Pain that happens because of malfunctions in your nerves ( neuropathic pain).Diabetes-related neuropathy (nerve damage).Previously known as “failed back surgery syndrome,” experts now often refer to this as post-laminectomy syndrome or persistent spinal pain syndrome (PSPS). Continued back pain after laminectomy surgery.What conditions does spinal cord stimulation treat or manage?Ĭhronic pain can happen for many reasons, but some are more likely than others. However, adolescents and teenagers may also have conditions that are treatable with spinal cord stimulation. The conditions and circumstances that result in needing a spinal cord stimulator are most common in adults. It’s usually an option when other means of controlling pain are unsuccessful. Spinal cord stimulation treats chronic, severe pain. In effect, that current acts like another call is using the phone line, which keeps pain signals from reaching your brain. Spinal cord stimulation (another term for this is neuromodulation) uses a mild electrical current to stimulate certain nerve fibers in your spinal cord. Think of your nervous system like a phone line and pain signals like phone calls. Your nervous system forms an intricate network throughout your body, providing two-way communication between your brain and different body parts. In some cases, your nervous system may send pain signals randomly or constantly. Those changes can make pain feel more severe (hyperalgesia) or cause your nervous system to send pain signals for things that shouldn’t hurt (allodynia). Over time, living with chronic (long-term) pain can have serious - or even severe - consequences.Ĭhronic pain causes changes in your brain and nervous system. Many conditions cause overwhelmingly severe pain, or pain that doesn’t let up or go away. It’s also a key sign of many illnesses and diseases. It tells you when you’re hurt or if something is happening to your body that’s about to hurt you.

Under ordinary circumstances, pain is a protective process. To understand how a spinal cord stimulator works, it helps to know a little about how pain and your nervous system work. How does a spinal cord stimulator treat pain? These devices come in several types, and can be an alternative to other forms of treatment, such as opioids, which may become addictive. A spinal cord stimulator is a medical device that a healthcare provider can implant in your body to treat severe pain.

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