How Long Does Spinal Cord Stimulation Reduce Pain?

Spinal cord stimulation is a state-of-the-art pain management therapy that uses a tiny, implantable device to relieve pain that doesn’t respond to more traditional therapies. Better still, its effects are long-lasting.

Chronic pain affects more than 20% of Americans, and another 8% of men and women have symptoms so severe, they interfere with the activities of daily living. Although medication and physical therapy can help manage some types of pain, they aren’t always effective, or they may cause other, unpleasant side effects.

At Metro Spine PC, our team offers another solution for people with chronic pain: spinal cord stimulation (SCS). In this post, learn how this state-of-the-art therapy works and how long it could provide relief for your chronic pain.

The ABCs of spinal cord stimulation

Your spinal cord is a bundle of nerve tissue that extends from the base of your skull to your tailbone at the end of your spine. The nerves in your spinal cord leave the spine at precise locations, traveling to every other part of your body where they provide sensation, help you move, support organ function, and perform other key roles.

These nerves also carry special chemical pain signals from an injured part of your body to your brain, “telling” your brain about the injury and, in response, creating the sensation of pain. Spinal cord stimulation works by interfering with these signals, preventing them from triggering pain sensations in your brain.

The SCS device

Spinal cord stimulation uses a small, implanted device that emits tiny electrical impulses. These impulses “scramble” pain sensations to reduce or relieve pain, making it a good solution for people with chronic pain conditions like complex regional pain syndrome, failed back surgery syndrome, peripheral neuropathy, and other pain syndromes that don’t respond well to more traditional therapies.

Though spinal cord stimulation doesn’t block sensation completely, it does change the way you feel those sensations: Most people report feeling a buzzing or tingling sensation instead of burning or sharp pain.

Duration of therapy: What to expect

Spinal cord stimulation therapy begins with a “test drive,” an initial treatment period (typically one week) at which time you try out treatment before the device is implanted. During the trial period, thin wire leads are placed near your spinal column. The leads are attached to the electrical device that sends tiny energy bursts to the nerves causing pain.

If the device is effective in relieving pain during the trial period, our team implants the device permanently in your abdomen or near your buttocks. You can control your level of pain relief using a handheld device, so you can enjoy just the right amount of relief based on your symptoms.

Perhaps best of all, the tiny, planted electrical device can continue to provide stimulation for years, thanks to its powerful battery. These batteries can last for years before they need to be replaced during a minimally invasive procedure.

Learn more about spinal cord stimulation

Spinal cord stimulation provides safe, effective, long-lasting relief for hard-to-manage chronic pain, even when other methods fail. To learn more about spinal cord stimulation and how it can help you, request an appointment online or over the phone with our team at Metro Spine PC in Oxon Hill and Clinton, Maryland, or Washington, DC, today.