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Lasting Relief for Chronic Back Pain: Is Spinal Cord Stimulation Right for You?
Chronic back pain is a leading cause of missed work in the United States. The ongoing symptoms can also fuel low moods, sleep problems, and disability.
If more conservative treatments haven’t alleviated your back pain, you may want to consider spinal cord stimulation (SCS).
Our expert team at Houston Pain Specialists, led by board-certified pain management specialist Hui Kang, MD, offers this innovative, drug-free treatment for stubborn chronic pain to restore comfort and ease in your life. Read on to learn more.
Chronic back pain basics
Any back pain that persists or frequently flares up for several months or longer is considered chronic. The symptoms can range from a burning, stabbing, or shooting pain to dull aches.
Common causes of chronic back pain include:
- Arthritis
- Auto accident injuries
- Degenerative disc disease
- Herniated discs
- Kidney problems
- Lifestyle habits, such as inactivity and poor posture
- Nerve damage
- Osteoporosis
- Sciatica
- Spinal stenosis
While anyone can experience chronic back pain, your risk increases with age due to wear-and-tear and gradual spine changes. Engaging in an intense sport, once in a while or routinely, also raises your risk.
How spinal cord stimulation works
Spinal cord stimulation provides a minimally invasive solution for chronic back pain that fails to respond sufficiently to conservative care. A special device sends mild electrical impulses to your spinal cord to disrupt pain signals, leading to relief.
After a successful trial, during which the device stays outside of your body, we implant the device. You then control it with a handheld remote, making your pain management customizable.
Sometimes described as a pacemaker for pain, the device may fully alleviate your back pain, greatly reduce it, or replace painful sensations with a subtle tingling.
Spinal cord stimulation results
Even with a bit of post-procedure tenderness, most people immediately experience benefits from spinal cord stimulation. From there, the pain management is long-lasting. Basically, as long as the battery lasts, your pain control should, too.
The batteries in implanted SCS devices typically last for at least 10 years. Some are rechargeable through your skin. Overall, spinal cord stimulation successfully reduces pain by at least 50% for most people.
Good candidates for spinal cord stimulation
In addition to having tried other therapies for your chronic pain, such as physical therapy, medication, and epidural injections, factors that make you a strong SCS candidate include:
- Back pain that’s lasted or recurred for at least six months
- No active systemic infections
- No untreated psychiatric conditions, such as depression or alcohol dependency
Spinal cord stimulation may also provide a reasonable option if you’re not a candidate for or wish to avoid surgery. SCS can treat failed back surgery syndrome and complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), too.
To learn more about spinal cord stimulation or to get started with personalized chronic pain support, contact our Houston, Texas, office today to schedule an appointment.
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