Chiropractic Healing Works

Chiropractic Healing Works

What Is A Spinal Cord Stimulator And How Can It Help Treat Chronic Lower Back Pain?

by Charlie Berry

Chronic lower back pain can prevent you from being as physically active as you'd like to be, and it can also be difficult to treat effectively. Conservative treatment approaches like physical therapy for strengthening your core muscles can be difficult to perform when you're in pain. Surgical approaches to treat lower back pain can be risky, and they may not always be completely effective.

If you suffer from chronic lower back pain and haven't found success with conservative treatment methods, you may want to consider treating your lower back pain with a spinal cord stimulator. To learn more about this device and how it can help reduce your back pain, read on. 

What Is a Spinal Cord Stimulator?

A spinal cord stimulator is a device that periodically sends electrical impulses into the nerves in your spinal cord. The device is implanted surgically by an interventional pain management specialist. The device consists of electrodes connected to a power generator with a long-lasting battery. An interventional pain management specialist will determine what's causing your lower back pain and place the electrodes next to the nerves in your spinal cord that carry those pain signals to your brain. Once the electrodes are placed, they'll be connected to a power generator that will be implanted in either your abdomen or your buttocks.

How Does a Spinal Cord Stimulator Help Treat Lower Back Pain?

The periodic pulses of electricity sent by the spinal cord stimulator help prevent pain signals from reaching your brain, reducing the amount of lower back pain that you feel. The power generator in the spinal cord stimulator can be controlled remotely, allowing you to adjust the power of the electrical impulses as well as their frequency. Your interventional pain management specialist will help you find the best settings to use to minimize the amount of lower back pain that you feel.

When Should You Consider Getting a Spinal Cord Stimulator for Your Back Pain?

Using a spinal cord stimulator to help treat your chronic lower back pain is a good option when treatments like physical therapy have failed but you don't feel ready for surgery. Surgically implanting a spinal cord stimulator is much less invasive than surgical treatments for lower back pain such as having your vertebrae fused together, and the recovery time after the procedure is much shorter.

In addition, you can also find out if you're a good candidate for spinal cord stimulation before you commit to having one permanently implanted. Before your permanent implant, you'll undergo a spinal cord stimulator trial. You'll have electrodes placed near your spinal cord that are connected to a power generator you wear on your belt. If the temporary spinal cord stimulator successfully relieves your lower back pain, you'll know that you're a good candidate for a permanent implant.

Overall, a spinal cord stimulator is a good middle option between conservative treatment and invasive spinal surgery like spinal fusion. There's less recovery time involved than a major surgery. If you think that a spinal cord stimulator would be a good option for treating your lower back pain, schedule an appointment with an interventional pain management service in your area and ask about getting a spinal cord stimulator.

For more info, contact a company like The Pain Healing Center.


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About Me

Chiropractic Healing Works

I used to be skeptical about chiropractic healing. However, that was before I tried it for myself. I was in an accident that did serious damage to my back. I followed all of the doctor’s recommendations, did my physical therapy, and still didn’t feel any better. That was when I finally decided to try going to my friend’s chiropractor. It was such a relief when I finally started to feel better thanks to the great chiropractic care I received. That’s when I decided to start researching chiropractic care and how it could be used to treat different conditions. This blog contains the results of that research. If you’re looking for a way to feel better, you too may benefit from chiropractic healing. These articles will help you learn how.

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