pain. The recovery is not easy, 6 weeks, and I am extremely active with racquet sports and other endeavors. I will say, it is doing its job. I don't have the pain in the morning as I did before. I had a spinal fusion L4-S1 ten years ago, and it didn't work out. There are five SCS companies, and I chose the one the pain management doctor told me about. Some could be aggressive when relieving pain. if it is your hip, then you escaped that type of surgery.
Hi, my name is Richard and and I had an L4-5 fusion last October and still have low back pain. I just had my psych eval yesterday. Is there any way you can get your surgeon's name to me who did your paddles? My email is phxrat@gmail.com. I'm hoping he/she is in the Phoenix area. Thank you.
Hi, my name is Richard and and I had an L4-5 fusion last October and still have low back pain. I just had my psych eval yesterday. Is there any way you can get your surgeon's name to me who did your paddles? My email is phxrat@gmail.com. I'm hoping he/she is in the Phoenix area. Thank you.
Robert Bina at Banner University in downtown Phoenix. Wonderful man, and truly cares for you. I don't have his phone number.
Let me email you later on.
My pain doc recommended a Medtronic SCS for my lumbar back pain and said you can do a one week trial before they permanently implant the device. My new surgeon said SCS is a last resort and that it’s often effective for only a year. I’m going to see 1 or 2 more surgeons before I decide. I’ve noticed doctors love to offer up solutions when they haven’t even identified the problem. It’s like “let’s guess and see how it goes”. I’m tired of the guess work and focusing on finding out what *specifically* is the issue with my lower back.
The last pain doctor is right. SCS is a solution of last resort. I personally chose Surgery over SCS even though Surgery is more invasive. Surgery did not help either but at least I understood how Surgery works. I don’t feel the science behind SCS is very good. However, it does help a lot of people. It also does not work for a lot of people. And many people report good results with the trial, but then the permanent implant does not provide the same level of relief. Doctors will tell you SCS is reversible, Which is true. But getting SCS remove after the implant is done is not so easy for many people. It seems like doctors like to implant them, but they don’t like to remove them. They will tell you to keep trying different programs for extended periods of time with the manufacturers representative hoping to eventually find a program that provides some amount of relief. A lot of people just turned them off and live with the implant when they don’t work. My sister is permanently bedridden in a nursing home because the Doctor who tried to perform her implant hit a nerve during the surgery. Of course all surgeries come with risk and potential for complications. So I agree with you that continuing to look for the source of your pain is a better approach than trying to throw experimental solutions at the problem. SCS is typically deployed when the cause of the pain cannot be found, and it is the experimental
solution of last resort.
I have an Abbott spinal cord stimulator, placed in February 2023. it was the newest device, non-rechargeable. The disadvantage for me it was too large on my small frame (5'7", 120 lbs) and protruded out. I had it replaced with an Eterna, and it is good! Do the trial first, it is five days, with a battery placed outside your spine. No Showering until it is removed. The trial was successful, and I then made plans to have the SCS surgically implanted. I interviewed three doctors: two neurosurgeons (one from Mayo in Phoenix) and one orthopedic doctor. I chose the neurosurgeon who has performed 100"s of them, and was off-the-record recommended by the Abbott rep. Ask for the paddles, and not the lead wires, it is a better process for the pain to transmit to the brain, to alleviate the pain. The recovery is not easy, 6 weeks, and I am extremely active with racquet sports and other endeavors. I will say, it is doing its job. I don't have the pain in the morning as I did before. I had a spinal fusion L4-S1 ten years ago, and it didn't work out. There are five SCS companies, and I chose the one the pain management doctor told me about. Some could be aggressive when relieving pain. if it is your hip, then you escaped that type of surgery.
So glad to hear you have had a successful implant.
