FAQs Archive - Page 4 of 5 - Essential Sports & Spine Solutions

Q: What happens when I have a spinal cord stimulator fitted?

For the trial phase of your treatment, you undergo a procedure where Dr. Verma implants temporary leads into your spine. You need to be awake, so you have a local anesthetic rather than a general anesthetic, then you can tell Dr. Verma when he puts the leads in the most effective position. The leads connect to an external power supply that you go home with for the trial period. After living with the trial spinal cord stimulator for a week or so, you report back to Dr. Verma on how well the device controlled your pain. If the trial is successful, Dr. Verma can implant a permanent spinal cord stimulator under the skin on your buttocks or abdomen. If nothing is working for your severe, chronic pain, come and talk to Dr. Verma about spinal cord stimulation. Call Essential Sports and Spine Solutions or request an appointment online today.

Q: Why would I need a spinal cord stimulator?

You might benefit from having a spinal cord stimulator if you experience treatment-resistant chronic pain in your back or neck or pain in your arms or legs that originates in your spine. In addition, the FDA recently approved the Nevro HFX™ for PDN spinal cord stimulator for diabetic peripheral neuropathy, a painful nerve condition that affects the feet and hands. While there are many potential treatments for chronic neuromusculoskeletal pain, and most people find these highly effective, a few patients don't experience any improvement. When advanced methods like radiofrequency ablation or surgery aren't achieving results, Dr. Verma may suggest a spinal cord stimulator trial.

Q: What is a spinal cord stimulator?

A spinal cord stimulator is a device that uses electrical impulses to scramble the pain signals in your spine. That means your brain no longer receives pain messages but instead feels a mild tingling or an absence of pain. Dr. Verma of Essential Sports and Spine Solutions performs a minimally invasive procedure to implant the spinal cord stimulator's battery-powered generator into your body and insert the electrical wires in the epidural space surrounding your spine. You use a remote control to adjust the intensity of the electrical impulses to allow for fluctuations in your pain. Before full implantation, Dr. Verma fits a trial spinal cord stimulator that you use for 7-10 days, so you can make sure the treatment works for you.