Dorsal column spinal cord stimulation generator#

After electrodes are placed within the area from which pain originates, the patient is sedated and a small incision is made to implant the stimulator, an electric pulse generator about the size of a stopwatch. The actual implant procedure is a surgical procedure and is typically done only in an operating room setting. The leads are connected to an external wireless neurostimulator that is secured to the patient’s back during the trial. Leads, which are thin, flexible wires, are placed in near the spine using a special needle. The trial procedure usually takes about 30 to 90 minutes and is done in a clinic, day surgery center, or hospital. The spinal cord stimulator trial, which lasts about a week, involves stimulation through thin wires inserted into the body and controlled by an external transmitter. What to expect during a Spinal Cord Stimulator Trial and Implantation Controlled sensors automatically adjust to body movement, and generator life is longer. Technological advances have made the battery-powered generators that are implanted smaller, and some models are now safe to be used with MRI. The treatment is used for a range of conditions, including chronic neck or back pain, chronic regional pain syndrome, failed back surgery syndrome, arachnoiditis, peripheral neuropathy, radicular pain syndrome and radiculopathies, and reflex sympathetic dystrophy. Patients undergo a trial period first to determine if the minimally invasive treatment is an effective option to improve the patient’s functionality and decrease the need for pain medication. Spinal cord stimulation is a cutting-edge treatment that blocks pain signals from the nerves in the spine to the brain. What is Spinal Cord Stimulator Trial and Implantation?

Dorsal column spinal cord stimulation