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Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) has been a medical treatment available for certain types of chronic pain for over 50 years. In general, this minimally invasive therapy involves putting a small lead in the spinal canal and using electrical energy from a battery to stimulate the sensory nerves of the spinal cord. This has been shown to decrease chronic pain from a variety of conditions.
There has been a rapid expansion of technologies and therapies in this area over the past few years. Physicians are now able to treat certain pains more effectively than ever before. These new technologies are related to both better equipment technology, stimulation targets, and also how the electrical energy is delivered to the spine and nerves. In addition to treating chronic nerve pain, there have been improvements in the ability to treat chronic back pain, post-knee surgery pain, post-hernia repair pain, and foot pain. Traditionally, patients who have a spinal cord stimulator would feel a pleasant, buzzing sensation (called a paresthesia) in the area of their pain. Now, certain technologies allow for stimulation without creating this sensation, which some patients prefer. Other new technology allows for more specific stimulation of a particular area of the body, which has been shown to be valuable for certain pain problems. Many systems now are compatible with MRI machines which had been a hurdle for some patients in the past.
Generally, a pain medicine physician would be a good source of information to determine if a certain technology would be beneficial for an individual patient. All of this means that there are more options than ever before to treat a wide variety of patients!
Helpful Links:
- Learn more via the Neuromodulation Tab
- Request an Appointment
- Discuss with peers via the implantable neurostimulator discussion
- Read a patient story
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Did the same doctor do the trial and the permanent SCS? If not, perhaps the leads weren't placed in the same position.
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1 ReactionGosh, you sound like me! I’ve had those things done.
I’m contemplating getting the stimulator as nothing is helping my pain any more.
Still up in the air about which one, though I guess it depends on what my doctor uses.
Good luck.
I’ve read this several times now that the trial works better than the permanent. That has me worried.
I heard that too. Could it be because we want the thing to work so bad that we just have more endorphins flooding our body during trial? Then we get down to work with the real thing and expect it to work faster and more immediately than it does. I have the Nevro now and am still in the phase where I am working with their team to find the best location and intensity. I am so glad I got it. It most definitely has worked and reduced my pain by a great deal. There was one day however where I got frustrated and turned the unit off. After a while my pain surged to the old level and I could see what a difference it was making, and it was a lot!! Now I am being more patient and following the representatives instructions and my pain is still in the background but buffered to the point that I don’t have to be in bed most of the day and can sit with very little pain. I feel very lucky to have it.
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1 ReactionI had the trial stimulator done a year and a half ago and it worked so well on all the pain I was experiencing in my back, legs and feet that I went ahead and had the permanent one installed. After a little adjustment, the back pain went away (all except for occasional stabbing pains in the area of the stimulator) but there was no improvement in my legs and feet. As a matter of fact the pain in my feet increased making walking extremely painful. I can't seem to get the doctor, his PA's or the stimulator adjustor to get me any relief. I am getting really upset.
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3 ReactionsWhat stimulator did you use: i.e., Boston Scientific, Abbott, Nevro, etc. Thank you
I have my meeting with doctor on June 12 to discuss SCS. The nurse mentioned Boston Scientific rep will be there.
What does the evaluation involve? I heard a psych eval? I just had an MRI of lumbar spine, do they require anything like that?
Thanks, I’ma little nervous
Have a great day.
Hi, I’d like to jump into this conversation. I recently went to my pain doctor with the intention of discussing the SCS and was told by the PA that this is a “last resort treatment.” Apparently, there are many options out there, which need to be tried before jumping to the SCS. She suggested we try the radio frequency ablation next. I’ve already had two sets of steroid injections (6) each time last year, which only lasted 3 months per injections. My radio frequency ablation is scheduled for June 14. It was explained to me that this procedure last longer than the injections. My back pain is excruciating. It is attributing to my dizziness and instability.
Has anyone else had this done?
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1 ReactionHi, I’ve had the ablation done many years ago.
It also helped for a while.
It’s been back and forth for me with injections, PT,
two fusion surgeries, TENS unit I purchased, deep tissue massage, etc.
I finally decided it’s time to try the SCS. Though it was recommended three years ago, I want ready.
I have pain in various areas, so injections are getting out of control and not really helping any more. I now have almost constant nerve pain.
I’m 71 going on 40. I don’t have time for the pain. 😉
Good luck. I hope the ablation works for you.
With me, various things worked for a while, and then they didn’t. I definitely am using this as a last resort, as I do not want another fusion surgery above where I am already fused.
Take care. I’m sorry for your pain.♥️
Abbott