Spinal Cord Stimulator Specialist
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Pain Management Strategies
Board Certified Anesthesiologist & Board Certified in Pain Management and Addiction Medicine located in Boca Raton, FL
Chronic back, neck, and leg pain is notoriously hard to treat with conventional medical options, but you still have hope for pain relief with the use of a spinal cord stimulator. Melanie Rosenblatt, MD, at Pain Management Strategies in Boca Raton and Deerfield Beach, Florida, offers the HF10™ spinal cord stimulator because it’s proven to be effective and it’s safe enough to use 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you have questions about spinal cord stimulation, call Pain Management Strategies or schedule an appointment online today.
Spinal Cord Stimulator Q & A
What causes chronic back, neck, or leg pain?
Spinal cord stimulators can relieve chronic pain caused by an injury or many different diseases. Although the pain usually arises from an inflamed or pinched nerve, the damage to the nerve is caused by problems such as:
- Spinal disc degeneration
- Herniated disc
- Osteoarthritis
- Slipped disc
- Pinched nerves
- Spinal stenosis (narrowed spinal canal)
- Compression fractures
Dr. Rosenblatt may also recommend a spinal cord stimulator for pain caused by complex regional pain syndrome, failed back surgery syndrome, peripheral neuropathy, and arachnoiditis, which occurs when tissues around the spinal cord are inflamed.
How does a spinal cord stimulator relieve pain?
The spinal cord stimulator sends a mild electrical current to specific spinal nerves. The electricity helps calm your nerves and blocks pain signals, so they’re not transmitted to your brain. If pain messages don’t reach your brain, you stop feeling the pain. The source of the pain still exists, but your pain is relieved.
How is an HF10 spinal cord stimulator implanted?
Spinal cord stimulators consist of a small pulse generator and narrow flexible wires called leads that deliver the electrical impulses. You’ll also have a handheld remote controller for adjusting settings and turning the device on and off.
Dr. Rosenblatt surgically implants the pulse-generating device under your skin, just above your waist or in the buttocks area. Using real-time imaging to see the lead wires, she then places them along your spine, targeting specific nerves.
How do I know if a spinal cord stimulator will work for me?
Before the spinal cord stimulator is implanted under your skin, you can try out the device. Dr. Rosenblatt places the lead wires beneath your skin next to your spine, then you wear the pulse generator on a belt.
After wearing it for a week, you’ll know whether it successfully relieves your pain. You can choose to remove the lead wires or have the generator implanted, depending on your results.
Nine out of 10 patients choose to keep the device, so there’s a good chance it will work for you. If you’d like to learn more about spinal cord stimulation and whether you’re a good candidate for this treatment, call Pain Management Strategies or schedule an appointment online today.
