Senin, 09 Juni 2014

Guide To Spinal Cord Stimulation For Chronic Pain

By Neil P. Hines


Spine-related back pain is a problem for many people. It causes an interruption in performing even the simplest everyday tasks. These people suffer from chronic pain and struggle to find ways to successfully alleviate it. In these cases, spinal cord stimulation for chronic pain may be the answer.

SCS is one of the two types of neurostimulation therapy. It was approved for medical use in 1989 by the Food and Drug Administration. This type of neurostimulation has a success rate of between fifty and seventy percent, but not all patients will experience successful relief. Those who do have some pain relief also note an increase in their ability to move and function daily.

The term neurostimulation is often used when referring to SCS therapy, but it is actually the term used for a category that contains Peripheral Nerve Field Stimulation and SCS. These two methods involve the use of electrical currents to counteract the pain response by the brain, but they differ on how the electrical node tips on the end through the skin close to the spine. The other end of the wires are attached to a tiny generator that is inserted under the skin of the buttock or abdomen region through a small incision. Electrical currents are sent from the generator through the wires to the spinal cord and its nerves.

A remote control is used to operate the generator. It gives the patient the ability to cycle through the programmed settings and turn the system on and off. Settings are determined by the doctor based on the patient's pain, its primary location, and other needs.

SCS has been successful in alleviating several conditions. If you have already had surgery or multiple surgeries but are still suffering, this neurostimulation may help. Ideal candidates also include patients who have unrelenting pain in the neck or back that may or may not be accompanied by leg or arm pain. Patients with peripheral vascular disease or peripheral neuropathy are also candidates for SCS.

SCS has contraindications for some conditions. For example, patients who are pregnant, nursing, or who have a systemic infection will not be candidates. Patients who have a pacemaker or any other type of internal cardiac device cannot undergo this treatment. Additionally, if a patient has had discomfort while using a transcutaneous electrostimulation (TENS) unit or who have not experienced at least a fifty percent reduction in pain during the trial stimulation, SCS is not advised.

When the doctor has suggested SCS, a temporary system is used to determine of the therapy will be successful. The wires are placed just under the skin and the temporary generator remains outside the body. It is already programmed with several settings that are used to determine which ones are the most effective. The whole trial stimulation period lasts about a week.




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