Anyone tried Spinal Cord Stimulation for Chronic Pain?

Im sorry I didn’t mean peripheral neuropathy. That is easily taken care of with the scs but I was speaking of sciatica! It’s harder to help. I can turn it up and have to rst

There are some good doctors that do this procedure in Atlanta (there are some that I would not go to)I’m having it done-scheduled to be in a couple of weeks I’m 81 and have a lot of living left to do,!!

I am lucky. I am having good results with my Nevro HFX. However, I could not agree more - their patient support is excellent up to the “sale” of the permanent implant. Then support is non-existent and sometimes not even fully knowledgable about what. They have implanted.

I did have unit implanted and went in for adjustments. But after a year I only had 1 adjustment that helped. It only lasted 12 hours. I think the decision needs to be a personal one.

Yes, I have a Boston Scientific Spinal Cord Stimulator for complex regional pain syndrome, a.k.a. CRPS. As the other person said it’s an individual choice. I went to the University Of North Carolina (anesthesiologist specializing in pain management…they are wonderful!!!) and they gave me the choice of five different stimulators. After doing our homework on them (my husband and I.) we decided the best stimulator for me was the Boston Scientific. I have had mine since March 14, 2022. I did have issues with it which turned out to be the representatives fault not the stimulator. He had connected my legs backwards to the computer. I have since found a wonderful representative out of Hickory, North Carolina, who discovered that issue and corrected it. I have CRPS in both of my legs. It is extremely painful. The stimulator has reduce the pain immensely. I seldom use a cane and have completely given up my crutches. The thing that I have discovered is that when my battery starts to get low I do get a pain around the battery pack in my back. It’s an automatic indication that the battery is getting low and I need to check my remote and start recharging. I do check the remote every few days.

Using the remote I can increase the power and get immediate relief when necessary. I set a timer for 20 minutes to get it back to my normal setting.

The battery lasts at a minimum of one week and add a maximum of about two weeks. It depends on whether I have had to adjust it…weather affects my pain we think. I charge the battery charger over night and I hook that up to the battery implanted in my back by way of a belt that comes with it. It takes anywhere from two hours to four hours to recharge. It’s no big deal, especially thinking of the pain that I am no longer getting. Even with the screwup by the representative I am thrilled to death with the implant. My recommendation to you is that you do your homework and contact as many companies as you can that provide implants. Study them and then make your decision.

It took a total of 12 months for this to become completely embedded in my body. Don’t expect a miracle overnight. Yes, I did get a reduction in the pain immediately, however, I was limited on what I could do for about 90 days and had to be careful lifting things for 9 months. It was a small sacrifice to make.

I do have issues carrying things in from of me like laundry. I make more trips with a lighter load to take care of that issue.

I encourage you to give the implant a chance if you decide to go this route. I keep reading about how people are having them removed within a matter of months after having to put in. I am sure every individual is different but I want to encourage you to leave it in for at least a year before you decide to pull it out.

Again, I am thrilled with my implant.

I did the Boston Scientific SCS and the trial failed-it did not work for me at all. Asked my pain specialist if any of the others would and he said he had had the same results working and not working with Boston Scientific and Nevro. I guess there is no use in my trying the Nevro-my insurance might have a coronary; but, I have paid alot of high premiums for years and hardly ever used it (that's a good thing)

Have any of you found that any over- the- counter nerve pain medication has worked at all-I know Aleve, etc does not help nerve pain and I don't want to totally depend on Trimodol for any relief - Suggestions, please????

The only thing that helps take the edge of the neuropathy symptoms for me is combining Lyrica (Pregabalin) and Trileptal (Oxcarbazepine) which was prescribed to me by a great neurologist (Dr. Thomas Brannigan) at Columbia Neurology in New York City. I have a spinal cord stimulator and it is not helping.

How do you take the Pregabalin exactly and how much do you weigh? Right now, my internist has me taking 2 x 25 mg Pregabalin at night and has started one more around noon. I know that is low but she will have me work up to more. i weigh around 120 lbs and it seems if a person weighs a little more they don't quite have the negative reaction to drugs. I will ask her to let me try the Trileptal if you had success with it. Question: Did the SCS trial show that it was helping you? It absolutely did not help me at all - no setting helped-actually hurt (tingling) more and at the end she put it on a setting which really hurt and her comment was "hang in there"-so it did not go well!! Thank you so much for replying!! Guess we are all in this together!!

I have Nevro and have excellent response any time I call. I am in New Orleans. It probably depends on where you are and who you get. Don’t put up with bad care. Go up the line. Complain to your doctor first.

My pain dr, who is really quite good, said he has had the same results for Nevro and Boston Scientific-I would not mind going through the Nevro trial if he even thought the Nevro would work for me-bet my insurance provider might get a little upset; but, I have great insurance and hardly ever made a claim you are so lucky!! Sure wish I could be saying that!!!