Spinal Cord Stimulation

What is spinal cord stimulation?

Spinal cord stimulation is a minimally invasive procedure that implants a small medical device called a spinal cord stimulator beneath your skin. Once placed, the spinal cord stimulator emits electrical impulses that prevent pain signals from reaching the brain. 

Spinal cord stimulation is safe and effective. More than 30,000 Americans undergo the procedure each year.

What types of pain can spinal cord stimulation treat?

The Centers of Rehabilitation and Pain Medicine team uses spinal cord stimulation to treat several types of chronic pain, including:

• Back pain
• Neck pain
• Leg pain
• Arm pain
• Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS)
• Diabetes-related neuropathy (nerve damage)
• Neuropathic (nerve) pain
• Ischemic pain caused by low blood flow
• Spinal cord injuries

Spinal cord stimulation is only recommended after exhausting other conservative treatment options. The team might recommend this procedure if you have chronic pain that doesn’t improve with injections, physical therapy, or activity modifications.

What does spinal cord stimulation involve?

If the team determines you’re a good candidate for spinal cord stimulation, they schedule a trial procedure. 

During the trial procedure, your provider administers a mild anesthetic and hooks you up to an external spinal cord stimulator. The external device works the same as a regular spinal cord stimulator, but it isn’t implanted beneath your skin. This lets the team determine if spinal cord stimulation is effective for your situation.

You wear the external spinal cord stimulator for one week. If the device successfully relieves your pain, the team schedules the implantation of the spinal cord stimulator.

During spinal cord stimulation implantation, you lie facedown on a table, and your provider administers a mild sedative, causing you to fall asleep. Once the anesthesia sets in, your provider makes several small incisions in your lower back. Then, they insert the spinal cord stimulator and its wires beneath your skin, just above your buttocks. 

After placing the stimulator beneath your skin and connecting its wires to electrodes, your provider closes the incisions. Then, they give you an external controller to communicate with the stimulator. Whenever you experience pain, you can use the remote to relieve it and restore your mobility.

What are the benefits of spinal cord stimulation?

Spinal cord stimulation offers various benefits, including:

• Lasting pain relief
• Improved mobility
• Reduced medication usage
• A better quality of life

Call the nearest Centers of Rehabilitation and Pain Medicine office to schedule a spinal cord stimulation consultation, or book your appointment online today.