My Sciatica Isn't Improving: Is Spinal Cord Stimulation an Option?

Sciatica is a type of nerve pain that radiates from your lower back down your leg. About two in five Americans experience sciatica pain in their lifetimes, and most of the time, it responds well to conservative treatment.

But what happens if you’ve tried medication, injections, physical therapy, and activity modification, and you’re still dealing with sciatica pain? It’s time to learn more about spinal cord stimulation (SCS).

Our team at Centers for Pain Control & Vein Care in Hobart, La Porte, Merrillville, Munster, and Valparaiso, Indiana, specializes in interventional pain management, and we’re ready to help you find relief from sciatica pain when conservative treatment reaches its limits.

How spinal cord stimulation works for sciatica

Sciatica pain happens when your sciatic nerve gets compressed or irritated. First-line treatments focus on reducing inflammation and relieving nerve compression, but spinal cord stimulation works on a completely different principle than other sciatica treatments.

Instead of addressing the nerve compression causing your sciatica or reducing inflammation around the nerve, SCS interrupts pain signals traveling from your sciatic nerve to your brain. We place a small electrode near your spinal cord that delivers mild electrical pulses to interfere with pain signals before they reach your brain.

The electrical stimulation creates a tingling or buzzing sensation that replaces your pain (a phenomenon called paresthesia). Most people adjust quickly to the sensation and experience significantly reduced or eliminated pain without medication, without ongoing injections, and without invasive surgery on their spine.

What to expect with a spinal cord stimulator

Before getting a permanent implant, you undergo a trial period with an external stimulator. We place temporary electrodes near your spinal cord, and you use the external device to adjust the settings. The trial typically lasts three to seven days and allows you to find out whether spinal cord stimulation provides meaningful relief before committing to permanent implantation.

If the trial is successful and you experience significant pain relief, you can proceed to permanent implantation. The permanent system includes a small pulse generator (about the size of a pacemaker) implanted under your skin and electrodes positioned near your spinal cord. You control the stimulation intensity and frequency with a remote control, adjusting it based on your needs.

Spinal cord stimulation can reduce pain by 50% or more, and results vary between individuals. This level of pain relief allows many people to resume activities that pain had prevented, but it’s important to note that spinal cord stimulation doesn't cure sciatica or address the underlying structural problem. It manages pain effectively without surgery on your spine.

Is spinal cord stimulation right for you?

Spinal cord stimulation works best for people with chronic neuropathic pain, which is ongoing pain involving nerves, just like sciatica. We might recommend trying a spinal cord stimulator if:

• You've had sciatica for at least six months
• Conservative treatments haven’t been effective enough
• You're experiencing significant functional limitation from pain
• Imaging shows a structural reason for your sciatica (like a herniated disc or stenosis)

While every case is different, spinal cord stimulators are generally less effective for pain that's purely mechanical or structural without significant nerve involvement. It's not appropriate if you have certain spinal cord conditions, active infection, or bleeding disorders, and we can determine if you’re a good candidate through comprehensive evaluation.

If your sciatica hasn't improved with conservative treatment, spinal cord stimulation could be a good option. At Centers for Pain Control & Vein Care, our team can evaluate your specific situation and honestly assess whether it has realistic potential to help you finally move beyond chronic sciatica pain. Call 219-476-7246 or request an appointment online today to get started.