Spinal cord stimulation: Will Nevro help when Medtronic didn't?

I have been dealing with back issues for 20 years: Chasing relief! The numbness started in about 2005 after disk surgeries L3-S1. In about 2014 the Neuropathy really started to kick in bad. I get sick over anti depressants, and have been the route of opioids which gave me relief, but only a small amount, and I feel at a high cost.
2017 I tried the Medtronic Spinal Stimulator. Had to have the leads removed before I could leave the hospital as I could not control my legs. (I hear now that the leads may have gone into the spinal canal, and not the Intrathecal canal).
Later that year I had a Medtronic Intrathecal Drug pump installed. I do get relief, but not much even after the Doctors have turn up the medication to high.
This year, 2020, I had a trial of the Nevro Spinal Stimulator. Worked great. I'm having to wait for the virus issue to end so I can have it install. I'm so ready!
The Doctor was not able to get the Medtronic leads into the correct level on my lumbar so he went up to T12 and went down to L3, because of the scar tissue. Bad results. The Nevro leads go T12 up to T8. For me it was doable. In addition, the Nevro is on a higher wave length. Worked well for me in the trial of one week.
I had to give up work at the end of 2018 and am now just hoping for relief/quality of life. I'm hoping the Nevro will work for a long time as it did with the trial. Good luck!
(Demographics: Male, age 60)

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to Genomacc - I have the Nevro SCS installed and it's working wonderfully. We are still adjusting it. I have other situations also, but one is scoliosis, both side to side and back to front. The pain clinic where I had the trial unit installed couldn't get both leads in so I only had one. The neurosurgeon chose a different area and was able to get both leads in. female, 63

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I hope the best for your outcome. I am not close to a Mayo location, however I'm not working now and only have health insurance in San Diego county, in California. I recently changed Insurance companies and currently I am very happy with my care. I'm waiting for non-emergency surgeries to be allowed again. I'll be having the Nevro spinal stimulator installed. I'm not a good candidate for fusion. The prior scar tissue is a problem now. Let's just keep pushing on!

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@genomacc Hello there I was reading about you waiting to get a Neuvro HF10 SCS. Im sure it will help better than most pills have ever been prescribed for nerve pain & DDD & various spinal chronic pain issue's. I know because I have similar issue's & so does my husband. He is getting his on Dec 21st, 2020. Its going to be done partially in his thoracic & low to mid lumbar region in a paddle style position. Kind of like a spread out fingers style position. He did the trial & loved it!!! It worked for him better than any of his pain meds ever did. He was singing on his 2nd day of the trial & by the 4th day he was playing his guitar. I was so happy to see him smile & tell me for the 1st time in over 12years his feet & legs were not burning/tingling from nerve pain. I was so happy for him & now this month has been a bit of a struggle for me as I need Neurosurgery on my cervical spine. & had an epidural injection that helped my nerve pain in my left butt cheek. It worked.
I did a lot of research on which SCS unit to pick for my Husband & most of the info that swayed me towards this Neuvro HF10 SCS was reading posts written here in Mayo Clinic Connect, I thank you all & It may end up I myself could get a unit as well. I especially like the fact that there is no parethesia.
No jolts of machine turning on.
Neuvro SCS is good for 12yrs of wear before it needs to be taken out & replaced. Best of all you can get an MRI with this unit. We checked 3 different MRI clinic's & they are the only ones that are approved for MRI's. Also who knows what else they will come out within the next 12 yrs before it is time to be removed.
I wish all well & be strong. Im in pain tonite myself my cervical & thoracic spine is badly herniated & my discs are pushing into my spinal column & its scary but Im hopeful something will get better & I pray I will not need a fusion, instead hopefully I can get a Neuvro myself.
Life is ever changing. Even certain chronic pain issue's change with time. Be strong & never say this is my last choice, because it always changes. Be safe & good nite. Maybe now my body will let me sleep a few hrs. Happy Holidays to all. Mimi

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Hello. I have severe chronic nerve pain due to a failed back surgery from 11 years ago. After spending 8 "lost" years on morphine and hydrocodone, I graduated from Mayo's 3-week pain rehabilitation program. That, without doubt, was the best decision I've made regarding managing my chronic pain. Now the only medication I take for pain is Lyrica. The pain is still here every day and often it's bad.

