Pain Relief Doctor Brooklyn | Navigating Chronic Spinal Pain
As the body’s central support structure, it is no secret how important a healthy spine is to a healthy and functioning human. The importance of the spine, however, is equally matched by its function in connecting the brain to the rest of the body, allowing us to control our movement and innervating muscles from the top of our heads to the bottom of our feet. However, due to the nature of our physiology, the spine tends to be a common source of pain and injury. And as a result of its major role in our everyday function, pain stemming from the spine has the potential to be debilitating, mitigating many aspects of movement and preventing us from living life to its fullest.
When presented with symptoms stemming from the spinal cord, physicians employ a bevy of treatments to battle the pain. This can range from prescribing pain medications, performing minimally invasive procedures such as epidural steroid injections, all the way to major surgeries such as a spinal fusion or laminectomy. Oftentimes, however, patients don’t find conservative treatments to be of much help, and are weary of going under the knife for one of the aforementioned surgeries. It is in circumstances such as these in which the Spinal Cord Stimulator becomes such an effective tool.
The Spinal Cord stimulator is a small device, much like a pacemaker, that is surgically placed under the skin and delivers electrical pulses to the spinal cord. Thin wires carry current from a pulse generator to nerve fibers of the spinal cord. The impulses that are sent compete with the body’s pain signals and as a result, mask the pain radiating from the spine before they reach the brain by blocking or modifying them. In short, the stimulator prevents the brain from receiving pain signals originating from the spine. This proves especially advantageous in patients who suffer from chronic leg or arm pain, failed back surgery syndrome, non-surgical refractory back pain, complex regional pain syndrome, arachnoiditis, or painful diabetic neuropathy.
The procedure itself consists of a two-step process performed by doctors and surgeons who specialize in pain management. First, a temporary trial is observed. Similar to a test drive of sorts, the stimulator is externally applied and left for 5 to 7 days, allowing both the provider and patient to gauge the effectiveness of the spinal cord stimulator in their particular case. Should the trial prove successful, a designation which in this case represents at least a 50% improvement in pain, sleep, and function, patients can move onto the second stage of the process: the actual implantation of the device within the body. In this minimally invasive procedure, the stimulator is implanted under the skin in the lower back or buttocks area. The procedure takes up to two hours and is performed with anesthesia or sedation, allowing for a comfortable and minimally painful process that allows the patient to go home the same day. After the procedure is complete and the stimulator is implanted, a typical recovery period lasts roughly 4-8 weeks during which patients can engage in light activity while striving to avoid any strenuous physical movements.
As a device that has been established as a staple of chronic pain management over the past 30 years, the spinal cord stimulator continues to grow in prevalence with upwards of 30,000 people annually electing to undergo surgery to have it implanted. And the data only strengthens its case, with studies showing long term relief in 50-80% of patients who suffered from chronic pain, coupled with an impressive reported average of 76% pain reduction. The spinal cord stimulator is a tool that has allowed countless patients to return to the activities they love, and in the process has become a part of the backbone of modern pain management. With the device now more easily accessible than ever, it is certainly worth considering for a large part of the population who was previously in the dark about its brilliance.
Written By: Ben Klass
