Chronic back pain can be debilitating. It affects every aspect of your life, from your work to your favorite hobbies, and when traditional treatments fail to relieve your pain, you might wonder if you’re out of options.
Sound familiar? It’s time to learn more about spinal cord stimulation. Our pain management specialists at Cascade Orthopaedics specialize in spinal cord stimulator placement. A trial could help you decide if it’s the right option for you.
Here’s what you need to know about how spinal cord stimulator trials work and what you can expect from the process.
Chronic back pain is back pain that lasts more than three months. Its causes are complex, and there’s no one-size-fits-all pain management solution. Traditional treatments like medication, physical therapy, and injections can provide relief, but these options aren’t always enough.
When other treatment options don’t manage your pain well enough, spinal cord stimulation might be a good option for you. A spinal cord stimulator is a small device surgically implanted under your skin. It sends mild electrical impulses to your spinal cord, interfering with pain signal transmission to your brain.
By modulating the way pain signals are processed, it can offer significant relief from chronic back pain and give you the opportunity to reclaim your quality of life.
Spinal cord stimulation has the potential to provide lasting pain relief, but before getting a permanent implant, you have a trial period to determine if the device is effective for you.
During a spinal cord stimulator trial, we place a temporary stimulator near your spinal cord, and you test it for a period of time to see how it affects your pain levels.
We implant temporary leads in a straightforward, minimally invasive procedure with local anesthesia. There’s no downtime, and we teach you how to use the stimulator before sending you home.
You can expect your trial to last about a week. You'll use a handheld remote control to adjust the intensity and frequency of the electrical impulses. We closely monitor you to assess the success of the trial.
We encourage you to maintain all your normal activities during the trial period to gauge how well the spinal cord stimulator improves your function and quality of life. Many of our patients experience significant pain relief during their spinal cord stimulator trial period and find they can engage in activities they haven't been able to enjoy for years.
Once your trial period is over, we discuss your results and the level of pain relief you achieved. If you experience meaningful pain relief, you may be a good candidate for permanent spinal cord stimulator implantation.
If you don’t have good results, we move on and begin exploring other treatment options.
It's important to be open and honest before, during, and after your spinal cord stimulator trial about your goals, concerns, and expectations. Our team is here to help you make an informed decision and achieve your best possible health.
Are you ready to find out if a spinal cord stimulator is a good option for your chronic back pain? A trial gives you the opportunity to experience firsthand the potential benefits.
Don't let chronic back pain hold you back any longer. Schedule a consultation at Cascade Orthopaedics to get started. Call our office in Auburn or Bonney Lake, Washington, or request an appointment online now.