Implantable Therapies
Spinal Cord Stimulation
An implanted device that modulates pain signals before they reach the brain, trialed first so you know it works.
Time in the office
The trial is an outpatient procedure lasting roughly an hour with no incision, followed several days later, if successful, by a permanent implant surgery that typically takes about one to two hours under sedation.
When relief starts
During the trial you can expect to feel an effect, if the therapy works for you, within the first day or two of activation, and successful permanent implants commonly provide substantial pain reduction for years, with periodic reprogramming as needed.
What it is
Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) uses a small implanted generator and thin leads placed in the epidural space to deliver mild electrical signals that interrupt pain transmission.
Modern systems are programmable, MRI-conditional, rechargeable or long-life, and many deliver relief without any tingling sensation.
SCS is one of the best-supported therapies for persistent leg or arm pain after spine surgery, painful diabetic neuropathy and CRPS.
What to expect, step by step
Every patient completes a temporary trial first. Leads are placed through a needle in an outpatient procedure and worn for several days with an external generator.
If the trial produces meaningful relief and improved function, permanent implantation is scheduled — a short outpatient surgery under sedation.
Our team programs and adjusts the device with you afterward; programming is a collaborative process, not a one-time setting.
Recovery
Trial leads are removed in the office with no incision to heal.
After permanent implant, avoid bending, lifting and twisting for several weeks while the leads anchor.
Most patients return to routine daily activity within two to four weeks.
Typical results
Candidates are selected by the trial, so you know whether the therapy works for you before committing.
Successful patients commonly report substantial, durable pain reduction and reduced medication reliance.
Devices are adjustable over time as symptoms change.
Risks and considerations
Serious complications are uncommon, but no procedure is risk-free and you deserve the honest version before you consent.
- Lead migration or movement, which can change or reduce the effect and sometimes requires repositioning
- Infection at the incision or generator pocket, which in rare cases requires device removal
- Generator site discomfort or a feeling of pressure at the implant location
- Unwanted or uncomfortable sensations that require reprogramming
- Standard surgical risks such as bleeding, spinal fluid leak or, rarely, nerve injury during implantation
Common questions
What happens during the trial period?
What if the trial does not help?
Will I feel tingling all the time?
Can I still get an MRI with the device implanted?
Conditions this treats
Spinal Cord Stimulation is most often recommended for the conditions below, once the source of pain has been confirmed.
- Post Operative InjuriesPersistent pain after spine or joint surgery, including scar-related nerve irritation and adjacent-segment pain.
- NeuropathyNerve damage causing burning, numbness and tingling, most often in the feet, legs and hands.
- Complex Regional Pain SyndromeA disproportionate pain response after injury, with skin, temperature and swelling changes in a limb.
- RadiculopathyNerve root compression or irritation producing radiating pain, numbness or weakness in an arm or leg.
- Chronic PainPain persisting beyond expected healing, requiring a coordinated, multi-modal long-term plan.
Ready to get a real diagnosis?
Most patients are seen within two weeks. Call our office or send a request and our staff will help you choose the most convenient location.