Spinal Cord Stimulator
Spine stimulator for pain relief
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Nerve Stimulation for Chronic Pain Treatment
If you suffer from chronic pain, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) offers treatment options to help. A spinal cord stimulator is a treatment that helps some people who have chronic pain.
During the treatment, the provider places electrodes in the epidural space in the back (an area that surrounds the spinal cord). The electrodes connect to a pulse generator. The pulse generator sends electrical signals to the electrodes.
This treatment helps block pain signals in people with chronic pain. You use a remote device to control the strength and frequency of the electrical signals. These are not painful. Most people report feeling a gentle, massage-like or tingling sensation.
Conditions We Treat
Our specialists can use a spinal cord stimulator to treat:
- Chronic pain six months or more after spine surgery, including back and neck pain and spinal pain
- Nerve injuries
- Neuropathy
- Reflex-sympathetic dystrophy, also known as chronic regional pain syndrome
If you have certain other pain syndromes — such as chronic nerve compression or post-stroke pain — you likely are not a good candidate for this treatment. Your doctor can explain more about whether or not spinal cord stimulation is likely to be an effective option for you.
How the Spinal Cord Stimulator Works
There are two phases to having a spinal cord stimulator.
Trial of a Temporary Device
Doctors can give you a temporary device that you can try for a week or so to see if it works for you. We place the temporary device during an outpatient procedure.
To place the device, we numb an area of your back. Then, we use needles to place electrodes in the epidural space. The doctor uses a special moving X-ray (fluoroscopy) to guide the electrodes into the right place. The electrodes then connect to a pulse generator.
You will wear the pulse generator attached to your clothing. Our team will show you how to use a remote to control the signals going from the generator to the electrodes near your spine.
Permanent Device
If the trial is effective in treating your pain, we can implant a permanent device. We do this as an outpatient surgical procedure using sedation (relaxing medication) or general anesthesia (fully asleep).
Your doctor replaces the temporary electrodes with permanent ones. We implant the pulse generator in your body, just under your skin. You will use a remote to control the implanted generator, just as you did during the trial phase.
More About Spinal Cord Stimulator
While you are wearing the temporary spinal cord stimulator device (about a week), you will need to take these precautions:
- Take care not to bend, reach or twist your body at the waist. Doing so could disrupt the position of the electrodes.
- Not lift anything more than five pounds.
- Keep both the area where we inserted the lead and your pulse generator clean and dry.
For the permanent device, you will follow similar restrictions on bending and lifting for about one to two months — or until the electrodes are well healed in your body. You also will need to follow these guidelines:
- Do not swim or get the area near the pulse generator wet for about a month.
- Because there is metal in the pulse generator, you cannot have an MRI.
- You will need to alert screeners at airports and other secure areas that you have an implanted pulse generator.
Not everyone gets the same results from spinal cord stimulation treatment. That is why the trial period is so important. For those who find relief, the device can help improve quality of life for many years.
If your doctor recommends this treatment for you, you’ll get more details about your device and how to care for it. Be sure to discuss all your questions and concerns with your doctor.
