Spinal Cord Stimulation
Saturday, August 30th, 2008Many people with the following conditions have received tremendous pain relief from Spinal Cord Stimulation:
Failed Back and Neck Surgery
Cervical, Thoracic and Lumbar Radiculopathy
Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD)
Complex Regional Pain Syndrome
Post-Herpetic Neuralgia
Other nerve-related pain syndromes
Spinal Cord Stimulation (SCS) is a safe and effective treatment method for various pain syndromes. In order for you to perceive pain, an electrical pain signal must travel from the origin of pain to your brain. The spinal cord stimulator delivers an array of electrical stimulation that blocks these pain signals. It replaces them with a pleasant tingling sensation referred to as a paresthesia.
When discussing SCS with patients, I use the analogy of dropping a hammer on your toe. There is an obvious source (the hammer) and location (your toe). The pain signal travels up nerves in the foot and leg to the spinal cord. It then travels up the spinal cord into the brain. At that point, you perceive the pain. One instinct is to rub your foot or ankle (not the toe). This rubbing creates an alternate signal that confuses your nervous system. This reduces the amount of pain signals transmitted to your brain. The SCS device delivers an electrical stimulus (a.k.a. the rubbing) directly over the area in the spinal cord where the pain signal is traveling. It prevents your brain from perceiving the full pain signal.
Tags: Complex regional pain syndrome (RSD), Failed Back Surgery, Injection Therapy, Neuropathic Pain, Pain Management, pain relief, peripheral neuropathy pain, phantom limb pain, post herpetic neuralgia, reflex sympathetic dystrophy, spinal cord, Spinal Cord Injections, Spinal Cord Stimulation, Spinal Cord Stimulation, Spinal Cord Stimulator Techniques, Spinal Cord Stimulators, Spinal Cord Stimulators