SPINAL CORD STIMULATION
Our services go beyond the spine. Whether you’re looking to avoid surgery or surgery didn’t help
the pain, we are your answer.
Overview
Finding effective treatment for chronic pain, especially chronic back and neck pain, along with nerve pain, can be challenging. When surgery or other treatments have been unsuccessful or are not an option, spinal cord stimulation may offer relief and improved daily functioning.
Benefits
The medical literature has shown that spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is potentially effective for a number of chronic pain conditions, such as back pain, neck pain, and complex regional pain syndrome, that have not been helped by other treatments.
How it Works
SCS delivers mild electrical stimulation to nerves along the spinal column, modifying or blocking nerve activity in a non-medicinal way to minimize the sensation of pain reaching the brain. Furthermore, spinal cord stimulation directs mild electrical pulses to interfere with pain messages reaching the brain. A small device implanted near the spine generates these pulses.
SPINAL CORD STIMULATION
Our services go beyond the spine. Whether you’re looking to avoid surgery or surgery didn’t help the pain, we are your answer.
OVERVIEW
Finding effective treatment for chronic pain, especially chronic back and neck pain, along with nerve pain, can be challenging. When surgery or other treatments have been unsuccessful or are not an option, spinal cord stimulation may offer relief and improved daily functioning.
Benefits
The medical literature has shown that spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is potentially effective for a number of chronic pain conditions, such as back pain, neck pain, and complex regional pain syndrome, that have not been helped by other treatments.
How it Works
SCS delivers mild electrical stimulation to nerves along the spinal column, modifying or blocking nerve activity in a non-medicinal way to minimize the sensation of pain reaching the brain. Furthermore, spinal cord stimulation directs mild electrical pulses to interfere with pain messages reaching the brain. A small device implanted near the spine generates these pulses.
Who can benefit from SCS?
A general condition known as failed back surgery syndrome is one of the most common reasons spinal cord stimulation is used. The term describes chronic pain after one or more back or neck surgeries fail to alleviate persistent low back pain, leg pain (sciatica or lumbar radiculopathy), or neck shoulder and arm pain (cervical radiculopathy).
The therapy also has the potential to alleviate pain related to the following conditions:
- Arachnoiditis, painful inflammation and scarring of the meninges (protective layers) of the spinal nerves
- Chronic back pain with or without leg pain
- Chronic neck pain with or without arm pain
- Complex regional pain syndrome, a chronic progressive disease characterized by severe pain and swelling
- Peripheral neuropathy, a constant burning pain of the legs caused by the most distant nerves dying off
- Complex regional pain syndrome (reflex sympathetic dystrophy), a progressive disease of the nervous system in which patients feel constant burning pain
- Refractory angina, which causes chest pain, shortness of breath, and fatigue
The Process
The Trial Period
A person considered a good candidate for spinal cord stimulation therapy is usually scheduled for a trial run, which involves insertion of thin wires with electrodes attached.
The trial period is similar to the long-term therapy, except that the device transmitting current is not implanted in the body. Instead, just the wires are inserted through a needle without any incisions, and
an external transmitter sends electrical pulses to the electrical contacts near the spinal cord.
The procedure
Permanent implantation of a spinal cord stimulator is similar in many ways to the trial period. A major difference is the implantation of the generator. The technology being used for spinal cord stimulation is changing rapidly, but this is a typical process:
- Local anesthesia is applied to the injection site, and the patient is sedated.
- The doctor inserts a hollow needle into the area around the spinal canal called the epidural space, guided by fluoroscopy (a type of X-ray). The needle contains thin, insulated wires, called leads, with electrical contacts attached. A small incision maybe needed to insert the needle.
- The permanent leads are implanted.
- When coverage of the painful areas is complete, the leads are fixed in place.
- A small incision is made where the generator will be placed.
- The generator is implanted under the skin. It is usually placed in the lower back or upper buttocks. Comfort is a consideration in the generator’s location, and the doctor may ask the patient in advance about the best area. A person who usually sleeps on her right side, for instance, may prefer to have the generator on the left side. Wires are tunneled underneath the skin from the leads to the generator and connected, enabling the current to flow when the controller is turned on later.
- The incision is closed and the person begins recovery.
- This is an outpatient procedure, with return home the same day.
Unlike most surgical procedures, spinal cord stimulation therapy is reversible. If a person decides
at any time to discontinue the therapy, the electrical contacts, wires, and generator can all be removed,
and there are no permanent changes to the spine.
Dr Carey, Dr Khosla, NP Tara, and their staff are fantastic! Their knowledge and care before, during, and post-procedure are 2nd to none! Have recommended them to friends and neighbors without any hesitation.
REQUEST AN
Are you searching for pain management in Houston, Texas? We are currently accepting new patients into our practice. To become a new patient, please fill out this contact form and request an appointment. If you’re an existing patient, please request an appointment using the form below. We will get back to you as soon as we can and look forward to helping you find relief.
