Has anyone had the Stimwave spine stimulator installed?

I'm on the fourth day of a Stimwave "Freedom" trial implanted in my upper back for lower leg sciatic pain. Two days to go.

how did your trial go? did you end up getting the stimwave?

@ws4k I did have Stimwave implanted. If you are considering it for application at spine, it is worth considering. It is very high frequency, up to 1500, and higher than my Medtronic now can go.

The stimwave worked like a charm for my pain. However, I was having it implanted as a PERIPHERAL stimulator for my sciatic nerve in back of knee, to help my lower leg. The stimwave lead is very flexible, and this made me have problems with lead migration. I had 2 trials and 2 permanents. The reps for this company were working closely with my doc to determine best approach to stabilize the lead. Ultimately for me bc it was a peripheral application. and not a scs, it didnt work bc the lead was too flexible and unstable and they couldn't anchor the lead well. In an SCS application Stimwave is very stable from what my doctor told me and he uses it often.

Due to migration, lead breakage issues, and newness of the product and application for peripheral nerves we took stimwave out after the 2nd permanent system had a lead break or had a lead problem. I would say talk w ur doc closely to determine if this is right for you and your needs. Ask him how stable the lead will be and bring up lead migration. You'll know after the trial if it helps you. It helped me a lot but just wasnt right bc the company had not done many or any sciatic nerve peripheral cases. They do tons of scs cases so you would be having an approach that they vetted and tested more thoroughly.

As an aside, my case was so unique the CEO of the company was talking to my doc to give ideas in how to put in and anchor it to make it stay. This company is amazing and really supported me through the trials and difficulties I had making it work. One rep even stayed on the phone with me for hours as I was crying bc the lead moved and I could tell it wasn't working anymore. Kind people and they really care about patients and the product.

It is very easy to input and remove. The one thing I will tell you to ask the doctor is as follows:

How durable is this medical device, specifically, in the location you will be implanting it at, how likely is lead migration (movement of lead away from intended site). Is there anything at the site the lead needs to be that will help anchor the lead?
- I had too much lead migration with stimwave to use it as a Peripheral Nerve Stim. I tried and had it changed out twice. But, this was around my sciatic nerve right above the back of my knee (where that nerve splits into 2 branches). Thus, no real way to anchor it other than the 'barbs' of the lead that helps it stay in place. I went to an off-label use of a Medtronic stim because it had a lead with the right rigidity to be more durable.
- This is ALL site specific stuff. If your location of implantation will work better with the system, stim wave rep and your doc should know this. I was one of the first patients in the USA to have this device put in for a sciatic nerve use case. In many other sites...the stim wave holds up great. When mine did stay in place I got AMAZING results. It can go at a higher frequency/rate than any other stim on the market that I tried...and that's what seemed to benefit my pain so much.

We actually implanted all of my atimwave trials and Permanents in a fluoroscopy suite. So, yes. It was that easy. simple!!!

Hello @ws4k , I had a Nevro stimulator implanted in August of 2017 because of general lower back pain that couldn't be relieved through any conventional means. I've had basically ZERO pain since then. Every month or so the last 5 bones in my back get misaligned and I need about a 2-3 minute adjustment by my chiropractor, and then: good as new! I charge my stimulator through induction every day for so - sometimes I forget for a few days but it doesn't matter. They tell me the effect doesn't "wash out" for a few days after the battery depletes. I live a normal life, virtually free of pain for the first time in 27 years. I've travelled to Europe several times and even to S. America and the Galapagos. I pack my charger in carry-on so as not to lose it. I even played 3 rounds of golf for 3 consecutive days just 8 weeks after the device was implanted. I do wear a back support when I play but only because my bad swing puts undue pressure on my back...and entire body 🙂 Since I've had the implant, Nevro had developed and had approved a newer model that is smaller. I think they just developed a smaller battery. Oh, and no parathesia with either device.

About to have one! Feet neuropathy bad!