Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is one of the most innovative pain-relief treatments offered at Maddox Pain Management. With his expertise in diagnosing the source of pain and customizing treatment plans, Gil Maddox, MD is known for helping men and women in Anniston, Alabama with the most complex of pain issues. You can book an evaluation to see if you’re a candidate for SCS by using the online scheduler, or by calling the clinic.
Your nerves and brain are always sending messages to each other. When you feel pain, it’s because your nerves are sending a signal to your brain that something is hurting you. Spinal cord stimulation (SCS), or neurostimulation, interferes with those pain signals.
The treatment involves implanting a small device in a precise area near your spinal column. When activated, the implant sends out gentle waves of electrical stimulation that block pain signaling. This way, those signals that come from your lower back or legs never make it to your brain.
SCS is advantageous for patients who suffer from chronic pain in their back, legs, or arms, among other areas. You may benefit from SCS if you have:
Spinal cord stimulation can even help men and women who have arachnoiditis, a painful disorder that stems from inflammation of protective membranes surrounding spinal cord nerves.
Spinal cord stimulation is an ideal solution if other pain-relieving treatments haven’t been successful. In general, SCS is effective when it reduces your pain by at least 50%. Shortly after starting SCS, you should also encounter:
Most men and women who go through SCS experience relief from pain right away.
Implanting the SCS device is a minimally-invasive procedure, requiring either localized or general anesthesia. Dr. Maddox carefully places the system’s leads under your skin in the epidural space above your spinal cord. Generally, he can install the device by making a small incision.
After ensuring the implant device is working correctly, Dr. Maddox closes the incision with either stitches or surgical glue. The exact implantation location depends on where you’re experiencing pain. Typically, it’s most common to have the SCS device implanted near your buttocks.
As long as you’re generally healthy, you should be able to go home the same day. Dr. Maddox gives you post-op instructions and explains how to care for your incision area. You should usually avoid vigorous activities, bending, and stretching until your incision is healed.
Book your SCS evaluation at Maddox Pain Management, either online or over the phone.
