Does spinal cord stimulation relieve PHN pain? I had a very mild case of shingles in 1999 but the discomfort continued for months after, just a feeling of a binding around my rib cage. (I can't wear anything tight around my back muscle area) After about ten months of this discomfort I saw that a local hospital advertised a trial treatment so I signed up. After the first set of injections on half of my back, I went from a discomfort level of 3 - 4 to a pain level of 7 - 8. I was assured that this was just temporary, so I agreed to go ahead with the injections on the other half of my back. That was almost ten years ago and my pain level has never decreased. I have tried all the drugs that two different neurologist have prescribed most of which just mad me "Looney". The only one that has helped at all is Lyrica, but at times that doesn't work either. The only blessed thing about this is I don't hurt when I am sleeping. My back feels like I have a severe sunburn, but the strange thing about it is, a heating pad is the only relief I can get. I don't have anyone to put the patches on my back and I'm not sure how much help they would be. Any advice would be appreciated. JoanLee