All nerve stimulation therapy for nerve-related pain is not same. It can be two types – Peripheral nerve stimulation and Spinal cord stimulation.
Neurostimulation
Neurostimulation, or neuromodulation, involves the use of mild electrical pulses to interfere with pain signals reaching the brain,altering the perception of pain. This acts as a drug-free pain management solution. This is achieved with a precisely placed implantable pulse generator. It takes about an hour to implant the generator, so no hospitalization is needed. The device can be turned on and off as needed.
Neurostimulation can help to manage chronic pain when other treatments fail. Patients go through a trial period to evaluate the results before having the device surgically implanted.
Spinal cord stimulation vs peripheral nerve stimulation
Your nervous system is made up of the CNS or central nervous system and the PNS or peripheral nervous system. The central nervous system includes the brain and spinal cord, while the peripheral nervous system includes all of the nerves outside the central nervous system.
The type of device that is right for you will depend upon where your pain comes from. If the pain originates in the spine, spinal cord stimulation would be the right option. On the other hand, if the pain originated anywhere else, peripheral nerve stimulation would be the right option.
Spinal cord stimulation
For spinal cord stimulation, electrodes from the device are inserted into the epidural space of the spinal canal. Spinal cord stimulation can treat conditions, such as –
• Sciatica
• Nerve root compression
• Spinal stenosis
• Degenerative disc disease
• Failed back surgery syndrome
• Complex regional pain syndrome
Peripheral nerve stimulation
A peripheral nerve stimulator targets pain-causing nerves in the peripheral nervous system. It can provide pain relief in the following conditions –
• Complex regional pain syndrome
• Nerve injuries
• Postherpetic, ilioinguinal, and intercostal neuralgias
• Peripheral neuropathy
• Lateral femoral cutaneous neuropathy
• Headaches, including occipital neuralgia
• Post-surgical pain
• Phantom limb pain
If you are suffering from nerve pain, peripheral nerve stimulation or spinal cord stimulation can prove to be highly effective drug-free treatment options.
If you are wondering whether you are a good candidate for nerve stimulation and whether it would provide you pain relief, it is best to speak to consult a pain management doctor who specializes in interventional pain treatments. Your pain doctor will evaluate your symptoms, review scans such as MRI or X-rays, ask you to describe your symptoms, and conduct a thorough physical examination. Once an accurate diagnosis has been established, your pain doctor can help you select the most effective pain management options for your condition.
If you are looking for internal medicine and restorative pain management doctors in San Diego, call Pacific Medical Care at (619) 333-8114.Pacific Medical Care provides a wide range of healthcare services, and first-rate care to treat the whole patient.