Spinal Cord Stimulation

A spinal cord stimulator sends a gentle electric current to the nerves of the spinal cord with the onset of pain. This is done by the patient with a remote control that activates a small device implanted under the skin. There’s some mystery surrounding why it’s effective, but it’s believed to target a variety of muscle groups and impact how the brain perceives pain. Often, the pain is replaced with a tingling sensation; but this can be modified to reduce the tingling to a level that the patient barely notices.

Spinal cord stimulation is generally used when conservative interventions have failed to eliminate or reduce pain, or if surgery is undesirable. Some types of chronic pain that spinal cord stimulation is used for include:

• Back pain
• Abdominal pain
• Pain following a surgery
• Pain resulting from spinal cord injuries
• Angina (or heart pain)
• Neuropathies
• And more…

After an initial evaluation taking your pain history and other factors into account, you will receive a trial device that can easily be removed after just a few days. But if the device successfully reduces or eliminates your pain (we have a 92% success rate from trial to permanent implants at our clinic), you can opt to have a permanent device implanted. This often results in improved sleep and overall quality of life.

Spinal cord stimulation is a simple and effective therapy for reducing severe chronic pain when more conservative treatments have failed. To learn more, contact a trusted specialist, whether that’s the experts at Coastal Pain & Neurology Centers or another reputable source.