Spinal Cord Stimulator Specialist

What is a spinal cord stimulator?

A spinal cord stimulator is a tiny implanted device that can help you manage chronic pain. With spinal cord stimulation, a pulse generator, surgically implanted in your hip area, delivers electrical signals to one or more wires (electrodes) in your spine. 

These electrical signals stop pain signals from moving up your spine to reach your brain, which ultimately reduces your pain. Spinal cord stimulators don’t correct the source of your pain; they work by changing the way you perceive the pain.

An external controller allows you to turn the spinal cord stimulator on and off and adjust its intensity. Michigan Advanced Surgical Center, PLLC, programs your spinal cord stimulator according to your specific pain patterns and needs. 

When might I need a spinal cord stimulator?

A spinal cord stimulator can be an effective treatment for long-term pain relief in people who don't get results with physical therapy and other conservative measures. Some of the chronic pain conditions that spinal cord stimulators may help with include:

• Degenerative disc disease
• Spinal stenosis
• Sciatica
• Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS)
• Herniated disc
• Arthritis
• Spinal cord injuries
• Failed back surgery syndrome
• Post amputation pain
• Phantom limb pain
• Arachnoiditis
• Refractory angina
• Cancer pain
• Radiculopathy 

Spinal cord stimulation is just one treatment option. The team may recommend other options, like radiofrequency ablation. Or, they may recommend minimally invasive spine surgery such as spinal fusion to correct serious structural issues or major spine damage.

To make sure that a spinal cord stimulator is a good approach for you, you have a spinal cord stimulator trial. 

How does a spinal cord stimulator trial work?

In a spinal cord stimulator trial, the electrodes go into the epidural space just outside the spinal cord. The pulse generator stays outside your spine, where you can control it externally. A spinal cord stimulator trial usually lasts around a week. 

If the spinal cord stimulator relieves at least 50% of your pain during the trial period, it’s a success. Michigan Advanced Surgical Center, PLLC, can then schedule a permanent spinal cord stimulator procedure. 

Is a spinal cord stimulator the same as a peripheral nerve stimulator?

Spinal cord stimulation and peripheral nerve stimulation are two different treatments, but the technology is essentially the same. The main difference is that a peripheral nerve stimulator affects nerves outside your spine (the peripheral nervous system). 

If your chronic pain persistently drags you down, a spinal cord stimulator may be the solution. Call Michigan Advanced Surgical Center, PLLC, today.