Spinal Cord Stimulator Trials

What is a spinal cord stimulator?

A spinal cord stimulator is a medical device that blocks pain signals traveling through the spinal nerves to your brain. 

This treatment, called neuromodulation, uses a mild electrical impulse to alter the nerve signals. As a result, your brain either doesn’t get the pain message or receives a jumbled message. As a result, your pain significantly improves.

What conditions may improve with a spinal cord stimulator?

Sensory nerves throughout your body pick up pain messages and carry the signal through your spinal cord to your brain. Spinal cord stimulation stops nerve signals in the spinal cord, which means the device can relieve pain from anywhere in your body, including your back and neck.

A few of the chronic pain conditions that may improve with a spinal cord stimulator include:

• Herniated discs
• Spinal stenosis
• Cancer pain
• Joint pain
• Neuropathy
• Arthritis
• Multiple sclerosis
• Degenerative disc disease
• Phantom limb pain
• Complex regional pain syndrome
• Chronic leg pain or arm pain
• Peripheral vascular disease

You may also benefit from spinal cord stimulation if you have ongoing pain after failed back surgery.

How does the spinal cord stimulator work?

The device includes a small electrical generator, lead wires, and a remote controller. Your provider guides the lead wires through the epidural space outside your spine, placing them next to the nerves sending pain signals.

Your provider implants the generator under your skin near your hip and connects it to the lead wires; then, they use the remote control device to program the controller. You keep the controller and use it to turn the generator on and off.

What happens during spinal cord stimulator trials?

A trial gives you time to test out the spinal cord stimulator and see how well it improves your pain. During the trial, your provider inserts the lead wires, and you wear the generator.

After about one week of testing the device, you decide if it relieved your pain well enough to keep it. If you don’t want the device after your trial, your provider can easily remove the lead wires.

Who qualifies for a spinal cord stimulator?

To qualify for the device, you need to:

• Have a successful spinal cord stimulator trial
• Have chronic pain (pain that lasts three months or longer)
• Have ongoing pain despite other treatments
• Be unable or unwilling to have surgery

You also can’t have a medical condition that might prevent implantation.

To learn if you qualify for a spinal cord stimulator trial, call Michigan Advanced Pain & Spine or book an appointment online today.