Spinal Cord Stimulation: Relieving Pain at SpineTech
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SPINAL CORD STIMULATION

You’ve tried medical treatment and you still have debilitating back or leg pain, but don’t give up: Interventional pain treatments such as spinal cord stimulation can help. The expert physicians at Spinetech are available to evaluate your back pain and determine whether spinal cord stimulation can help manage your pain.

HOW DOES SPINAL CORD STIMULATION RELIEVE PAIN?

Spinal cord stimulators alter nerve activity in your spine using an electrical impulse. This technique, called neuromodulation, blocks or masks the pain signals traveling through your nerves. When communication between the nerve and brain is interrupted, your brain doesn’t get the message about pain. As a result, you won’t feel the pain even though the source of the pain is still there.

WHAT PAINFUL HEALTH CONDITIONS ARE TREATED WITH SPINAL CORD STIMULATION?

The doctors at Spinetech may recommend spinal cord stimulation to relieve chronic back or leg pain caused by:

  • Sciatica

  • Herniated disc

  • Osteoarthritis

  • Bone spurs

  • Degenerative disc disease

  • Spinal stenosis

  • Failed back surgery

  • Complex regional pain syndrome

Spinal cord stimulators are also effective for treating pain due to peripheral neuropathy and peripheral vascular disease.

HOW IS A SPINAL CORD STIMULATOR IMPLANTED?

Spinal cord stimulators come in three parts: a pulse generator, flexible wires called leads, and a remote controller. Your doctor at Spinetech implants the small generator under the skin of your abdomen, upper buttocks, or upper chest, depending on the area that’s comfortable for you.

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Using a specialized type of X-ray to see the wires as they’re inserted, your doctor threads the wires along your spine, positioning the leads near the nerves responsible for your pain. Then they use the remote control to program the frequency and strength of the electrical impulses sent from the generator. You can also use the control to turn the generator on and off.

HOW WILL I KNOW WHETHER THE SPINAL CORD STIMULATOR WORKS?

You go through a trial period before the pulse generator is implanted. The lead wires must still be placed in your spine, but you wear the generator around your waist for about a week.

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The trial period gives you enough time to determine whether spinal cord stimulation successfully relieves your pain. Based on your results, you can decide whether you want to keep the device and have the generator implanted or remove the wires.

AM I A GOOD CANDIDATE FOR SPINAL CORD STIMULATION?

Your doctor at Spinetech evaluates your overall health, medications, and pain history to determine whether spinal cord stimulation is the best treatment for you.

You may be a good candidate if you’ve had debilitating pain for at least three months and:

  • Conservative treatment has failed

  • Additional surgery isn’t recommended or you don’t want surgery

  • You don’t have medical conditions that would interfere with implantation surgery

  • You had a successful trial period

Don’t continue to suffer from chronic back pain, call Spinetech or book an appointment online.

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