What is Spinal Cord Stimulation?
Spinal cord stimulation therapy is an advanced pain treatment system that uses electrical currents to relieve chronic pain. A spinal cord stimulator is a device that is surgically implanted beneath the skin. You control the implant using a wireless controller that clips onto your clothes.
How do Spinal Cord Stimulators Work?
The spinal cord stimulator implant is the part of the system that is surgically placed near your spine. When you activate the stimulator, it transmits electrical currents between 5 and 1500 Hz into your spinal cord.
The stimulation reprograms your nerve cells to replace the painful signals with non-painful signals. Some patients experience tingling sensations, while others experience no sensation at all.
Will Candidate for Spinal Cord Stimulation Therapy Work for Me?
You may be a good candidate for spinal cord stimulation if:
You’re experiencing intense, stabbing, or searing pain in a specific part of your body.
Your pain keeps you from falling asleep.
You are no longer able to perform your normal, everyday activities.
More conservative options haven’t worked for you.
If this sounds like you, call us for a consultation. You and your doctor will work together to identify your problem areas – the greatest areas of pain in your body. This will help your doctor determine where along the spinal cord your implant should be placed.
Spinal Cord Stimulation Surgery: what to expect
Spinal Cord Stimulators Advanced Neurostimulations , Advanced Pain Management Los AngelesOn the day of your procedure, your doctor will insert the implant through a small incision in your back. This is a minimally-invasive procedure, and only a local anesthetic may be used.
Your doctor may use one or more implants, depending on your condition. The doctor will also program your device, tailoring it to your specific needs, using special controls.
Spinal cord stimulator implantation can be performed on an outpatient basis, in just 20-30 minutes. It’s quick, relatively painless, and you can go home feeling better on the very same day.
How do I Know Which Spinal Cord Stimulator is Right for Me?
There are a number of products on the market, and we are happy to answer questions about them at your consultation. We generally recommend the high-quality products from Stimwave® Wearable Technology.
The Stimwave products are equipped with Bluetooth, giving you the freedom to self-administer electrical stimulation. Stimwave has developed the world’s smallest wireless neurotransmitter, for a sleek, unobtrusive design that never goes out of style.
The wireless controller is simple to use, consisting only of three buttons: plus, minus, and power. With these three buttons, you can easily increase or decrease the intensity of the stimulation. You can think of it like pain relief on-demand.
