5 Key Benefits of Spinal Cord Stimulation

Are you struggling with chronic pain? And are you tired of treatments that can be ineffective, risky, and even make the problem worse?

If so, here’s some good news: Spinal cord stimulation is a revolutionary treatment that’s long on results and short on risks. Also called neuromodulation, this innovative treatment uses electrical impulses to disrupt the pain signals between your nerves and your brain, bringing you much-needed relief.

Dr. Maziar Massrour and Dr. Naveen Reddy of Apex Pain Specialists are experts in providing spinal cord stimulation, and in this blog, they explain the basics of spinal cord stimulation and share five key benefits of the treatment.

The basics of spinal cord stimulation

Spinal cord stimulation has three basic components: a small pulse generator, wires with electrodes, and a remote control. We implant the pulse generator in your abdomen or buttocks. Then, we attach the wires to the pulse generator and place the ends with the electrodes in strategic places along your spine.

The pulse generator then sends electrical pulses through the electrodes, which disrupts the pain signals. With the remote control, you can adjust the pulses for maximum relief.

The benefits of spinal cord stimulation

There are many benefits of this treatment, but here are five that our patients like the most:

1. You get a trial run

Before we implant the pulse generator, you undergo a trial run to make sure the treatment reduces your pain by at least 50%. During the trial run, we implant the electrodes during an outpatient procedure, but you wear the pulse generator outside of your body on a special belt. Using your remote control, you can work with the system for about a week. 

If you experience meaningful relief, we can implant the generator and place permanent electrodes.

2. The surgery is minimally invasive

When you’re struggling with pain, the last thing you want is to add to your burden by undergoing an extensive surgery with considerable downtime afterward. 

When we implant a spinal cord stimulator, we do so during a minimally invasive, outpatient  procedure. We use local anesthetics and sedatives only and, once we’re finished, you’re free to return home.

And, we don’t make any alterations during the implantation. We simply implant a very small generator, as well as a few electrodes around your spinal cord.

3. The treatment can help you avoid risky medications

For the past few decades, the opioid problem in the U.S. has reached unprecedented levels. And, it shows no signs of abating, which has prompted officials to label it a crisis. In 2021 alone, overdose deaths related to opioids rose above 70,000, which is an all-time high.

With spinal cord stimulation, our goal is to help reduce your need for opioid-based painkillers, which are often the gateway for an opioid use disorder.

4. You control your pain management

With spinal cord stimulation, you have a remote that allows you to control the electrical impulses. You can turn the unit on and off and increase the intensity of the electrical impulses. Of course, we preprogram a range in which you can work when it comes to the electrical impulses.

5. The procedure is completely reversible

Unlike many procedures, a spinal cord stimulator is completely reversible. If, for whatever reason, you don’t want the unit anymore, we can simply remove the electrodes and generator during an in-office, outpatient procedure.

As you can see, there are many advantages to spinal cord stimulation, and we invite you to investigate this exciting technology further.

To get started, call our office in Chandler, Arizona, at 480-820-7246 or book an appointment online with Apex Pain Specialists today.