Spinal Cord Stimulation – Treatment for Pain Condition
Pain is your body’s way of telling you that you are injured. However, there are instances when you experience chronic pain even without injury. The discomfort you experience may prevent you from performing daily tasks with ease. Luckily, you can manage this condition using Spinal Cord Stimulation (SCS).
What Does It Cure?
Spinal Cord Stimulation provides relief to chronic pains in your body by preventing the pain signals from reaching your brain. SCS does not remove the source of ache altogether but interferes with the electrical impulses instead. It masks the discomfort so that you only feel a tingling sensation instead of sharp pain.
If you are suffering any of the following, you might want to consider SCS:
- Regional Pain
- Chronic Neck Pain
- Chronic Back Pain
Who Is It for?
After careful consideration of your pain condition and medical history, your physician will evaluate whether or not SCS is the best treatment for you. If you want a more accurate assessment, you can consult several experts in related fields such as neurosurgeons, pain specialists, and psychiatrists.
You are a suitable candidate for SCS if:
- The trial SCS was successful.
- You recovered from drug addiction or depression.
- Other therapies were ineffective.
What Should You Expect During the Procedure?
Once you have successfully finished the one-week trial, you will consult your doctor and continue the two-hour surgery.
Before the surgery starts, you will be sedated and anesthetized. The surgeon will place leads into your spinal region using a hollow needle. Before fixing the leads on the treatment area, you will be asked to wake up and determine whether the pain has subsided or not.
After you are comfortable enough, you will be put to sleep once again. During this time, the surgeon installs the generator using a single incision and connects it to the lead. Depending on your treatment plan, your SCS system will be replaced after two to ten years.
Does it Work?
A trial stimulation is important because the treatment may bring varying results to everyone. Some may find the tingling sensation unpleasant while others may not be content with the insufficient coverage. If you are unsatisfied with this method, the wires from the trial stimulation can be easily removed without damaging the spinal cord.
What are Other Alternative Treatments?
There are different alternatives if you find SCS uncomfortable. You can choose from less invasive treatment options to major surgeries and other medical treatments. Here are some of the treatments you can pick from:
- Analgesic and Membrane Stabilizing Medications
- Anticonvulsants
- Spinal Decompression
- Ketamine Fusion
Spinal Cord Stimulation is one of the best treatments if you are enduring chronic pain long after the injury has healed. However, you will need to seek advice from a lot of experts before subjecting yourself to this treatment.
Our doctors at Central Texas Spine Institute are specializing in providing you with the appropriate treatment. Our dedicated staff will also give you the care you need to recover quickly. Give us a call today for more information.
