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Spinal stimulator questions
My mother in law who is mid 80's has been living with spinal problems for many years with a lot of pain. Surgery is not recommended. HF-10 is being suggested. What are worst side effects? Can a subsequent fall after implantation affect it? What is the rate of infection? She has scoliosis and wonders how that it will affect success of this procedure. Thank you so much for your thoughts
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Has she tried RFA- Radio Frequency Ablation for lower back pain before going to a Spinal Cord Stimulator? I have lower back pain and have tried facet joint injections twice. The last one I had in June did not help. I am scheduled for RFA on September 9th.
I have both . I get relief of about 70% fo about 4 mo.
Thank you suerc
I have a spinal stimulator, do you have one?
I have a spinal stimulator and I found it works really well for me. I was in severe pain for over 20 years. The minute I would stand up my pain would go from a 3, 4 to a 10 and that's no exaggeration. I have had spinal surgery which failed, injections, physical therapy, etc. Nothing worked. Finally I couldn't take it anymore so I went the spinal stimulator route and I have no regrets my pain is never more than a 3, 4 and that's only if I am running around all day and then in the evening I will get some pain but all I have to do is lay down and rest a bit and I am pain free again. Before getting the stimulator I was bed bound and couldn't do it go anywhere now I have my freedom again. Very happy I decided to go this route.
I am considering the Prospera Spinal Cord Stimulator from Biotronik Neuro. I did the trial. Have you tried this brand or are you currently using it? Can you shed some light on these questions:
- How much did the Prospera (or your SCS) reduce your pain day‑to‑day?
- Did the relief stay consistent over time?
- What activities became easier after you got your stimulator?
- Are there things you still avoid or modify?
- Do you feel the stimulation, or is it mostly in the background?
- How often did you need reprogramming in the first few months?
- Did you find a program that worked well long‑term?
- How responsive was your care team when you needed adjustments?
- “Do you use multiple programs for different activities (walking, sleeping, flare‑ups)?
⭐ Questions About Remote Monitoring (Biotronik‑specific)
- Has the remote monitoring been helpful?
- Do you feel it reduces the number of in‑person visits?”
- Has your care team ever reached out because of something they saw in the data?”
- Does it give you peace of mind?”
⭐ Questions About Comfort & Sensations
- Do you feel tingling, pulsing, or nothing at all?”
- Did the sensations change over time?”
- Does the stimulation ever get distracting?”
⭐ Questions About Travel & Lifestyle
- “How easy is it to travel with your stimulator?”
- “Any issues with airport security?”
- “How often do you need to charge it, and is it easy while traveling?”
- “Do you exercise with it on?”
⭐ Questions About Recovery & Healing
- “How long did it take to feel normal after the implant surgery?”
- “Did you have any restrictions early on?”
- “How long before you trusted the device and moved naturally again?”
⭐ Questions About Expectations
- “Did the stimulator meet your expectations?”
- “What surprised you most — good or bad?”
- “If you could go back, would you choose it again?”
⭐ Questions About Biotronik Specifically
- “If you have the Prospera, what made you choose it over other brands?”
- “How has the battery life been?”
- “Do you like the controller?”
- “Any issues with the leads or device comfort?”