Spinal Cord Stimulation Specialist

What is spinal cord stimulation?

Spinal cord stimulation involves undergoing a procedure to implant a device under your skin that delivers mild electrical currents to your spinal cord. It's a potential treatment for persistent pain when other approaches are failing to improve your symptoms.

Regenerative Spine and Pain Institute uses spinal cord stimulation to help patients who have conditions such as:

• Severe arthritis pain in the legs or arms
• Spinal stenosis
• Nerve damage
• Unsuccessful back surgery syndrome
• Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS)
• Arachnoiditis
  
  

Spinal cord stimulation may also help those with pinched nerves or sciatica.

The spinal cord stimulator consists of a small unit called a pulse generator connected to a thin wire (electrode) that carries the electrical current to the nerve fibers in your spinal cord. 

When you turn the spinal cord stimulator on, it stimulates the nerves, replacing and masking the pain signals, so they don't reach your brain.

Am I a good candidate for spinal cord stimulation?

Patients suitable for spinal cord stimulation usually have chronic, disabling pain lasting for more than three months in their lower back, leg, or arm. You might have already been through spine surgery, too.

To suit spinal cord stimulation, you need to fulfill several criteria:

• Conservative therapies aren't working
• Your condition is due to a correctable problem
• No untreated depression or drug addiction
• No medical conditions that would make implantation risky
  
  

Spinal cord stimulation is a valid option if you don't want to or are unable to undergo surgery. The implantation procedure is minimally invasive and causes minimal tissue damage, making it an excellent alternative to open surgery.

What happens during spinal cord stimulator implantation?

The first step towards having a spinal cord stimulator implant is to undergo a trial. This involves having a temporary electrode and an external generator that you wear for a week or so to see whether the treatment is effective in reducing your pain.

If you manage with the temporary unit and find it helps relieve your pain, your provider at Regenerative Spine and Pain Institute carries out the full implantation procedure. They replace the temporary electrodes with permanent electrodes and implant the generator under your skin. You control the strength of the electrical signal using a remote device.

When do I feel the benefit of spinal cord stimulation?

Spinal cord stimulation should start having an effect immediately, although it might take a while to get used to the different settings. You need to work with Regenerative Spine and Pain Institute to gain optimal benefit from your spinal cord stimulator.

Having a spinal cord stimulator doesn't get rid of your pain altogether, but aims to reduce it by 50% or more. If you wish to stop using spinal cord stimulation, it's possible to reverse the implantation process.

To benefit from the Regenerative Spine and Pain Institute’s expertise in spinal cord stimulation, call today or book an appointment online.