Are you experiencing chronic pain in the back, arms, and legs? Neuromodulation treatment may be right for you. Spinal cord stimulation is the ideal treatment plan for candidates who are experiencing chronic pain without relief after undergoing previous conservative treatment plans. Are you wondering if spinal cord stimulation therapy is ideal for your treatment of chronic pain? Read on to learn more from the Interventional Pain Doctors spinal cord stimulation Los Angeles experts.
What is spinal cord stimulation?
Spinal cord stimulation has been used for decades to relieve chronic pain in the back, arms, and legs. Throughout the last 50 years, spinal cord stimulation has advanced to being an option of customizable therapy to treat patients’ specific needs. This form of neuromodulation therapy is intended to stimulate damaged nerves at the source, traveling from the spine to the brain to block the pain signals. Spinal cord stimulation has been used to treat:
- Degenerative disc disease
- Post-shingles pain
- Injury
- Diabetic peripheral neuropathy
- Persistent pain after spinal surgery
- Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS)
- Sciatica
- Arthritis
The spinal cord stimulation process begins with a trial period. During this period, your spinal cord stimulation Los Angeles doctor will meet with you to discuss your targeted areas of pain. The spinal cord stimulation professional will go over all risks, benefits, and pain management alternatives with you during the initial consultation. After you and our spinal cord stimulation Los Angeles physician discuss the treatment process, the trial period can begin.
After the incision site is anesthetized, a temporary lead will be placed into the epidural space along the spinal cord region. Electrodes at the end of the lead produce electrical pulses, which stimulate the nerves and block the pain signals that are being sent from the spinal cord to the brain. As the stimulator is emitting the electrical pulses, you may share feedback regarding where the lead best blocks the pain. Once the location for the spinal cord stimulation therapy has been established, the leads are connected to an external trial stimulator. The trial period will last one week.
The success of spinal cord stimulation therapy is determined by the percentage of pain relief that you experience during the trial period. Significant relief of pain, and/or significant improvement in your function, and/or a 50 percent or greater reduction in narcotic pain medicine is considered a successful trial. The temporary leads will be removed, and the placement of a neuromodulation device will be scheduled. During the permanent placement procedure, the leads and batter are placed under the skin.
What to expect after the procedure
After the spinal cord stimulation procedure, you may experience slight discomfort and soreness near and around the incision sites. This discomfort may last from three to seven days. Your spinal cord stimulation Los Angeles doctor will administer local anesthesia near the implant site, and will also prescribe pain medication. Our spinal cord stimulation therapy professionals recommend the R.I.C.E. method along with medication to maximize recovery and get you back to your day-to-day activities sooner.
After two weeks of recovery, we will ask that you come back for a follow-up appointment. At this appointment, your doctor will check the spinal cord stimulation incision site for infection. They will also check to see if the stimulator is working for you. After you’ve healed completely and experienced relief from your pain, you can resume your normal activities.
Interventional Pain Doctors | Spinal Cord Stimulation Los Angeles
Interventional Pain Doctors is dedicated to providing you with the pain relief that you deserve. Dr. Nicholas Fuller, Dr. Daniel Loder, Dr. Chad Heng, and Dr. Jeffrey Jeng are the leaders in spinal cord stimulation for chronic pain and are qualified to treat you with the latest practices based on industry-leading research. For more information regarding our spinal cord stimulation therapy, please contact our offices today or visit our website.