Back pain is the leading cause of disability in the world, with 1.5 billion people suffering from chronic pain. If you’re looking for a solution for chronic back pain, consider spinal cord stimulation.
At Interventional Pain and Regenerative Medicine Specialists in Arlington, Virginia, John Huffman, MD, is a board-certified pain management physician who can treat your condition. He and the rest of our team have the knowledge and expertise to help you overcome your back pain with a variety of treatments, including spinal cord stimulation.
A spinal cord stimulator (SCS) is a device with tiny wires containing electrodes that we surgically implant under your skin near your spine. When turned on, it sends current or electrical pulses to the nerve fibers in your spinal cord to mask pain signals before they’re transmitted to your brain.
A SCS also helps manage your back pain without the use of opioids, making it an excellent choice if you want a drug-free option. We often use a spinal cord stimulator if you’ve tried other treatments or surgeries that haven’t worked.
Although it seems like the device erases your pain, it’s actually interfering with the signal that tells your brain that you have pain. Because your brain doesn’t register the pain signals, you don’t feel the pain.
To make sure the spinal cord stimulator works for you, we first perform a trial run by giving you a temporary SCS. If you experience success, then we can surgically implant the device.
A spinal cord stimulator has three parts: a battery-powered generator to send current, a wire with electrodes to send electrical pulses to your spinal cord, and a remote that controls the device’s power and settings.
The device varies in stimulation levels. Some are lower-frequency and some are higher. After we talk to you about your specific needs and give you a thorough evaluation, together we can discuss all of the intricacies of the device and decide on the best option for you.
Our goal is to help you find relief from your chronic back pain in the least invasive way possible, and we design your treatment plan to meet your specific needs.
Spinal cord stimulation may be right for you, if:
If you have a temporary spinal cord stimulator implanted and have significant pain relief, then you’re most likely a candidate for a permanent implant.
To learn more about spinal cord stimulation and to find out if it’s right for you, call us at 571-210-1698 to schedule an appointment or use the online booking tool.
