Spinal Cord Stimulation

Spinal cord stimulation has become a widely used and efficient alternative for the management of refractory chronic pain that is unresponsive to conservative therapies. Technological improvements have been considerable and the current neuromodulation devices are both extremely sophisticated and reliable in obtaining good results for various clinical situations of chronic pain, such as failed back surgery syndrome, complex regional pain syndrome, ischemic and coronary artery disease. This technique is likely to possess a savings in costs compared with alternative therapy strategies despite its high initial cost. Spinal cord stimulation continues to be a valuable tool in the treatment of chronic disabling pain.

Conditions Treatable by Spinal Cord Stimulation

Not all conditions can be solved by SCS, of course, but there are quite a few for which the pain can be dramatically reduced by the treatment. Spinal cord stimulation has been successfully used to treat a variety of conditions, such as the following ¹:

Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS)
Chronic back pain and neck pain, with or without pain of the legs and arms
Neuropathic pain (diabetic neuropathy, chemotherapy or radiation induced neuropathy) Increasing, persistent back pain that is not alleviated by medication, exercise, or other treatments

If your back pain is causing you significant distress, has persisted after repeated back surgeries, and cannot be managed well by standard medications and spinal treatments, your condition may be treatable by spinal cord stimulation. Discuss this option with your physician to determine whether or not you’re a good candidate for the procedure.

Spinal Cord Stimulation