Spinal Cord Stimulator

APEX Spine and Neurosurgery

Neurosurgery & Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery located in Suwanee, GA & Bethlehem, GA

When you continue to suffer from ongoing, debilitating back pain despite conventional treatment, it’s time to consider a spinal cord stimulator. The team at Apex Spine and Neurosurgery in Alpharetta, Bethlehem, Columbus, and Suwanee, Georgia, has helped many patients find relief from their pain by implanting a spinal cord stimulator. To learn whether you’re a good candidate, schedule an appointment, call the office, or request one online today.

Spinal Cord Stimulator Q & A

What is a spinal cord stimulator?

Spinal cord stimulators are devices that use a mild electrical impulse to relieve your pain. This type of treatment, called neuromodulation, blocks or masks the pain signals sent from spinal nerves to your brain. When the message doesn’t reach your brain, you stop feeling the pain even though the underlying cause is still there.

What conditions are treated with a spinal cord stimulator?

The Apex Spine and Neurosurgery team recommends spinal cord stimulation to help patients manage neck and back pain without medications like addictive opioids. The device can relieve pain caused by:

Radiculopathy (pinched nerves)
Herniated disc
Bone spurs
Degenerative disc disease
Spinal stenosis
Failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS)
Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS)

In some cases, spinal cord stimulation may also relieve pain caused by peripheral neuropathy or peripheral vascular disease.

How is a spinal cord stimulator implanted?

Spinal cord stimulators contain three parts: a small pulse generator, wires with multiple leads, and a remote controller. Your Apex Spine and Neurosurgery provider implants the pulse generator under the skin of your upper chest, abdomen, or buttocks. Then, they thread the wires along your spine, placing the leads near the nerves and sending the pain signals.

Your Apex Spine and Neurosurgery provider uses the remote control to program the frequency and strength of the electrical impulses; then, you’ll use it to turn the device on and off.

How do I know if a spinal cord stimulator will relieve my pain?

You’ll go through a trial period to be sure the spinal cord stimulator works for you. Your Apex Spine and Neurosurgery provider inserts the wires along your spine to deliver the electrical impulses, but you’ll wear the generator around your waist. After about a week, you’ll know whether you want to have the generator implanted to maintain ongoing pain relief or you want the wires removed.

You may be a good candidate for a spinal cord stimulator if:

You’ve had debilitating pain for at least three months
Conservative treatments have failed to relieve your pain
Surgery isn’t recommended, or you don’t want it
You don’t have a medical condition that prohibits implantation surgery
You had a successful trial period

If you’re ready to get pain relief using a spinal cord stimulator, call Apex Spine and Neurosurgery or request an appointment online today.

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