Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) provides long-term, meaningful pain relief for women and men struggling with chronic pain, but it’s not the right choice for everyone. Whether it’s right for you depends on how well you respond to a trial using the device.
Zaid Malik, MD, and the team at Superior Pain Relief are committed to providing every patient with a pain management solution that works for their needs. In this post, we explain how spinal cord stimulation works and what it means to have a successful SCS trial that leads to device implantation.
The spinal cord is a long bundle of nerve tissue that reaches from your lower brain stem down to the lumbar (lower) region of your spine. The nerves in your spinal cord exit your spine at specific points to travel to other parts of your body, providing sensation, helping you move, regulating organ function, and performing other essential tasks.
These nerves transmit chemical messages or signals to and from your brain, including pain signals associated with both acute and chronic pain. When your brain receives those signals, it creates the sensation you perceive as pain. SCS uses tiny bursts of electrical currents to disrupt nerve signaling activity, preventing your brain from triggering pain sensations.
A small device implanted in the epidural space, the area around your spinal cord, emits electrical currents. SCS can be an ideal therapy for people with chronic pain from peripheral neuropathy, complex regional pain syndrome, and many other types of pain that don’t respond to medication and other conservative therapies.
Not all types of pain respond to spinal cord stimulation, so before permanently implanting the device, Dr. Mailk initiates a trial for a week or so. For this test, he inserts temporary thin wire leads into the epidural space, attaching them to an external device that triggers electrical impulses.
Throughout the trial period, you keep track of your pain levels, comparing them to the pain you were experiencing before the trial. During this outpatient trial, our team can answer any questions and help you determine if SCS could be a long-term option for you.
At the end of the trial period, we ask you about your pain and whether the stimulator improved your pain symptoms during regular activities of daily living. We also ask about whether the device improved your overall quality of life. These assessments determine whether the test is considered a success in terms of pain management.
Typically, we consider the trial a success if you experience pain reduction of 50% or more. If your trial run is successful, Dr. Malik implants a permanent stimulator device in your abdomen or near your buttocks. You control the electrical impulses using a small handheld device.
Spinal cord stimulation offers long-term pain relief when conservative options haven’t helped. To find out if SCS therapy is right for you, request an appointment online or over the phone today with Dr. Malik and the team at Superior Pain Relief in Houston, Baytown, Willis, and The Woodlands, Texas.
