Please tell me about your spinal stimulator

In My Humble Opinion
1

Hello Everyone,

I just got back from my pain management doctor and all efforts to relieve my lower back/leg pain have ended in failure. I’m fused l3 to s1. He is now recommending that I have surgery to implant a spinal simulator. I’ve only met one person who had one and it wasn’t working well for him.

Does anyone here have one or know anyone that has one? How is it working? Was the surgery easy? Would you recommend the procedure?

I know that you are NAD (or maybe you are). Just looking for opinions. Thanks

2

I think you mean “spinal stimulator”.

3

http://www.spine-health.com/treatment/back-surgery/spinal-cord-stimulation-research

According to that, about 50-70% of people see meaningful benefits.

4

Yes I do, stupid auto correct. Mods, please fix title typo if possible.

5

Oh. I thought it was something used by our spineless politicians.

6

I’ve got a friend with one and it seems to work OK for her. She doesn’t speak of it often, so I’m guessing it just quietly works. Sounds like a good thing. What I understand of it, the electrode placement will be placed up in your thoracic spine in a process similar to an intrathecal injection or lumbar puncture. They do a trial first to make ensure it works for you, then the surgery is to find a spot to place the device.

So yes, it’s surgery, but if an L3-S1 fusion is a 10, the SCS implant is probably closer to a 2.

7

Thanks for the link. The information was very interesting.