Constant agonizing pain is hard to imagine for most. It consumes you, confines you, and can destroy your family and work life.

Spinal Cord Stimulation, also called neurostimulation therapy, is a path you can take to move beyond the pain. To step back into the life you love. With the people who love you.

A Brief Overview

Our number one goal is to help you get the pain relief you need. Spinal cord stimulation was developed by Medtronic and was first approved in 1984.

Spinal cord stimulation is a proven, safe and effective therapy for managing certain types of chronic pain. When you have pain, spinal cord stimulation disrupts the pain signals traveling between the spinal cord and the brain so you may feel relief.

This procedure is done after a successful trial. The trial is important for a variety of reasons. It serves as a temporary evaluation period so you and you doctor can decide if spinal cord stimulation works before committing to long-term therapy. The trial period is typically between 3 and 7 days. Some patients can decide right away if this therapy works for them and others may need more time to decide if this therapy is right for them.

The trial procedure takes about 30-90 minutes to complete and is likely to take place in a doctor's office, day surgery center or hospital.

After the trial procedure:

In the recovery room, your doctor will program the external neurostimulator to provide you with the greatest amount of relief.

You will be taught:

• How to use the handheld programmer
• How to care for the area around the leads
• What activities and movement to avoid during the trial.

At the end of the trial your doctor will:

• Remove the temporary neurostimulator system
• Discuss your experience during the trial
• Ask if you were satisified with your experience
• Help you decide if you should proceed with the implant.

If you do decide to proceed with long-term spinal cord stimulation, there will be a waiting period after the trial. This will give the area in your back where the needle was placed time to heal, time for your insurance provider to be notified and for the surgery to be scheduled.

The Implant Procedure

If you and your doctor decide that spinal cord stimulation is right for you, then the system will be implanted during a surgical procedure. Your doctor will discuss what to expect for your specific procedure.

How Does The Therapy Work Once Implanted?

The neurostimulator delivers mild electrical impulses to an area near your spine which disrupts pain signals traveling between your spinal cord and brain so you may feel relief. The impulses travel from the device to your spine over thin insulated medical wires called leads.