There are a lot pf people who suffer from chronic pain in the neck, limbs, or back and have trouble with simple daily tasks. Chronic pain is not temporary. It can be severe, unwavering, and disabling. When all other efforts prove to be ineffective, spinal cord stimulation for chronic pain may provide some relief.
SCS is one of the two types of neurostimulation therapy. It was approved for medical use in 1989 by the Food and Drug Administration. This type of neurostimulation has a success rate of between fifty and seventy percent, but not all patients will experience successful relief. Those who do have some pain relief also note an increase in their ability to move and function daily.
Neurostimulation is the term used when referring to SCS, but it is actually a category that groups two therapy types together. SCS is one and PNFS, Peripheral Nerve Field Stimulation, is the second. Although both methods are quite similar because they use electrical currents to trick the brain, the mode of delivery is different. SCS involves inserting small wires with nodes on the end into the skin close to the spine. A generator unit is programmed and the intensity and area of the electrical currents that travel through the wires.
The generator can be programmed with a remote control. It is used to adjust the intensity of the current or the specific location and group of wiring. This is also how the current is turned off and on. Generally, it is designed to be customized to suit each patient's need and provide the most ideal amount of relief.
There are certain conditions that are known to successfully benefit from this type of neurostimulation therapy. Patients that have previously had one or more back surgeries and still have pain are likely candidates. Chronic back pain without or including leg pain and chronic neck pain without or including arm pain may also be ideal cases. Other candidates include patients who suffer from peripheral neuropathy or vascular disease and Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy.
SCS has contraindications for some conditions. For example, patients who are pregnant, nursing, or who have a systemic infection will not be candidates. Patients who have a pacemaker or any other type of internal cardiac device cannot undergo this treatment. Additionally, if a patient has had discomfort while using a transcutaneous electrostimulation (TENS) unit or who have not experienced at least a fifty percent reduction in pain during the trial stimulation, SCS is not advised.
The trial stimulation occurs after SCS therapy has been decided, and lasts about a week. It has the sole purpose in helping the doctor determine if SCS therapy will be beneficial. As an outpatient procedure, a temporary system is attached. The wires are placed under the skin and a portable generator is strapped to the body. This generator is about the size of a cell phone and has pre-programmed settings that help the doctor determine the range of settings that help the doctor determine the range of settings that will be the most helpful with the SCS system.
SCS is one of the two types of neurostimulation therapy. It was approved for medical use in 1989 by the Food and Drug Administration. This type of neurostimulation has a success rate of between fifty and seventy percent, but not all patients will experience successful relief. Those who do have some pain relief also note an increase in their ability to move and function daily.
Neurostimulation is the term used when referring to SCS, but it is actually a category that groups two therapy types together. SCS is one and PNFS, Peripheral Nerve Field Stimulation, is the second. Although both methods are quite similar because they use electrical currents to trick the brain, the mode of delivery is different. SCS involves inserting small wires with nodes on the end into the skin close to the spine. A generator unit is programmed and the intensity and area of the electrical currents that travel through the wires.
The generator can be programmed with a remote control. It is used to adjust the intensity of the current or the specific location and group of wiring. This is also how the current is turned off and on. Generally, it is designed to be customized to suit each patient's need and provide the most ideal amount of relief.
There are certain conditions that are known to successfully benefit from this type of neurostimulation therapy. Patients that have previously had one or more back surgeries and still have pain are likely candidates. Chronic back pain without or including leg pain and chronic neck pain without or including arm pain may also be ideal cases. Other candidates include patients who suffer from peripheral neuropathy or vascular disease and Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy.
SCS has contraindications for some conditions. For example, patients who are pregnant, nursing, or who have a systemic infection will not be candidates. Patients who have a pacemaker or any other type of internal cardiac device cannot undergo this treatment. Additionally, if a patient has had discomfort while using a transcutaneous electrostimulation (TENS) unit or who have not experienced at least a fifty percent reduction in pain during the trial stimulation, SCS is not advised.
The trial stimulation occurs after SCS therapy has been decided, and lasts about a week. It has the sole purpose in helping the doctor determine if SCS therapy will be beneficial. As an outpatient procedure, a temporary system is attached. The wires are placed under the skin and a portable generator is strapped to the body. This generator is about the size of a cell phone and has pre-programmed settings that help the doctor determine the range of settings that help the doctor determine the range of settings that will be the most helpful with the SCS system.
About the Author:
Neil P. Hines is passionate about providing intelligent, unbiased and highly relevant medical information for people dealing with a wide range of pain conditions and related orthopedic needs, including back pain, knee pain, joint replacements, sports medicine, lumbar fusion and more. If you are interested in learning more about spinal cord stimulation Philadelphia he recommends that you visit his friends at St. Mary Medical Center.