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Should I have the Spinal Cord Stimulator? Looking for reviews on this
I have had chronic lower back pain due to lumbar spinal stenosis for over 10-years. I have had multiple therapies and procedures done - including RFA, Epidural steroid injections, a MILD procedure, acupuncture, OT/PT and Chiropractics, as well as an Interspinous spacer and nothing has helped my pain. After all of that, the physician I saw in March's only recommendation was for me to have the Spinal cord stimulator, but I am actually afraid of this and have read that there have been numerous injuries as a result of this implant, and after reviewing the booklet and watching the video I initially felt that it was just to restrictive in terms of how you could move your body. If you have had this procedure please let me know your results. Many thanks.
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@jlssurplus I totally agree! I kept my SCS a little over a year & had it removed. I was tired of having the programs readjusted & charging the battery every week when it never helped!
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2 ReactionsStimulators mitigate pain; they don't cure it. I suppose it's 50:50 as to whether it will provide long term relief or not. It doesn't do anything for the cause of the pain.
@chrismhampton I'm sorry to say that there are no guarantee when it comes to medical treatments, especially surgeries. You can do trials for a SCS and a pain pump. Unfortunately, there are no guarantees that a successful trial will ensure success for the permanent implant. You have to ask yourself, "At what point in my pain journey does it warrant something like one of these devices?".
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2 ReactionsI have one and it worked for a while but the battery is giving me problems and is hurting and getting it removed
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1 Reaction@mrwiggles
Can you please let me know if you moved forward? Your story sounds so similiar, 2 surgeries, same injections and meds. My surgeon told me I would always have some back pain but he would be able to get rid of my leg pain 100% and it hasn't happened. My surgeon also recommended Boston Scientific but I have been reading the pros and cons of each brand and its quite overwhelming! Hope to hear it all went well for you!
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2 Reactions@suzzie64 I definitely will
My wife got one a Medtronic unit a year ago and it has really helped her. There are many nuisance issues with it that you have to adjust and plan for. CHARGING all 3 devices and keeping them charged is paramount and takes planning. Developing a routine and getting used to the battery belt is another. Be patient while finding the routine that works best for you. It could take you a few weeks to find you groove. Best wishes.
I had an Abbott SCS implanted last December and it hasn’t helped. I really thought the trial was helpful but all I can think is that because I was doing much more resting than usual (I found the healing period from both the trial and the permanent implant to be very painful and limiting in what moving I could do) that the pain lessened.
Actually I am thinking about having it removed but I’m waiting to see if I hit my out of pocket maximum this year 🙄 Health insurance is SO EXPENSIVE!
@suzzie64 I have had 2 Abbott stimulators installed the DRG with 4 leads and the Abbott Proclaim with 2 percutaneous leads (not paddle!). The DRG stimulator had to come out within months; I had lead migration and a terrible increase in leg pain. Even since the device was removed, I struggle more than before. I have 3 lumbar fusions and have had 13 spinal surgeries all due to an injury 30 years ago. After 25 years of lumbar fusion I needed to have my neck fused. The trials always seem to work better than the actual implants. I have had my Abbott SCS replaced once already from a non-rechargeable to a rechargeable, I am a thinner person, and the non-rechargeable is huge, its placement was very bothersome. The rechargeable is losing its effectiveness quickly and now I can no longer keep it on constantly after some time it will spike my pain. I have had every steroid injection on the planet repeatedly. The Abbott burst DR technology does not work that well at all. My leads move all over the place, stimulation changes dramatically with movement. I am now up to bat for the Medtronic device. It is a closed system that automatically adjusts stimulation levels when you move around. Be trepidatious, if you look at the efficacy of these devices long term many people need them removed after 8-10 years and the risk of injury goes up for explant at the 3 / 5 / 10 year marks. I am certainly a lucky individual (in SE PA), I do not have trouble getting pain medication, but I am extremely diligent about its use. It took my current physician and I 5 years to trust one another completely. Previously, before the Opioid crises I was on long-acting medication with the same doctor for 15 years. I refuse to return to that dosage format under the Opioid crises and the stigmas attached. Additionally, many doctors are definitely shying away from morphine pump implants, they are not that effective, and many people still require oral meds ... so what would be the point? Get a GOOD doctor. Not all implant doctors are treated equally. Additionally, any of the implant trials hurt, have them done in a surgical center .... an office is unacceptable.