Has anyone had the Stimwave spine stimulator installed?

Posted by WS4K @ws4k, Dec 12, 2018

Hello to ALL! I have a severe back injury and even after three surgeries and several fusions, I am still experiencing severe and chronic pain. My pain management specialist is talking about a spine stimulator. After some research I located the Stim Wave. With this unit, only the leads are implanted. No wires come through. The antenna is worn like a pager on your belt.

Has anyone tried one of the Stim Wave stimulators yet? Any feed back on them?

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Spine Health Support Group.

I had Stimwave SCS (Spinal Cord Stimulator) permanent implant almost two weeks ago and the pain relief is amazing! I had long standing lumbar pain that usually kept me off my feet for more than a few minutes at a time. No more!!

I would highly recommend this device for spinal pain.

They have a different device for pain in other areas of the body (PNS, Peripheral Nerve Stimulator) and I do notice that people confuse the two. Research at their website might help ease the confusion.

I do have a LOT of concern and frustration with Stimwave’s patient instruction, their user support, their User Manual, the depth of (lack of) online information, even their lack of practical solution for using the external controls. So far I have been able to handle my situation and problems on my own. As great as I find the results from my implant, I believe most, and especially anyone experiencing initial problems, would be greatly discouraged and disappointed.

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@newstimwaveuser

I had Stimwave SCS (Spinal Cord Stimulator) permanent implant almost two weeks ago and the pain relief is amazing! I had long standing lumbar pain that usually kept me off my feet for more than a few minutes at a time. No more!!

I would highly recommend this device for spinal pain.

They have a different device for pain in other areas of the body (PNS, Peripheral Nerve Stimulator) and I do notice that people confuse the two. Research at their website might help ease the confusion.

I do have a LOT of concern and frustration with Stimwave’s patient instruction, their user support, their User Manual, the depth of (lack of) online information, even their lack of practical solution for using the external controls. So far I have been able to handle my situation and problems on my own. As great as I find the results from my implant, I believe most, and especially anyone experiencing initial problems, would be greatly discouraged and disappointed.

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Hello @newstimwaveuser, Welcome to Connect. Thank you for sharing your experience with the Stimwave Spinal Cord Stimulator. It really helps when other members can learn more about it from personal experience. You mentioned that you have been able to handle your personal situation with the external controls. Do you have any tips or information that you found that has helped you with the external controls?

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@johnbishop

Hello @newstimwaveuser, Welcome to Connect. Thank you for sharing your experience with the Stimwave Spinal Cord Stimulator. It really helps when other members can learn more about it from personal experience. You mentioned that you have been able to handle your personal situation with the external controls. Do you have any tips or information that you found that has helped you with the external controls?

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I have designed and am fine tuning a usable belt to hold the external controls. The one provided appears to have been designed for different controls.
I have located the business card for an alternate representative whom I hope can be more helpful.
I have read every website, from other providers to other clinicians, that I can for info how SCSs are used trying to determine how/when to use mine.
And I have studied and rewritten the user pages in their manual to make it easier to understand. (The user manual reads for the most part like a sales promotion.)
And I did the same with both post surgery sheets which had left my highly intelligent caretaker scratching her head.

None of this should I have had to do.
And if I had had the least problem with pain relief, I would have thrown in the towel but…

As I have stated before the pain relief has been AMAZING.

It is sad such a good product is so poorly (in my circumstance and opinion) marketed.

REPLY
@newstimwaveuser

I have designed and am fine tuning a usable belt to hold the external controls. The one provided appears to have been designed for different controls.
I have located the business card for an alternate representative whom I hope can be more helpful.
I have read every website, from other providers to other clinicians, that I can for info how SCSs are used trying to determine how/when to use mine.
And I have studied and rewritten the user pages in their manual to make it easier to understand. (The user manual reads for the most part like a sales promotion.)
And I did the same with both post surgery sheets which had left my highly intelligent caretaker scratching her head.

None of this should I have had to do.
And if I had had the least problem with pain relief, I would have thrown in the towel but…

As I have stated before the pain relief has been AMAZING.

It is sad such a good product is so poorly (in my circumstance and opinion) marketed.

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I would so appreciate hearing from other users for their experiences and tips.

REPLY
@newstimwaveuser

I had Stimwave SCS (Spinal Cord Stimulator) permanent implant almost two weeks ago and the pain relief is amazing! I had long standing lumbar pain that usually kept me off my feet for more than a few minutes at a time. No more!!

I would highly recommend this device for spinal pain.

They have a different device for pain in other areas of the body (PNS, Peripheral Nerve Stimulator) and I do notice that people confuse the two. Research at their website might help ease the confusion.

I do have a LOT of concern and frustration with Stimwave’s patient instruction, their user support, their User Manual, the depth of (lack of) online information, even their lack of practical solution for using the external controls. So far I have been able to handle my situation and problems on my own. As great as I find the results from my implant, I believe most, and especially anyone experiencing initial problems, would be greatly discouraged and disappointed.

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where was your pain located?

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In reply to @newstimwaveuser "Across lumbar area" + (show)
@newstimwaveuser

Across lumbar area

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Thank you. My pain is in my toes, from 2 failed surgeries. I wonder if Stimwave could help me and if I could find someone close to my home in Lawrenceville, New Jersey?

REPLY
@newstimwaveuser

I have designed and am fine tuning a usable belt to hold the external controls. The one provided appears to have been designed for different controls.
I have located the business card for an alternate representative whom I hope can be more helpful.
I have read every website, from other providers to other clinicians, that I can for info how SCSs are used trying to determine how/when to use mine.
And I have studied and rewritten the user pages in their manual to make it easier to understand. (The user manual reads for the most part like a sales promotion.)
And I did the same with both post surgery sheets which had left my highly intelligent caretaker scratching her head.

None of this should I have had to do.
And if I had had the least problem with pain relief, I would have thrown in the towel but…

As I have stated before the pain relief has been AMAZING.

It is sad such a good product is so poorly (in my circumstance and opinion) marketed.

Jump to this post

I am seeing a doctor in a couple of weeks to discuss the Stimwave device. I was going to have the NALU device implanted, then decided I didn’t want to have the adhesive patch on my skin in the sand place always (figured my skin would be to irritated).

I can’t find any photos or instructions on how to wear the external Stimwave device. I have pudendal pain, so the external device would probably need to be worn high or mid-way on my buttock. I am interested in the belt you are designing for the Stimwave external device and hoping it isn’t a large, bulky belt. If you are going to market it, please let me know. Thank you.

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@carolynbeers

I am seeing a doctor in a couple of weeks to discuss the Stimwave device. I was going to have the NALU device implanted, then decided I didn’t want to have the adhesive patch on my skin in the sand place always (figured my skin would be to irritated).

I can’t find any photos or instructions on how to wear the external Stimwave device. I have pudendal pain, so the external device would probably need to be worn high or mid-way on my buttock. I am interested in the belt you are designing for the Stimwave external device and hoping it isn’t a large, bulky belt. If you are going to market it, please let me know. Thank you.

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I make a personal belt only but would be happy to privately send you a sketch to make or have made.

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@newstimwaveuser

I make a personal belt only but would be happy to privately send you a sketch to make or have made.

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That would be wonderful! Thank you so much. Carolyn

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