SCS or Spinal cord stimulation is a pain management option to treat chronic back pain when other treatment options have failed.

Chronic pain refers to pain that persists beyond 12 weeks or accompanies a chronic health condition. Since this type of pain is not the result of an injury, or lasts even after the injury has healed, it is treated as a condition, not as a symptom. Chronic pain often interferes with the patient’s life.

Spinal Cord Stimulation (SCS)

SCS is a pain treatment for chronic pain in the back, legs, and arms.

The treatment involves implanting a small device in the lower back or buttocks. The device, known as spinal cord stimulator, emits mild electrical pulses to the spinal cord via leads that are placed in the epidural space along the spine. The pulses block the brain and result in pain relief.

Candidates for Spinal Cord Stimulation

If SCS is being considered for a patient, the person first undergoes a trial treatment to determine the effectiveness of the device in their pain management. During the trial period of 3-7 days, temporary leads from an external device are connected to the body. The trial period helps the patient and the doctor determine whether SCS is a good pain relief option for that individual.

The trial is considered successful if the person experiences at least 50% pain relief, accompanied by improved mobility and function. If the trial is successful, the temporary leads are removed, and a permanent stimulator is implanted.

After the procedure, the patient may experience less back pain and not need much pain medicine.

SCS treatment can be discontinued at any time, by turning the implanted device off and removing it.

When is spinal cord stimulation recommended?

Spinal cord stimulation is usually recommended when –
• other pain treatments have failed
• surgery is not likely to help
• surgery has failed

Some conditions in which SCS stimulation can be beneficial –

• Inflammation of the arachnoid (a lining that surround and protect the brain and spinal cord)
• Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS
• Failed back syndrome (FBSS)or post-laminectomy syndrome (lumbar or cervical)
• Nerve damage or neuropathy

Spinal cord stimulation is an excellent pain treatment for patients with chronic pain where conservative treatments have been ineffective. While SCS may not be effective for all types of pain, it is a safe, drug-free and cost-effective treatment for many chronic pain conditions.

If you are suffering from chronic pain, and medication and other treatments have failed to relieve your pain, consult a pain management specialist right away. Using a comprehensive approach and cutting-edge therapies to restore normal function, your pain specialist can help you regain an active lifestyle while minimizing the need for opiates.

If you are looking for pain management doctors, call one of the leading pain management clinics in Illinois, Illinois Pain Institute at 800-340-PAIN Today!