Spinal Cord Stimulation
Do you suffer from neck pain, low back pain, neuropathy, CRPS or phantom pain that has failed to improve with time and/or conservative therapy? If so you may be a candidate for this quick and simple treatment option.
Spinal Cord Stimulation Q&A
What is Spinal Cord Stimulation?
Spinal cord stimulation uses a small device to deliver electrical pulses to the spinal cord, masking pain signals before they reach the brain. It helps people better manage their chronic pain due to conditions including: neck and back pain, CRPS, and phantom limb pain and help reduce the use of opioid medications.
What are the Benefits?
In most cases, benefits are long-lasting.
How Does it Work?
SCS is a minimally invasive procedure that is done on an outpatient. It works by sending small electrical impulses created by a compact generator through thin leads, or electrical cables, to the spinal cord, where they block pain signals traveling to the brain. Pain is replaced with a mild tingling or a massaging sensation, called paresthesias. A wireless remote control is used to adjust the location and degree of stimulation by selecting pre-programmed settings.
After 4 to 7 days, you will return to the doctor’s office to discuss permanently implanting the stimulator or removing the trial leads. If SCS trial period provides sufficient pain relief (usually 50% or greater), then the trial is deemed a success and a permanent implant may be scheduled if the patient desires.
How Many Treatments Will I Need?
There are two steps to the procedure, a trial procedure and a permanent implant.
Is Spinal Cord Stimulation Right for Me?
SCS has been used in the treatment of cervical and lumbar post-laminectomy syndrome (failed back or neck surgery syndrome), cervical and lumbar radiculitis (neck and back radiating pain), complex regional pain syndromes (CRPS or RSD), intractable pain due to peripheral vascular disease, phantom limb pain, intractable pain due to angina, peripheral neuropathy, post-thoracotomy syndrome, neuropathic extremity pain, chronic visceral pain syndromes, and other pain conditions. We will schedule an appointment with one of our Board Certified Physicians, to see if this treatment is a good fit for you.