Spinal cord stimulation
Henry Community Health is proud to offer patients suffering from chronic pain one of the latest and most advanced pain management therapies: The WaveWriter Alpha™ Spinal Cord Stimulator (SCS) Systems.
SCS Therapy is safe, drug-free, FDA-approved and clinically proven to provide long-term relief from chronic pain.
To learn more about SCS and to see if it might be the right treatment option for you, contact us at our Interventional Spine and Pain offices or visit www.Pain.com.
How does SCS work?
The SCS system includes an implanted stimulator that generates mild electrical impulses. These impulses interrupt pain signals traveling along the spinal cord to the brain, which can greatly reduce or even sometimes eliminate the pain you feel. Generally, SCS is considered effective if it reduces your pain by 50% or more. The pain relief you feel with SCS may be accompanied by a soothing, tingling sensation (called paresthesia) or – depending on the programming – no tingling sensation at all (paresthesia-free). With the WaveWriter Alpha SCS System, you can choose which type of therapy you prefer, or even switch from one to the other or run both at the same time.
With other SCS systems, paresthesia-free therapy can take several days to take effect. The WaveWriter Alpha SCS System includes FAST™ Therapy, which provides paresthesia-free pain relief in minutes.
The WaveWriter Alpha SCS Systems also offers a suite of digital solutions to help your doctor assess the pain relief you are receiving to better help manage your ongoing care.
When might SCS be right for you?
- If you have been in chronic pain for six months or more
- If you are currently taking prescription medications and still have an average pain level of 5 or higher
- If you have pain in your back, legs, and/or feet
- If you have been diagnosed with painful Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy (DPN) in the lower extremities
- If you still have pain after trying other treatments, including:
- Physical therapy
- TENS units
- Epidural injections
- Radiofrequency ablation
- Surgery
Source: https://www.pain.com/en/chronic-pain-solutions/spinal-cord-stimulation.html
FAQs about spinal cord stimulation
We accept self referrals and referrals on a case by case basis. Usually, this depends on previous work up from other providers which includes physical therapy, imaging and appropriate initial treatments.
This is determined on a case by case basis. If procedures are performed on the patient, we will outline an appropriate plan of care at your initial follow-up visit.
- Medical records regarding your condition (if not already provided by your referring provider)
- Insurance card
- List of current medications
- Any previous imaging (X-rays, CT scans, or MRIs) from providers outside of HCH
- Any splints or braces related to the area we’ll be examining
The first step to managing your chronic pain with SCS therapy is a trial, which is a way to test drive a Boston Scientific SCS System.
The SCS trial starts with an outpatient procedure conducted at your pain management specialist’s office or surgery center. Then, as you go through your regular activities over the next 3-7 days, you will use the temporary SCS system to determine if this type of treatment is effective in reducing your pain. If it does, you and your pain management specialist can discuss moving forward with getting a Boston Scientific SCS System implanted.
If you and your doctor decide to move forward with a full implant, you will undergo a new surgical procedure with a much smaller implantable stimulator.
Unless you tell someone you have it, they’d never know. The Boston Scientific SCS stimulators feature contoured oval shapes. Your doctor can position it in the most comfortable and convenient location for you. Some patients report that they can feel the unit by pressing on their skin. In many cases, it is not visible to others.
It’s about the diameter of a silver dollar.
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