What is spinal cord stimulation therapy?
Spinal cord stimulation therapy has been used as a viable form of pain management for many years. The therapy essentially masks pain signals before they reach the brain. The process involves implanting a small device, known as a spinal cord stimulator, under the skin to deliver electrical pulses to the spinal cord. When implanted properly, a spinal cord stimulator can reduce pain because the electrical pulses mask the signals of pain that would otherwise reach your brain.

Is spinal cord stimulation safe?
Spinal cord stimulation has been used as a safe and effective form of chronic pain treatment for decades. Specifically, many of those with back pain report significant pain relief, reinforcing the use of a spinal cord stimulator as an effective back pain treatment method.

Can spinal cord stimulation alleviate all pain?
The answer of this question will be slightly different for each and every patient. Keep in mind that the trial or test drive, where you'll be able to try the physical therapy method for a short period of time, can give you a better understanding of how much pain relief you'll get from consistent use of a spinal cord stimulator. When it comes down to it, spinal cord stimulation is generally considered to be effective if it alleviates at least 50% of the pain you're experiencing. If not, it may be better to experiment with alternative methods of chronic pain treatment.

Ultimately, a University of Pittsburgh study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine examined older patients with pain caused by Spinal Stenosis. The researchers found that patients received the same benefits and relief whether they were treated with spinal surgery or physical therapy such as spinal cord stimulation. Knowing the answers to these common questions surrounding spinal cord stimulation therapy can help you decide whether or not it may be a viable solution for you. Keep an eye out for the next post, where we'll answer some more common questions regarding the spinal cord stimulation process.