Who is a good candidate for a spinal cord stimulator? For this reason, it is vital that patients carefully choose a board-certified pain specialist with expertise in neuromodulation before proceeding with treatment. Physicians who have undergone additional, specific training in neuromodulation techniques have reduced complications and adverse events associated with this procedure. A pain management physician can implant the neuromodulation device through a minimally invasive surgery. Implanting a spinal cord stimulator is generally an ambulatory (outpatient) procedure. Is spinal cord stimulation an outpatient procedure? It can even result in the spread of pain to other areas of the body.

This plasticity of the central neural system can lead to persistent pain even after medical or surgical correction of the disease or injury that was the original source of pain. This alteration, termed “plasticity,” is manifested by changes in the sensitivity of pain receptors in the brain. Chronic pain also produces long-term alterations in the nervous system. Patients with chronic pain frequently experience depression, sleep disturbances and fatigue, as well as decreased mental and physical function. Similarly, a neuromodulation device can activate specific neural pathways that may help reduce symptoms associated with pain.Ĭhronic pain results from combined biological, psychological, and social factors, and most often requires a multifactorial approach to management. The exact mechanisms of spinal cord stimulation are complex and not fully understood, but the process can be compared to the way in which a pacemaker corrects an abnormal heartbeat. These electrodes transmit a low-voltage electric current that can stimulate the specific structures in the spine and result in release of various inhibitory neurotransmitters that, in turn, block neural impulses that cause pain. Neuromodulation treatment involves placing electrodes next to the precise area of the spinal cord that the physician believes is the source of pain. It is important to remember, that patient with these and other chronic pain conditions should be evaluated individually to determine possible benefit from neuromodulation. Limited medical literature suggests that spinal cord stimulation may be beneficial for patients with visceral abdominal and perineal pain as well as for painful diabetic neuropathy. It is sometimes referred to as post-laminectomy syndrome, even though it can occur after various types of spine surgery. *FBSS refers to the circumstance in which a person has had back surgery (usually to treat lower back pain conditions such as lumbar spinal stenosis caused by a degenerative disc disease or a herniated disc) that has not resulted in adequate pain relief. In Europe, additional conditions treated using neuromodulation include: chronic pain from failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS)*.In the United States, pain conditions treated commonly include: Spinal cord stimulation is usually considered for patients who have chronic pain that has not been relieved by other conservative or surgical treatment methods. What kind of pain does a spinal cord stimulator treat? The stimulator delivers signals to specific nerves and pathways to counteract abnormal nerve activity in selected parts of the body. A spinal cord stimulator is an implanted neuromodulation device used to treat chronic pain in a minimally invasive way.

Dorsal column stimulator reviews