For those of you getting a SCS... don't fool yourself into thinking that once you get pain relief after the permanent implant you can return to doing everything that you did previously. Sure, you(as I did) can do all those things, but it may come at a price. I went back to doing all kinds of strenuous activities after my implant. Then, two and a half years later, all my pain returned. Out of the blue, just like that. The doc's best guess was that the paddle lead may have had some problem, possibly due to all the extra stretching and bending that I was doing. All I am saying is that please be careful. It's not worth losing that wonderful pain relief for some extra activities.
My husband had the NEVRO unit placed, after the trial. A person from NEVRO called him the day after placement to check pain level. The person adjusted his device while on the phone with him. Communication continued the first week. He was very pleased with the device. Charging every night was a minor issue. He recommended his friends with back issues to see pain management to see if that was something that might help him. It certainly helped his quality of life.
@heisenberg34 my late husband had a scs put in during the early 2000's. He still played professional soccer and I fought him on it. He got other injuries and his scs in those days isn't like today's. The wires got scar tissue on them and entangled in some nerves. He couldn't have the surgeries he needed bc they couldn't remove the scs....it was the pill mill days of the opioid crisis. It killed him in December 2015 and left me penniless. I have 3 class action lawsuits right now bc of that.....START DOING THE RIGHT THING....I BEG YOU 💔😭
I had my Evoke closed loop stimulator put in October 2025. During the week trial I was surprised how well it was working. I had a good 80% improvement with it. I was nervous to have something foreign in my back, but with all all my lumbar pretty much all DDD, I really wanted To take the chance. Healing from the surgery wasn’t fun, but not bad either.
The Reps from the company are just a text or call away. They will meet me at the office and help with programming. They are very supportive.
Now besides all the good, I am frustrated at times with new pains here and there. But hey, overall, I am glad I had it done because so far so good. Just not looking forward in 10 years when they have to go back in and change the battery lol.
@clmlam How bad was the recovery from the surgery? I had my SI joints fused and that wasn't terrible. About a week and I was good. This seems less impactful?
@dougs72 He had almost unbearable pain down his hip left hip and leg. He was able to enjoy life so much more after getting the Nevro. He also got the marijuana card. Occasionally he would chew a gummy when the pain got bad. That truly relaxed him so that the pain was greatly lessened. It was definitely worth going through the procedure.
My loved one broke a Vertebrae L-5 Nov.2023. Received spine jack Kyphoplasty Feb 2024. She has been to 4 pain management Providers since then. Multiple MRI's (Latest last week after admitted to Hospital for intense pain) CT scans, EMG. A Spinal Cord Stimulator was implanted in Nov. 2025. The Cylindrical lead type, we didn't know about Paddle type.
She still has intense Nerve pain, in Lumbar area radiating into hips, and down her legs. Sometimes we wonder if some of that is the SCS itself causing some of it. Many appointments with Pain Management and the SCS Reps have failed to find the correct settings.
We just saw a different Provider yesterday. A Neurosurgeon that I paid out-of-pocket for a consultation. He recommends changing out the leads for paddles. Has anyone experience with changing out leads in favor of paddles. Any experience would be appreciated. Thank You
I have had back and foot nerve pain for a couple years now. Clear EMGs and MRIs but massive lower left pain in the SI joint area (If you press your finger into my back I'd go through the roof). I got SI joint fusion-zero help. I've had every type of shot and my doctor has ruled everything out. I can't bend forward
(only squat). I can't extend my left arm out to the left without nerve pain. I can't pick up anything with my left hand and most importantly, I cannot twist to the left without terrible nerve pain in my back and left foot/toes. So here I am, going to do the trial for a SCS.
@dougs72 I'm sorry to hear about your chronic pain. My loved one has Lumbar and Sacral nerve pain for 2 1/2 years. A Ortho Doctor referred her to a clinic that did a EMG. The probe was only placed on her legs. It showed nothing.
I have always suspected there was a nerve that was the source of her pain in her Lumbar area somewhere. I researched, and found that a EMG of the Lumbar area can find Nerve issues that EMG in the legs only, won't. So I pushed for another EMG with a Neurologist. That EMG found 4 nerves showing issues.