I continue to look for "solutions" that will relieve more of the pain. I no longer expect to find a magic bullet, but only to reduce the pain incrementally by a combination of several things: Lyrica, chiropractor, physical therapy, gentle yoga, etc.

Last August I did back-to-back trials of 2 spinal cord stimulators: Nevro's HF10 followed by Boston Scientific. The Nevro HF10 trial was a bust. It really didn't help at all. The Boston Scientific trial was done immediately after Nevro's and was done with the Nevro leads still in place The Boston Scientific trial provided some relief but I really couldn't say it improved my pain by 50% so I chose to not have it implanted at that time.

I am now going to repeat the Boston Scientific trial with their leads. I don't know if this will make a difference and will produce better results but I'll soon find out.

Before I had the 2 trials last August, I did a lot of research and selected Nevro's HF10 first, in part because of discussions on this Mayo Clinic site. The message I hope to share with readers is this: be hopeful but don't be disappointed if the results of any SCS trial are less than hoped for. The truth is, there are some patients who are not helped by SCS. I wish everyone who is trialing a SCS the best of luck and good success.

Jump to this post

@genomacc Hello there I was reading about you waiting to get a Neuvro HF10 SCS. Im sure it will help better than most pills have ever been prescribed for nerve pain & DDD & various spinal chronic pain issue's. I know because I have similar issue's & so does my husband. He is getting his on Dec 21st, 2020. Its going to be done partially in his thoracic & low to mid lumbar region in a paddle style position. Kind of like a spread out fingers style position. He did the trial & loved it!!! It worked for him better than any of his pain meds ever did. He was singing on his 2nd day of the trial & by the 4th day he was playing his guitar. I was so happy to see him smile & tell me for the 1st time in over 12years his feet & legs were not burning/tingling from nerve pain. I was so happy for him & now this month has been a bit of a struggle for me as I need Neurosurgery on my cervical spine. & had an epidural injection that helped my nerve pain in my left butt cheek. It worked.
I did a lot of research on which SCS unit to pick for my Husband & most of the info that swayed me towards this Neuvro HF10 SCS was reading posts written here in Mayo Clinic Connect, I thank you all & It may end up I myself could get a unit as well. I especially like the fact that there is no parethesia.
No jolts of machine turning on.
Neuvro SCS is good for 12yrs of wear before it needs to be taken out & replaced. Best of all you can get an MRI with this unit. We checked 3 different MRI clinic's & they are the only ones that are approved for MRI's. Also who knows what else they will come out within the next 12 yrs before it is time to be removed.
I wish all well & be strong. Im in pain tonite myself my cervical & thoracic spine is badly herniated & my discs are pushing into my spinal column & its scary but Im hopeful something will get better & I pray I will not need a fusion, instead hopefully I can get a Neuvro myself.
Life is ever changing. Even certain chronic pain issue's change with time. Be strong & never say this is my last choice, because it always changes. Be safe & good nite. Maybe now my body will let me sleep a few hrs. Happy Holidays to all. Mimi

Jump to this post

Hello. I have severe chronic nerve pain due to a failed back surgery from 11 years ago. After spending 8 "lost" years on morphine and hydrocodone, I graduated from Mayo's 3-week pain rehabilitation program. That, without doubt, was the best decision I've made regarding managing my chronic pain. Now the only medication I take for pain is Lyrica. The pain is still here every day and often it's bad.

I continue to look for "solutions" that will relieve more of the pain. I no longer expect to find a magic bullet, but only to reduce the pain incrementally by a combination of several things: Lyrica, chiropractor, physical therapy, gentle yoga, etc.

Last August I did back-to-back trials of 2 spinal cord stimulators: Nevro's HF10 followed by Boston Scientific. The Nevro HF10 trial was a bust. It really didn't help at all. The Boston Scientific trial was done immediately after Nevro's and was done with the Nevro leads still in place The Boston Scientific trial provided some relief but I really couldn't say it improved my pain by 50% so I chose to not have it implanted at that time.

I am now going to repeat the Boston Scientific trial with their leads. I don't know if this will make a difference and will produce better results but I'll soon find out.

Before I had the 2 trials last August, I did a lot of research and selected Nevro's HF10 first, in part because of discussions on this Mayo Clinic site. The message I hope to share with readers is this: be hopeful but don't be disappointed if the results of any SCS trial are less than hoped for. The truth is, there are some patients who are not helped by SCS. I wish everyone who is trialing a SCS the best of luck and good success.

Jump to this post