Your body sends sensation signals from your nerves to your spine and brain through electrical impulses. You sense pain once they arrive at your brain. Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) uses an implanted device to block these painful sensations via remote control.
Kevin Elaahi, MD, and Benjamin Kim, MD, offer a full scope of pain management solutions at Interventional Pain Consultants in Parsippany, Montclair, and Landing, New Jersey. Here’s how our team may be able to control your pain with SCS.
In order to relieve your pain, Dr. Elaahi or Dr. Kim surgically implant a spinal cord stimulator beneath your skin near your spine. You use a remote control to activate the device, which sends electrical impulses to reduce or completely block pain signals during an uncomfortable flare.
SCS doesn’t remove the pain or its source, but it greatly reduces these sensations to help you get much-needed relief.
Using X-ray guidance, our team implants the SCS device just beneath your skin near the problematic nerve. We insert a wire lead through the epidural space surrounding your spinal column; this wire holds electrodes that stimulate your nerves to block pain signals from reaching your brain.
At first, the wire attaches to a stimulator outside your body to confirm it relieves your pain. After a successful trial period — called a SCS trial — we permanently implant a small generator beneath your skin, enabling you to use a wireless remote to turn pain-relieving impulses on and off, as needed.
You may be a good candidate for spinal cord stimulation if you’ve suffered from chronic pain due to nerve-related issues or other conditions, including:
You work with your doctor at Interventional Pain Consultants to determine if your condition warrants this type of device — or if an alternate treatment would be more beneficial.
While any surgery holds risks, a spinal cord stimulator is generally considered one of the safest ways to manage pain when other surgeries or less invasive methods have failed. Studies show that infection, bleeding, and other complications occur in less than 5% of cases.
While infrequent, after using SCS, you may experience:
Powered by batteries, spinal cord stimulators may need new batteries after five or more years, depending upon usage. This requires an outpatient procedure to replace your pulse generator.
Over time, the stimulator may not relieve your pain as thoroughly. We work with you to address any problems that might occur, or create a new pain management plan as needed.
If conservative care or surgery has failed to ease your chronic pain condition, SCS offers a safe and effective way to attain lasting relief. It also lets you reduce or stop taking pain medication completely, so you’re free of those potential side effects.
Ready to release your pain? Find out if SCS can help. Schedule an appointment at your nearest Interventional Pain Consultants office in Parsippany, Montclair, or Landing, New Jersey.