My pain is my back and right leg. I have been through all the preliminaries that is needed before the procedure.Trying to decide if Boston Scientific or Nevro HFX is the best one for me. Would appreciate if you have heard anything about either one of these stimulators. Thanks
I have an Abbott spinal cord stimulator, placed in February 2023. it was the newest device, non-rechargeable. The disadvantage for me it was too large on my small frame (5'7", 120 lbs) and protruded out. I had it replaced with an Eterna, and it is good! Do the trial first, it is five days, with a battery placed outside your spine. No Showering until it is removed. The trial was successful, and I then made plans to have the SCS surgically implanted. I interviewed three doctors: two neurosurgeons (one from Mayo in Phoenix) and one orthopedic doctor. I chose the neurosurgeon who has performed 100"s of them, and was off-the-record recommended by the Abbott rep. Ask for the paddles, and not the lead wires, it is a better process for the pain to transmit to the brain, to alleviate the pain. The recovery is not easy, 6 weeks, and I am extremely active with racquet sports and other endeavors. I will say, it is doing its job. I don't have the pain in the morning as I did before. I had a spinal fusion L4-S1 ten years ago, and it didn't work out. There are five SCS companies, and I chose the one the pain management doctor told me about. Some could be aggressive when relieving pain. if it is your hip, then you escaped that type of surgery.
Hello, I had MILF L4-L5 in 2019. After numerous epidurals and blocks plus PT the pain continues. I’m Oct 22 I had Abbott neurostimulator put in by pain mgmt doctor. I can tell it’s working when I shut it off the pain intensifies. I still have had to have RFA and epidurals above and below fusion. My legs are unstable from pain and several falls have resulted more pain.
I have pain on battery placement. When getting epidural doc. Scanned the placement and it’s sitting between rib and hip bone. So it’s causing nerve pain too. He said he would never recommend taking it out because it’s working however we could move it over a little bit.
I also had the Abbott Burst, the newest device, implanted February 2023, however, it was too large on my 5'7" 120 lb frame. it created sciatica and I asked for it to be removed. After consulting with the doctor, we decided to have a smaller unit installed, chargeable, but that is how it goes. It has been performing well, and you are correct about if it was removed, and where you would be at with the pain level. That is what my pain management doctor has said as well. We don't realize the work the SCS is doing until if and when it is removed. I forgot to turn it back on after our trip to San Francisco. It has been off for almost two weeks...! I didn't notice anything, however, I had something "slip" in the spine two years ago when playing tennis. I am not sure if it will happen again, but at this time, it will stay.
I had a medtronics scs implanted in 2018 after a successful trial. The permanent implant was not as effective as the trial, but it did help relieve my lower back pain. That was along with my prescribed meds. Always had a little pain, but it allowed me to become more active again. Then, in 2021, it just stopped working. A smooth-talking rep from NEVRO convinced me to have the Medtronics scs battery replaced with one of theirs, keeping the original paddle. They were not able to do the trial due to the positioning of the original paddle. The rep assured me that their unit would make everything good again.
So, I went ahead with the implant. It involved adding an adapter to the original lead going to the paddle in order to connect the new battery. The NEVRO unit has never worked. And, the adapter makes it impossible to have an MRI. So, my new pain med doc can't see what's going on in my back that's causing all the pain to return,
I am scheduled to have the SCS removed in April, If all goes well, I should be able to have an MRI. BTW, I also had a pain pump implanted last year. After many adjustments, it has provided minimal pain relief. My advice:
1. Make sure you do the trial (and, the permanent implant may not give you the same relief as the trial.
2. If you get the Medtronics unit, it has a setting that allows for an MRI. But, if for any reason you decide to switch to another unit, do not mix and match parts like I did. Have them remove all original components.
Good luck. Hope you can make an informed decision.
CRPS, fibromyalgia, and Small Fiber Neuropathy sufferer. Had a Spinal Cord Stimulator implanted in my 2nd, 3rd and 4th vertebrae and unfortunately I was unable to ever use it, it made my CRPS much worse. I’m scheduled for removal surgery but would love to talk to someone who has gone through the same. I’m told this is a really tough situation because of the placement being in my upper neck.
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Yes, you are right. R hip = right hip. I simply got a steroid injection into the R hip joint, hoping that would give some pain relief while I wait for a hip replacement. Surgeons here are booked out several months so it may be this winter before I can get the right hip replaced. All I can suggest is that you and your doctor be absolutely certain the pain is coming from your spine before the spinal device is implanted. If pain is not originating in your spine, the trial with the spinal stimulator probably will not give satisfactory results. And you will then know that the pain is originating elsewhere. Good luck!
I've had a SPECT scan which identified the L5-S1 level of my spine and also the R S-I joint as having rapidly proliferating arthritis and therefore contributing to the pain I was experiencing.
No similar studies were done on the R hip joint.
