What You Need to Know About Spinal Cord Stimulators

Spinal cord stimulators have recently become the standard treatment for individuals who suffer from chronic back or limb pain and have not been able to find relief using other treatments. Most patients who get a spinal cord stimulator report a 50-70% reduction in pain and they report an increased ability to do physical or work-related activities. In some cases, patients may even be able to decrease or stop the use of pain medication.

What is a Spinal Cord Stimulator?

A spinal cord stimulator is a physical device that is surgically placed under your skin. The device uses electrodes to send mild electrical pulses down your spinal cord to help treat chronic pain. The result is that instead of feeling pain, you will feel a mild tingling in the area where the pain previously was.

Since spinal cord stimulation does not fix the underlying cause of the pain, it only interrupts the pain signal from reaching your brain, the results may vary between patients. Although most patients see considerable benefits, it does not typically result in the complete elimination of pain.

How Does It Work?

A spinal cord stimulator works by using, very thin wires which have tiny electrodes at the ends. The wires are placed through a needle in the back near to the spinal column. Because the electrodes are placed through a needle, no incision is needed during this step in the procedure. Afterwards, a small incision is used to place a little generator under the skin of the buttock or abdomen. The tiny generator is what sends out the electrical pulse to the spinal column.

What Can It Help Treat?

Common sources of chronic pain for which spinal cord stimulation may be beneficial include:

• Causalgia – Pain caused by an injury to a peripheral nerve
• Peripheral Neuropathy – Constant feeling of legs/feet burning
• Failed Back Surgery – Pain after back surgery
• Failed Neck Surgery – Pain after neck surgery

If you suffer from chronic back pain, chronic neck pain, or just about any other type of chronic pain, and you have unsuccessfully tried every other option, a spinal cord stimulator may be for you. Contact us today to book an appointment at one of our New Jersey pain centers and speak to a board-certified pain physician.