Did you wake up in pain this morning? Do you struggle to complete basic tasks around the house without experiencing debilitating pain that leaves your head spinning? If you’re dealing with “high-impact chronic pain,” you’ll understand what we’re talking about when we say it changes how you live your life, and the joy you get out of your everyday experience.
Chronic pain is a serious deal, and you can’t manage it with physical therapy or painkillers. Eventually, your body becomes accustomed to the drugs, and you need a higher and higher dose to experience the same pain-relieving effects of the meds. Physiotherapy might not be an option, because you just can’t handle the pain brought about by these treatments, either during or after the session.
So, what’s left for you? Are you destined to live with chronic pain for the rest of your life? Fortunately, there’s a minimally invasive procedure available to relieve your symptoms and improve your quality of life, the medical community calls it “Spinal Cord Stimulation.”
But are you a candidate for this procedure? Let’s look at the determining factors of your condition to see if you quality for the treatment.
You’ve Tried Other Treatments with No Relief
Some people respond to physio and meds when treating their pain symptoms. For others, these treatments offer limited relief. If that’s the case for you, you might be a prime candidate for spinal cord stimulation therapy.
You Suffer from Nerve Pain
The central and peripheral nervous systems are responsible for delivering pain signals from the body, or spine, to the brain. Millions of Americans live with a condition called “peripheral neuropathy,” where the myelin sheath around the nerves degrades, leading to the onset of pain symptoms.
It’s common for patients to experience a slow onset of the condition, with the pain increasing in severity and intensity over time. If you’ve in the advanced stages of the condition, spinal cord stimulation therapy is highly affective at relieving your symptoms and improving your quality of life.
You’re Dealing with “Failed Back Surgery Syndrome”
Also know by its medical moniker, “arachnoiditis,” failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS) is a type of pain persisting after undergoing surgery to the spine. As many as 40% of patients who undergo spinal surgery experience FBSS, and it’s more common in surgeries involving the lumbar spine (lower back).
FBSS doesn’t mean that something went wrong with the surgery, it means that there’s usually problems in the way the muscles or nerves heal post-procedure. If you’re dealing with medically diagnosed FBSS, your doctor may refer you for spinal cord stimulation therapy.
You Suffer from “Complex Regional Pain Syndrome”
If you experience widespread pain across your body, you’re probably dealing with a condition known as “Complex Regional Pain Syndrome” (CRPS). The patients struggle to control their pain symptoms, even with the use of potent painkillers.
CRPS usually occurs in patients who sustain injuries, and the chronic form of the condition persists for longer than six months. Studies show that spinal cord stimulation can lead to long-term improvement in pain severity and intensity, in patients, while lowering symptoms of depression and improving quality of life.
You Notice Ischemic Pain After Sustaining a Stroke
Enduring a stroke can lad to dysfunction in the brain and the nervous system. Many people who make it through a stroke experience the onset of dull, throbbing, or sharp pain symptoms. Doctors may recommend spinal cord stimulation therapy for these patients.
Testing Spinal Cord Stimulation Therapy to See If It Works for You
Doctors often offer qualifying patients a test run of spinal cord stimulation therapy to see if it’s the right fit for them. During the trial, the doctor inserts wires into your spine near the area causing the pain symptoms.
They connect the end of the wire leads to a device that controls the levels of electrical stimulation delivered to the spine. You’ll undergo a five-to-seven-day trial period with the device and meet with your doctor after the testing period to analyze your results. If it’s a success, the doctor will surgically implant the device.
What Other Medical Conditions Suit Spinal Cord Stimulation Therapy?
- Intractable coronary artery disease
- Pain associated with a “phantom limb” pain
- Peripheral vascular disease
- Pelvic pain and visceral abdominal pain
- Chronic pancreatitis
What Are the Primary Benefits of Spinal Cord Stimulation Therapy?
Improve Your Quality of Life
It’s hard to live a normal life when you have chronic pain surging through your body all day. Sometimes, the pain is so bad that you need to sit down and take a moment to yourself. Occasionally, you might be able to grit your teeth ad push through it – Either way, your life is challenging, and your well-being is at an all time low in life.
Patients who undergo spinal cord stimulation treatments typically experience a massive reduction in pain symptoms, allowing them to participate in lifestyle activities that they would previously avoid.
The mild electrical stimulation to the spin from the implanted device targets the spinal cord and the nervous system, alleviating pain symptoms by masking pain signals from the spinal cord and nervous system to the brain. The result is a huge improvement in your daily life, allowing you to live virtually pain-free.
Personalized Pain Relief Therapy
Unlike conventional pain management therapies, spinal cord stimulation is a completely personalized and customizable treatment. The doctor can adjust the amount of electrical stimulation to the spine and nervous system, according to the extent of the pain you feel during the day. You get fully controlled therapy, tailored to your individual needs.
In Closing – Toss out the Meds and Prevent Addiction
The American opioid epidemic doesn’t need another victim. By undergoing spinal cord stimulation, you limit or do away completely with your reliance on medication to treat your pain symptoms.
It’s an alternative therapy, with a one-off procedure that delivers lasting results. You don’t need to open a bottle and swallow a dose every few hours just to feel sane. SCS is a holistic, drug-free therapy offering patients a proven and effective path to achieving a pain-free life, without risking your well-being and health, with no side effects.