Pain Treatment Centers

Stephen T. Pyles, MD-Spinal Stimulation Therapy for Pain Management

Conditions That Benefit From Peripheral Nerve Stimulation

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face downIn addition to the general misunderstanding that often surrounds peripheral nerve stimulation as a form of pain management, there is also a lack of understanding about the types of conditions that this therapy can be used to treat. Chronic back pain is not the only condition that can benefit from peripheral nerve stimulation; there are a host of other health conditions that can offer patients relief from chronic pain and discomfort.
What is Peripheral Nerve Stimulation?
Peripheral nerve stimulation or field stimulation is characterized by the implantation of electrodes in the subcutaneous tissue surrounding the patient’s painful area. The electrodes are situated along the peripheral nerves, with the intent of controlling the pain emanating from this area. The device implanted in the body is safe and has proven to work for people for whom more traditional methods of pain management haven’t worked thus far. This is part of why peripheral nerve stimulation has become such a well-known and highly recommended form of pain management, as it is often an option of last resort that actually works for people that haven’t had success with any other form of pain management. This is also a boon for patients that don’t want to continue to take prescription medications and need to function daily without much medical intervention in the long term.
Treatable Conditions
Health conditions that may benefit from this form of treatment include: complex regional pain syndrome, diabetic neuropathy, low back and neck pain, pain following surgery from hernia (or just about any surgery that results in long-term, chronic pain, nerve injuries, peripheral neuropathies, vascular disease, intercostal neuralgia, post-amputation pain, trigeminal neuralgia and more.
However, it is important to work with a doctor that specializes in this particular form of therapy. The process will start with a trial period in which you will work closely with your physician to determine if the placement of the electrodes has helped decrease your pain. You will also work with the stimulator representative to determine what stimulation settings work best for you. During this trial period, you will be able to decide if this therapy is something that will help improve your overall daily living activities and whether or not to go forward with a permanent device. After the permanent device is implanted, you will continue to work closely with your stimulator specialist to ensure that the device is managing your pain and that you feel overall improvement.
For many, it is a chance to have their lives back. They are no longer home-bound or stuck taking strong medications that can affect their abilities to go on with activities of daily living. This is a positive benefit of peripheral nerve stimulation and can make a huge difference in the lives of those living with chronic pain.

Trial Spinal Cord Stimulation

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spinalcordinjurySpinal cord stimulation is a method of pain management that can help reduce chronic pain in many individuals. Often used as a means of treatment when it seems as though little else has or will work, this is often the measure of last resort that ends up making the difference in the lives of thousands of patients.

However, many people still do not understand how it works and what makes it so effective. Moreover, the process of getting spinal cord stimulation started remains a mystery to some, as there is a trial period associated with this procedure.

Spinal cord stimulation works through a device that sends electrical currents to the nerves in the spinal cord that are causing pain. These pulses block the receptors coming from the brain that send the pain alarms ringing. However, because there is a simple surgical procedure associated with the implantation of the device, it is always important to make sure that this method will work for the patient in question. This is where the trial process comes into play.

The completely reversible trial run allows you to experience what spinal cord stimulation feels like for about a week. During this time, you can determine how you react to the pulses, how effective they are in managing your pain and how you feel about the device, which is not implanted during this trial period. After the week is up, you will consult with your doctor again and talk about how you felt the device worked during the week. If you were happy with the level of pain management that was afforded to you via spinal cord stimulation, then you and your doctor can make plans for the permanent implant.

It is important to note that even the permanent implant is not as such; if it is not working for you any longer or you don’t want the device to be implanted, it can always be removed. The surgery to implant it, generally done in the back area, is a quick one and is often done on an outpatient basis.

Once the device is in, the patient can experiment with the different pulse levels and get a feel for what works. The patient will work one on one with the spinal cord stimulator representative to achieve the adequate coverage of their painful areas. Spinal cord stimulation is all about what makes you, as the patient, have better pain management, as this is ultimately the goal of this form of treatment.