Spinal Cord Stimulation

If you spend your days struggling with chronic pain, and conventional medical care doesn’t help, it’s time to learn about spinal cord stimulation. At OmniSpine Pain Management in Frisco and Mesquite, Texas, Andrew Morchower, MD, MPH, has implanted many spinal cord stimulators, helping patients finally get enough pain relief to rejoin the world. Call the office today or request an appointment online to learn if you’re a candidate for spinal cord stimulation.

What is spinal cord stimulation?

Spinal cord stimulation relieves pain by blocking nerve signals going through your spinal cord. The device delivers mild electrical pulses to the specific nerves carrying pain messages from your body to your brain.

The pulse blocks or masks the pain signals. As a result, your brain doesn’t perceive the message and you don’t feel as much pain, even though the source of your pain still exists.

How does spinal cord stimulation work?

Spinal cord stimulators consist of a small pulse generator, insulated lead wires, and a controller. Dr. Morchower guides the wires through the epidural space that runs along your spinal cord, placing them so their electrodes are next to the nerves carrying the pain signals.

He then implants the generator under your skin and connects it to the wires. The generator sends the electrical pulses through the wires. Finally, he uses the remote to program the pulses’ strength. You keep the remote to turn the device on and off.

What types of pain are relieved with spinal cord stimulation?

Pain messages from all body areas go through the spinal cord to get to your brain. Since this treatment blocks nerve signals in the spinal cord, it can reduce pain from anywhere in your body, including your back and neck.

Dr. Morchower uses spinal cord stimulation to relieve the pain caused by conditions like:

• Herniated discs
• Spinal stenosis (narrowing of the spinal canal)
• Arthritis
• Joint pain
• Neuropathy (nerve pain)
• Sciatica
• Phantom limb pain
• Arachnoiditis (an inflammation in the spinal canal)
• Fibromyalgia (widespread pain)
• Failed back surgery
• Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS)

Though spinal cord stimulation can ease the pain caused by many conditions, everyone responds differently. That’s why you have a trial period.

How do I know if spinal cord stimulation will work?

You have a 3-5 day trial period to learn how well the stimulator relieves your pain. Dr. Morchower inserts the wires but you wear the generator rather than having it implanted.

After a few days, you decide if you want to keep it and have the generator implanted, or have Dr. Morchower remove the wires.

Who is a candidate for spinal cord stimulation?

You may be a candidate if you had a successful trial, can’t have or don’t want surgery, and suffer chronic pain that hasn’t improved with conservative therapies.

Call OmniSpine Pain Management today or book an appointment online to learn if spinal cord stimulation could be the solution to your chronic pain.