I have an Abbott spinal cord stimulator, placed in February 2023. it was the newest device, non-rechargeable. The disadvantage for me it was too large on my small frame (5'7", 120 lbs) and protruded out. I had it replaced with an Eterna, and it is good! Do the trial first, it is five days, with a battery placed outside your spine. No Showering until it is removed. The trial was successful, and I then made plans to have the SCS surgically implanted. I interviewed three doctors: two neurosurgeons (one from Mayo in Phoenix) and one orthopedic doctor. I chose the neurosurgeon who has performed 100"s of them, and was off-the-record recommended by the Abbott rep. Ask for the paddles, and not the lead wires, it is a better process for the pain to transmit to the brain, to alleviate the pain. The recovery is not easy, 6 weeks, and I am extremely active with racquet sports and other endeavors. I will say, it is doing its job. I don't have the pain in the morning as I did before. I had a spinal fusion L4-S1 ten years ago, and it didn't work out. There are five SCS companies, and I chose the one the pain management doctor told me about. Some could be aggressive when relieving pain. if it is your hip, then you escaped that type of surgery.
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3 ReactionsHi, my name is Richard and and I had an L4-5 fusion last October and still have low back pain. I just had my psych eval yesterday. Is there any way you can get your surgeon's name to me who did your paddles? My email is phxrat@gmail.com. I'm hoping he/she is in the Phoenix area. Thank you.
I send you good wishes with the SCS process.
Robert Bina at Banner University in downtown Phoenix. Wonderful man, and truly cares for you. I don't have his phone number.
Let me email you later on.
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Helpful -
Hug
1 ReactionThe last pain doctor is right. SCS is a solution of last resort. I personally chose Surgery over SCS even though Surgery is more invasive. Surgery did not help either but at least I understood how Surgery works. I don’t feel the science behind SCS is very good. However, it does help a lot of people. It also does not work for a lot of people. And many people report good results with the trial, but then the permanent implant does not provide the same level of relief. Doctors will tell you SCS is reversible, Which is true. But getting SCS remove after the implant is done is not so easy for many people. It seems like doctors like to implant them, but they don’t like to remove them. They will tell you to keep trying different programs for extended periods of time with the manufacturers representative hoping to eventually find a program that provides some amount of relief. A lot of people just turned them off and live with the implant when they don’t work. My sister is permanently bedridden in a nursing home because the Doctor who tried to perform her implant hit a nerve during the surgery. Of course all surgeries come with risk and potential for complications. So I agree with you that continuing to look for the source of your pain is a better approach than trying to throw experimental solutions at the problem. SCS is typically deployed when the cause of the pain cannot be found, and it is the experimental
solution of last resort.
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Helpful -
Hug
2 ReactionsSo glad to hear you have had a successful implant.
My pain is my back and right leg. I have been through all the preliminaries that is needed before the procedure.Trying to decide if Boston Scientific or Nevro HFX is the best one for me. Would appreciate if you have heard anything about either one of these stimulators. Thanks
Hello, I had MILF L4-L5 in 2019. After numerous epidurals and blocks plus PT the pain continues. I’m Oct 22 I had Abbott neurostimulator put in by pain mgmt doctor. I can tell it’s working when I shut it off the pain intensifies. I still have had to have RFA and epidurals above and below fusion. My legs are unstable from pain and several falls have resulted more pain.
I have pain on battery placement. When getting epidural doc. Scanned the placement and it’s sitting between rib and hip bone. So it’s causing nerve pain too. He said he would never recommend taking it out because it’s working however we could move it over a little bit.
I also had the Abbott Burst, the newest device, implanted February 2023, however, it was too large on my 5'7" 120 lb frame. it created sciatica and I asked for it to be removed. After consulting with the doctor, we decided to have a smaller unit installed, chargeable, but that is how it goes. It has been performing well, and you are correct about if it was removed, and where you would be at with the pain level. That is what my pain management doctor has said as well. We don't realize the work the SCS is doing until if and when it is removed. I forgot to turn it back on after our trip to San Francisco. It has been off for almost two weeks...! I didn't notice anything, however, I had something "slip" in the spine two years ago when playing tennis. I am not sure if it will happen again, but at this time, it will stay.
CRPS, fibromyalgia, and Small Fiber Neuropathy sufferer. Had a Spinal Cord Stimulator implanted in my 2nd, 3rd and 4th vertebrae and unfortunately I was unable to ever use it, it made my CRPS much worse. I’m scheduled for removal surgery but would love to talk to someone who has gone through the same. I’m told this is a really tough situation because of the placement being in my upper neck.
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