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Chronic Pain Solutions: A Closer Look at Peripheral Nerve Stimulation (PNS)
Nearly 1-in-5 Americans face chronic pain in a given year. The pain that flares up or stays constant for at least several months can interfere with your ability to work, socialize, sleep, and exercise.
Chronic pain is also linked with mental health challenges, such as anxiety and depression.
Peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS) is a minimally invasive chronic pain treatment. Often highly beneficial for good candidates, PNS may be the solution for your ongoing symptoms.
Our expert team at Houston Pain Specialists, led by board-certified pain management specialist Hui Kang, MD, offers PNS to help you manage chronic pain, particularly when other treatments haven’t sufficed.
Take a few moments to learn more about peripheral nerve stimulation, including how it works and results to anticipate.
How peripheral nerve stimulation works
PNS treatment starts with a minimally invasive procedure to place a small electrical device near problematic peripheral nerves. Because those nerves send pain signals to your brain, disrupting them with mild electrical impulses through PNS leads to reduced or eliminated pain.
We use the Nalu Medical device for PNS. Known for its compact size and advanced technology, this system makes managing chronic pain comfortable, discreet, and effective in the long term. It also allows you to program and adjust your pain relief as needed.
Thanks to local anesthesia, you stay comfortable during your procedure. Once the device is working, you might experience a subtle tingling sensation — which is generally well-tolerated — where you once felt severe pain.
Conditions PNS treats
Peripheral nerve stimulation can effectively treat a range of pain conditions, including:
- Chronic back pain
- Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS)
- Joint pain, including the knee and shoulder
- Neuropathic pain
- Post-surgical pain
- Pain after back surgery
PNS treats pain that originates from a clear peripheral nerve. As long as that’s the case for your condition, you could be a strong candidate if other treatments have failed.
Peripheral nerve stimulation results
Research shows that two-thirds of people who receive PNS for chronic pain experience at least 50% reduced pain that lasts for some time. This can reduce or eliminate the need for pain medication and bolster your quality of life.
Effective PNS may also make physical therapy more feasible, which can further improve your symptoms and well-being.
For some people, PNS benefits last for several months. For others, results become permanent. Our team can adjust your treatment plan if you notice the return or worsening of pain.
To learn more about peripheral nerve stimulation or to access compassionate, personalized chronic pain care, contact our Houston, Texas, office today to schedule an appointment.
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