Am I a Candidate for a Spinal Cord Stimulator?

Spinal cord stimulation relieves chronic pain by blocking the nerves sending pain signals to your brain. In short, your brain doesn’t get the message, which means you don’t feel the full extent of your pain.

Board-certified anesthesiologist and pain medicine specialist Krishna Chunduri, MD, has helped countless patients escape the burden of chronic pain with spinal cord stimulators. 

Not everyone is a viable candidate for a spinal cord stimulator; those who are often enjoy significant, long-lasting pain relief.

Dr. Chunduri, of Advanced Spine and Pain Specialists in the Garfield Ridge neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois, explains who is a good candidate for a spinal cord stimulator. Here’s what he wants all back pain sufferers to know.

How spinal cord stimulators work

From an aching lower back to tingling neuropathy in your feet, all pain signals from your body travel through the spinal cord to your brain. Spinal cord stimulation stops that signal at your spinal cord, so it doesn’t reach your brain. 

This device can help ease pain caused by many conditions that originate in almost any part of your body. Examples include:

• Back pain — failed back surgery, herniated disc, degenerative disc disease
• Leg pain — peripheral artery disease, complex regional pain syndrome, sciatica
• Nerve pain — neuropathy, phantom limb pain
• Arm pain — neuropathy, spinal stenosis
• Chest pain 
• Joint pain 

Spinal cord stimulators treat a wide range of conditions. However, it’s most often used to provide longer-lasting pain relief from chronic leg and back pain.

You might be a good candidate if:

Your medical treatments have failed

Spinal cord stimulation isn’t the first-choice treatment for back pain or any chronic pain condition. Before considering a spinal cord stimulator, you must try all the appropriate medical treatments to see if they can relieve your pain.

The treatment regimen you follow before considering a spinal cord stimulator depends on your diagnosis. Still, conservative care typically begins with options such as:

• Oral and topical medications
• Steroid or nerve block injections
• Activity modification
• Physical therapy

You meet other qualifying criteria

When screening patients for a spinal cord stimulator, we also consider the following:

• Would you benefit from surgery?
• Do you want to consider surgery?
• Do you have a drug addiction or untreated depression?
• Do you have health conditions that prevent implanting the device in your spine?

After a thorough evaluation of your medical and treatment history, symptoms, and personal concerns, there’s one last step to take before you can get a spinal cord stimulator.

You have a successful spinal cord stimulation trial

A spinal cord stimulator trial is the most critical factor for determining your success with this device. It can be a deal-breaker. Before we say you’re a good candidate, you must have a successful trial showing the device relieves your pain.

The level of pain relief experienced with spinal cord stimulation differs from person to person. After you use the device for a trial period of about a week, you know how well it works for you and can decide if you want to keep using the device.

Chances are, you will. Surveys of patients who use a spinal cord stimulator show that 88% enjoy significantly reduced pain.

If you’re in pain, don’t wait to seek help. Call Dr. Chunduri at 773-219-1115, or request an appointment online today.