How Does Spinal Cord Stimulation Work?

SPINAL CORD STIMULATION (SCS):

Spinal cord stimulation therapy masks pain signals before they reach the brain. A small device, similar to a pacemaker, delivers electrical pulses to the spinal cord. It helps people better manage their chronic pain and reduce their use of opioid medications. It may be an option if you suffer chronic back, leg or arm pain and have not found relief with other therapies. This can help with pain relief—even when other therapies have failed.

WHAT IS CHRONIC PAIN?

Your nerves and brain are constantly communicating with each other. When you feel pain, it’s because the nerves are sending a pain signal to your brain. The pain can be acute, and go away within a couple of months, as often happens after an injury. Or the pain can be chronic, which means that it lasts six months or longer. SCS therapy is designed to help treat chronic, ongoing pain

HOW DOES SCS THERAPY WORK?

SCS may sound complicated, but it’s actually pretty simple. SCS systems have a small implanted pulse generator, called a stimulator, and thin wires called leads. These are implanted into your body. The stimulator delivers tiny pulses of mild electric current through the leads to specific nerves on the spinal cord. These impulses mask pain signals traveling to the brain.

A remote control allows you to turn stimulation on and off, increase and decrease the level of stimulation, and target different pain areas in your body using settings or programs designed specifically for you. This stimulation does not get rid of what’s causing the pain. It changes the way the brain perceives it. SCS therapy may use a gentle tingling or fluttering sensation to replace the pain. Other forms of SCS therapy don’t cause any sensation at all.

IS SCS SAFE?

SCS therapy has been proven safe and effective. Hundreds of thousands of people worldwide have been treated with SCS. All SCS Systems offered by Alliance Spine and Pain are FDA-approved

CAN I “TEST IT OUT” BEFORE I HAVE THE PROCEDURE?

The trial system lets you temporarily and discreetly “test drive” SCS and decide if you want to move forward with receiving the device. The amount of pain relief you feel is different for everyone, but the therapy is considered successful if it reduces your pain by at least 50%.

BUT MY PAIN IS DIFFERENT FROM OTHER PEOPLE’S PAIN:

The SCS system offers multiple settings to meet your personal pain relief. The remote control allows you to adjust the area of treatment or the strength of the treatment allowing for a truly individual therapy for your specific pain.

WHO IS A CANDIDATE FOR SCS?

An evaluation of your physical condition, medication regime, and pain history will determine whether your goals of pain management are appropriate for SCS. An Alliance Spine and Pain Centers physician will review all previous treatments and surgeries. Because chronic pain also has emotional effects, a psychologist will assess your condition to maximize the probability of a successful outcome.

You may be a candidate for SCS if:

• Conservative therapies have failed.
• You would not benefit from additional surgery.
• The pain is caused by a correctable problem and should be fixed.
• You do not want further surgery because of the risks or long recovery. Sometimes SCS may be chosen over a large, complex spine surgery.
• You do not have untreated depression or drug addiction; these should be treated prior to having a SCS.
• You have no medical conditions that would keep you from undergoing implantation.
• You have had a successful SCS trial.

SCS works better in the earlier stages of a chronic condition, before a cycle of pain-suffering-disability-pain is established.

An SCS can help lessen chronic pain caused by:

• Chronic leg (sciatica) or arm pain: ongoing, persistent pain caused by arthritis, spinal stenosis, or by nerve damage.
• Diabetic neuropathy: Diabetic condition that can cause burning or stabbing pain, often in the legs or feet.
• Failed back surgery syndrome: failure of one or more surgeries to relieve persistent arm or leg pain, but not a technical failure of the original procedure.
• Complex regional pain syndrome: a progressive disease in which patients feel constant, chronic burning pain, typically in the foot or hand.
• Arachnoiditis: painful inflammation and scarring of the protective lining of the spinal nerves.
• Other: stump pain, angina, peripheral vascular disease, multiple sclerosis, or spinal cord injury.

If you are considering SCS, connect with Alliance Spine & Pain Centers. We understand the challenge of finding chronic pain relief, and our experts will help you find the answers. To schedule an appointment, give us a call at 770-929-9033 or visit us online.