I would like to say that since then her nerve pain was treated better. However, that hasn't been the case.
The Doctor's we have gone to including the one that found the nerve issues have pushed against treating her nerves at the source, or even trying to find the exact source of her nerve pain. They recommended the SCS. It hasn't worked very well for her.
If you get one make sure you try to be as certain as possible that the trial gave you pain relief. I would keep the trial until the very last day to be as certain as possible.
Thanks for posting this Robyng the doctor wants me to get one but the pain doctor thinks there might be something else wrong in my back. I had L4-S1 fusion last April. Pain doctor said stimulator will help with leg, anal, groin pain but not the back pain. If anyone has been in pain with this situation how do you treat the 2 different pains?
@sbtheplumber1 I would take finding the exact source of the pain before trying to block the pain signals with a SCS.
It's only my opinion based on the bad experiences of my loved one in the last 6 months with the SCS to treat severe nerve pain. Her issues started 2 1/2 years ago after a fall that fractured L-5 and she had Kyphoplasty.
I hope it can be figured out for you.
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@heisenberg34 thanks. Why cant they just reattach the lead? Seems simple enough
@sbrown293 I too am getting nevro. What was his diasgnosis prior to and what has he been able to return to doing (if you don't mind me asking)
@abosier65 what does "start doing the right thing" even mean?
Hello- I am also getting the Nevro. Can you tell me your experience? did you just get the trial or the actual implant?
@clmlam How bad was the recovery from the surgery? I had my SI joints fused and that wasn't terrible. About a week and I was good. This seems less impactful?
@dougs72 It seems that some of the electrodes on the paddle lead had shorted out.
@dougs72 He had almost unbearable pain down his hip left hip and leg. He was able to enjoy life so much more after getting the Nevro. He also got the marijuana card. Occasionally he would chew a gummy when the pain got bad. That truly relaxed him so that the pain was greatly lessened. It was definitely worth going through the procedure.
My loved one broke a Vertebrae L-5 Nov.2023. Received spine jack Kyphoplasty Feb 2024. She has been to 4 pain management Providers since then. Multiple MRI's (Latest last week after admitted to Hospital for intense pain) CT scans, EMG. A Spinal Cord Stimulator was implanted in Nov. 2025. The Cylindrical lead type, we didn't know about Paddle type.
She still has intense Nerve pain, in Lumbar area radiating into hips, and down her legs. Sometimes we wonder if some of that is the SCS itself causing some of it. Many appointments with Pain Management and the SCS Reps have failed to find the correct settings.
We just saw a different Provider yesterday. A Neurosurgeon that I paid out-of-pocket for a consultation. He recommends changing out the leads for paddles. Has anyone experience with changing out leads in favor of paddles. Any experience would be appreciated. Thank You
@dougs72 I'm sorry to hear about your chronic pain. My loved one has Lumbar and Sacral nerve pain for 2 1/2 years. A Ortho Doctor referred her to a clinic that did a EMG. The probe was only placed on her legs. It showed nothing.
I have always suspected there was a nerve that was the source of her pain in her Lumbar area somewhere. I researched, and found that a EMG of the Lumbar area can find Nerve issues that EMG in the legs only, won't. So I pushed for another EMG with a Neurologist. That EMG found 4 nerves showing issues.
I would like to say that since then her nerve pain was treated better. However, that hasn't been the case.
The Doctor's we have gone to including the one that found the nerve issues have pushed against treating her nerves at the source, or even trying to find the exact source of her nerve pain. They recommended the SCS. It hasn't worked very well for her.
If you get one make sure you try to be as certain as possible that the trial gave you pain relief. I would keep the trial until the very last day to be as certain as possible.
@sbtheplumber1 I would take finding the exact source of the pain before trying to block the pain signals with a SCS.
It's only my opinion based on the bad experiences of my loved one in the last 6 months with the SCS to treat severe nerve pain. Her issues started 2 1/2 years ago after a fall that fractured L-5 and she had Kyphoplasty.
I hope it can be figured out for you.