Am I a Candidate for a Spinal Cord Stimulator? - Kentuckiana Pain Specialists

Am I a Candidate for a Spinal Cord Stimulator?

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If you’ve been living with chronic pain, then you’ve likely tried different treatments with little relief. Luckily, there’s a solution for relieving chronic back pain that hasn’t responded to treatment in the past. With a spinal cord stimulator, you can find lasting pain relief. At Kentuckiana Pain Specialists in Louisville, KY, Dr. Ajith Nair is dedicated to providing you with lasting pain relief. Spinal cord stimulators are a great solution because they don’t have the harsh side effects of drugs. Read on to discover if you’re a candidate for a spinal cord stimulator.
How a spinal cord stimulator works

Pain happens when your nerves detect tissue damage in your body. From there, they fire off messages to your spinal cord and your brain. This entire process all happens within a microsecond and it’s how your body registers pain.

A spinal cord stimulator works by causing a disturbance in this cycle of communication so that the pain signals don’t register in your brain. Spinal cord stimulators don’t work by healing the root cause of pain, but by changing the way your brain registers pain. Instead of feeling chronic pain, you might feel fluttering, tingling, or nothing at all.   

When we implant the stimulator, we place electrical wires on specific nerves in your back. These wires are attached to a battery pack that’s also implanted in your back. You can adjust the level of stimulation with a remote control that also turns the device on and off.

Are you a candidate for a spinal cord stimulator?

If you suffer from chronic pain, then a spinal cord stimulator could be the pain relief solution you’ve been looking for. To figure out if spinal cord stimulation is right for you, we put in a temporary stimulator with the battery pack placed outside of your body. The pack is small enough where you can clip it to your clothing. During the trial period, which usually lasts a week or two, we take this time to see if the stimulator is working for you. If your pain decreases by 50% or more, you’re a good candidate for spinal cord stimulation. From there, we perform a small operation to permanently insert the stimulator. The surgery is done under local anesthesia, intravenous sedation and in an outpatient setting, so you can return home after the anesthesia wears off. If you suffer from chronic pain and want a solution that doesn’t involve harsh drugs or major surgery, then a spinal cord stimulator could be the right solution for you. To learn more, call us at 502-209-7283 or use online booking to set up an appointment today.