Spinal Cord Stimulator Specialist

What is a spinal cord stimulator?

A spinal cord stimulator is a pain relief device that consists of a generator, two electrodes, and remote control. The electrodes, connected to the generator via wires, travel into the epidural space between your vertebrae and spinal cord. 

Using the remote control that comes with your spinal cord stimulator, you can disrupt pain signals traveling through your spine toward your brain. Depending on the type of stimulator you get, the device replaces the pain with a more tolerable tingling feeling or no sensation at all. 

The first step of getting a spinal cord stimulator at Peak Spine & Sports Medicine is a trial period with a temporary device. The temporary generator is outside your body on a belt you can wear around your waist. 

If the team finds that the temporary spinal cord stimulator works well for you, they replace it with the permanent device. They implant the permanent generator under your skin on your buttocks or abdomen. 

Which types of pain can a spinal cord stimulator treat?

Peak Spine & Sports Medicine offers spinal cord stimulators to treat various types of chronic pain, which is pain that lasts for months, years, or even for the rest of your life. Your spinal cord stimulator can help you manage:

• Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS)
• Failed back surgery syndrome
• Post-surgical pain
• Peripheral vascular disease
• Angina
• Arachnoiditis
• Pain after amputation
• Spinal cord injuries
• Neuropathy

Even if the initial cause of your chronic pain was an injury that has since healed, the pain could persist for years. The team at Peak Spine & Sports Medicine works with you to find an effective way to manage it with or without a spinal cord stimulator.

Am I a candidate for a spinal cord stimulator?

A spinal cord stimulator may be able to manage your pain effectively, but it’s not usually the first treatment you try. Instead, the team at Peak Spine & Sports Medicine initially helps you try a number of personalized strategies that don’t require an implanted device. 

Strategies like physical therapy, injections, medications, and lifestyle changes might cause enough improvements for you to avoid getting a spinal cord stimulator. If you do not experience significant relief with less invasive therapies, your provider may recommend a spinal cord stimulator.

Significant, long-lasting relief from chronic pain is often possible with a spinal cord stimulator. To find out more about how it works and see if it fits in your treatment plan, call Peak Spine & Sports Medicine, or book your visit online today.