Spinal Cord Stimulation Specialist in Houston, TX

A spinal cord stimulator is used to replace the sensation of pain and reduce or eliminate the need for pain medication, with a light tingling, called paresthesia, using electric pulses from a pace-maker-sized battery pack. The stimulator is able to target specific muscle groups, and even alter how the brain perceives pain. One of the most common uses of the spinal cord stimulator is after other non-surgical pain treatment options have failed to provide the relief needed. Spinal cord stimulation devices are typically used along with other pain management treatments, like exercise, physical therapy, and relaxation therapy.

Spinal cord stimulators use electrodes (very thin wires), placed in the epidural space (between the spinal cord and vertebra). The electrodes carry low-level electrical current, powered by a small battery pack (generator), roughly the size of a pacemaker. To ensure the electrodes are placed correctly, trial electrodes are initially placed and tested, then replaced with permanently implanted sterile electrodes, anchored by sutures to minimize any movement. The trial lasts about a week, and if the patient has reached at least a 50 percent reduction in pain, the permanent electrodes are placed. The generator is surgically placed under the skin near the abdomen or buttocks. The surgeon may provide mild sedation to keep the patient comfortable during the placement of the electrodes and ask for feedback while they are being placed. Once the generator and electrodes are connected and functioning properly, the surgeon closes the incisions. The patient is in control of the electrical impulses by using a hand-held remote control and can send the electrical impulse when they feel pain.

The implantation procedure of the spinal cord stimulator commonly takes between 1-and 2 hours and is typically performed on an outpatient basis. The incisions may be painful for several days following the implantation procedure, and the patient is advised to avoid stretching, twisting, bending, or reaching, as this may pull out the sutures and pull at the incisions. Dressing placed over the suture sites can be removed after around 3 days, and complete healing usually takes 2 to 4 weeks. Lighter activity is recommended for about two weeks following the procedure, after which your doctor will give their approval for the return to regular activity, returning to work, and driving. 

How one person senses pain is completely different from another, but those who tend to benefit the most from spinal cord stimulation are those who have tried less invasive therapies, medications, or have had prior surgeries. Spinal cord stimulation does not work for everyone. Those who are taking medication for psychiatric disorders are not candidates, as this decreases the effectiveness of the procedure. People who use a demand-type pacemaker or have systemic infections near the implantation site would not be candidates for spinal cord stimulation.

Many pain management specialists suggest spinal cord stimulation to treat several types of chronic pain.

– Chronic back pain, primarily back pain after surgery, is called failed back surgery syndrome
– Post-surgical pain
– Arachnoiditis, the thin membrane that covers the spinal cord and the brain, becomes inflamed
– Angina – heart pain
– Spinal cord injuries
– Diabetic neuropathy or cancer-related neuropathy
– Peripheral vascular disease – circulation disorder
– Post-amputation pain

Spinal cord stimulation is also commonly recommended to those who have pain from a pinched nerve, degenerative disk disease, radiculopathy (pain running down the arm or leg), spinal stenosis (narrowing of the spinal canal), and sciatica. 

Our team of highly trained and professional pain management specialists at InovoSpine in Houston takes great pride in being able to provide our patients with the highest level of innovative pain management treatments, from diagnostic mapping to spinal cord stimulation and radiofrequency ablation, and much more. For more information, contact us or book an appointment online. We are located at 1140 Business Center Dr, Suite 110, Houston TX 77043. We serve patients from Houston TX, Hedwig Village TX, Meadows Place TX, Missouri City TX, Hunters Creek Village TX, Spring Valley Village TX, and surrounding areas.