You may be a candidate for a spinal cord stimulator if a thorough evaluation shows you have chronic pain that has not improved enough with medication, physical therapy, injections, or other non-surgical treatments. Spinal cord stimulation is often considered for patients with long-term nerve-related pain, back pain, leg pain, post-surgical pain, or pain that continues to interfere with daily life despite previous treatment.
Before recommending a spinal cord stimulator, your provider and pain physician will review your medical history, symptoms, imaging, prior treatments, and current pain pattern, including whether symptoms follow a lumbar or cervical distribution. The goal is to determine whether your pain is nerve-related and whether neuromodulation may help reduce the pain signals traveling to your brain.
You may be a good candidate for spinal cord stimulation if:
- Your pain has lasted for several months or longer
- Conservative treatments have not provided enough relief
- You have nerve-related pain, radiating pain, or post-surgical spine pain
- Your pain affects walking, sleeping, working, or daily activities
- You want to reduce reliance on pain medication when possible
- You are healthy enough to undergo a minimally invasive procedure
- You are willing to complete a temporary trial before permanent implantation
One of the benefits of spinal cord stimulation is that treatment begins with a trial period. During the trial, temporary leads are placed near the spine and connected to an external device. This allows you and your pain specialist to see how well stimulation reduces your pain before moving forward with a permanent implant.
A spinal cord stimulator may not be right for every patient. Certain medical conditions, active infections, bleeding concerns, untreated psychological conditions, or other health factors may affect whether the procedure is recommended. At Greater Austin Pain Center, our team will carefully evaluate your condition and help determine whether spinal cord stimulation is commonly recommended only after careful review of your suitability for treatment.
.svg){kind=icon}
