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Has anyone tried the HF10 Spinal Cord Stimulation Device?
Has anyone tried a device called HF10 ? It’s a device which stimulates your spinal cord to help relieve back and leg pain. After a trial period of about a week, if the patient is achieving good results the device is implanted in the person. My pain management doctor has recommended it to me for arm and hand nerve pain. I would like to hear from anyone who has used this device and especially from anyone who has used it for arm and hand pain. Thank you.
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Getting a SCS is a coin toss. Even if the trial gives you decent pain relief, there is no guarantee that the permanent implant will do as well. Plus. you cannot know how long it will provide relief. Could be a couple of years, or, it could be long-term. Mine gave me less relief than the trial, but was still decent. After about 3.5 years it just stopped working. Mine ws the Medtronics unit. Trial was not bad at all. Your doc may have just been trying to be helpful. How much pain relief did your trial provide on a 1 to 10 scale. My trial was about a 7 to 8. Permanent implant was about a 5.
Hi thanks for your reply. The trial relief was about maybe 5, I could walk about two more blocks but I still had cramping and throbbing. My main symptoms are in my calf muscles when I walk. So I could walk a little longer I have to say but I still had the cramping. I found the doctor to be out of touch with what it must be like to have chronic pain which I suppose of course he can't know unless he has it. But the day I went in to get the trial stimulator taken out I had hardly slept as usual and I told him that and he seemed surprised and he said why couldn't you sleep? And I told him the battery was so uncomfortable I could not sleep plus I also had cramps. I wish these doctors would try these products out on themselves or at least try sleeping with a huge battery on your back.
One day to decide. That is ridiculous. I would likely be wary to go with that pain doctor for and procedures anymore.
I had months to decide. Yes the trial is cumbersome but I was actually able to sleep better even with the cumbersome of it. I used multiple pillows that I actually laid on, on my side. The implant will be internally installed so not that same issue.
Best of luck.
Yep ! I am not deciding and consulting other pain management doctors. Did you do the Nevro ? I am reading on here that people had pain after the trial from the leads. I am having worse pain now and can't sleep again and walking is very painful, more than before the trial. I wish I could sue them.
@annie1 I have posted before about my HFX experience since Oct. 27 when I got it to replace my HF10: night and day! I no longer have no lumbar pain! NONE! I did have a complication with one of the 16 connectors/electrodes so the Nevro rep uses the one on the opposite side of my spine and that works well to alleviate my chronic pain. Unfortunately, I'll need to have the lead removed if I ever need an MRI.
I had different symptoms than you do . Of minimal back pain, it's all in my calf muscles that throb and cramp after I walk even one minute in my apartment I am so sick of this throbbing I don't know what to do. The hfx did not deliver the promises that they spoke about in all of their advertising hype. Sometimes I think the only thing that will really help me are opioids.
@annie1 I originally got the HF10 for neuropathic pain (feet) and that' s also why I got the HFX. I was told that the HF10 would be a home run for my feet and MAYBE help my back. It's been the exact opposite so far with both devices. Having no lumbar pain is wonderful but I also need relief for my feet. I certainly haven't lost hope yet. Nevro does have a lot of programs I can try so once the holiday craziness is over I'll be on the phone with them to keep trying different programs and settings.
Best wishes in your pain-relief journey!
Hi Salmag,
I have had the Nevro HFX for about 2 months. I haven't been trained formally on using the remote control, but I think I understand it. There are five (5) programs and seven (7) layers of something. Maybe intensity? I have read where the 7-scale isn't actually intensity, but rather different configurations of the leads in your spine. So, I am still confused about what the seven levels are. Questoin: Can you tell me how you explored the different programs and levels? Do I just randomly try different combinations until I hit on something that makes the pain lesson? How long did you wait on a particular combination to see if it does anything? On the one hand, I heard it should be near immediate; and on the other hand I heard the previous settings take time to "wash-out." I am learning everything and everywhere I can. I just discovered this wonderful site today. It would be interesting to me to hear what your experience has been with the remote. Thank you! Rob
I agree that most doctors are not really aware of how excruciating, chronic pain feels. When you can hardly walk, find it difficult to ride in a car, etc. It's almost as if they think that your pain is not really as bad as you make it out to be. Sometimes I wish that I could magically send my pain to them for a day. Then see what it's like to be in this kind of pain almost every waking moment.
Yes, I had the HF-X implanted, and it felt like a gigantic piece of rock sticking out on myleft side. Very uncomfortable. I just had it and all the associated hardware removed. When I look at Boston Scientific's WaveRider, the battery looks so much smaller. I am hoping to get a trial soon.
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1 ReactionI did the trial and didn't help me much. I don't know if the symptoms you have are like mine.But I had twitching and throbbing in my calf.Muscles which I still do even after surgery. Anyway , I don't think those stimulators work for what I have But they seem to work for some things.