Once the device is implanted, a wireless controller will let you control the electrical signals. Generally, you will be able to go home the same day as the procedure. Your doctor will test to see whether the spinal cord stimulator is working before closing the incisions.
#Pain stimulator generator#
The generator will be surgically implanted in your buttocks. The leads will be attached to an extension wire that is connected to a generator that controls the electrical stimulation. Using fluoroscopy (a type of x-ray) to guide them, your medical team will insert small wire leads along the epidural space in your spine. The doctor will numb the actual incision sites. You will be awake during the procedure, although you’ll receive a sedative to help with pain and discomfort. The process is similar for both the trial stimulator and the permanent one. If that works, you’ll have a second procedure to implant a permanent stimulator. If your doctor thinks it might be a good option for you, you’ll first have a trial stimulator implanted. Spinal cord stimulation is recommended for patients who have tried other treatments without success. The treatment has been used since the late 1960s, and according to research published in 2012, it“has been established as an effective treatment in a number of painful syndromes,” such as failed back surgery syndrome, complex regional pain syndrome, peripheral neuropathy, and phantom limb pain.
It sends low-level electrical signals to the spinal cord, which interferes with pain signals’ reaching the brain. If you have chronic back pain that nothing seems to help, it may be time to consider a spinal cord stimulator.Ī spinal cord stimulator is a device implanted in your back.