Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is a safe, innovative treatment for easing chronic pain. It’s also highly effective and you can use the device for the long run, getting years of relief. However, each person is unique, and SCS doesn’t produce optimal results for everyone.
To give people the best chance for success, our Centers for Pain Control & Vein Care team in Hobart, LaPorte, Munster, Valparaiso, and Merrillville, Indiana, screens each person, determining if they’re good candidates. Here, we share the steps we use to qualify people for SCS.
If you’re a new patient, the first step is an in-depth medical evaluation so we can precisely target the cause of your pain and learn about treatments you’ve already tried. We review your medical history, complete an exam, and do diagnostic imaging or lab work if needed.
If you’re an existing patient at Centers for Pain Control & Vein Care, we can usually skip this step because we’re familiar with your medical care and diagnosis. Or, we may need to run additional tests to get more current information about the source of your pain.
SCS treats chronic pain (pain lasting 3-6 months or longer) that persists despite conventional treatments like medications, injections, and physical therapy.
Beyond having chronic pain, SCS has the remarkable ability to ease pain caused by many possible conditions, including:
How can SCS help such diverse conditions? No matter where pain originates in your body, the nerve signals must go through the spinal cord to reach your brain.
SCS uses implanted lead wires to block nerve messages in the spinal cord, effectively targeting pain from anywhere in the body.
SCS is not the first treatment offered for chronic pain. We consider it after you exhaust other medical therapies. If you have undergone the usual care and your pain persists, you’re likely a good candidate for SCS.
Most people seeking SCS don’t want surgery, or they already had a procedure and still have pain. However, we want to be sure you’re aware of and informed about all your treatment choices, so we’ll discuss surgical procedures.
One of the benefits of SCS is that it often eases the pain significantly enough that you can avoid or postpone surgery.
A contraindication is any physical or mental issue that prevents you from a particular treatment or procedure because it would harm your health.
There are very few contraindications to SCS. However, we must consider possible concerns, such as:
If you’re pregnant, we recommend waiting until you have the baby before starting SCS.
If you qualify for SCS, the next step is having a spinal cord stimulation trial. For the trial, we use a specialized needle-like device to insert lead wires along your spine. You wear the pulse generator outside your body.
After you try SCS for about a week, you’ll know how well it works. If it improves your pain by 50% or more, you can keep the leads in place and we will implant the generator under your skin.
Or, if you don’t want to keep the device, we can easily remove the wires and discuss other interventional treatments.
If you have questions about SCS or want to schedule a consultation, call Centers for Pain Control & Vein Care at 219-476-7246 or book an appointment online today.
