/assets/production/practices/fba1a28e5c29d8f73440592512048b91622fbd35/images/2545469.jpg)
Peripheral Nerve and Spinal Cord Stimulators
Chronic spine or nerve pain can be challenging to treat with oral medications or injections. If you’re not ready for invasive surgery, you may be a candidate for the peripheral nerve or spinal cord stimulators available at Advance Comprehensive Pain Care, Inc. Munish Loomba, MD, provides stimulator implant procedures in-office for both your trial and permanent stimulator. With a stimulator, you can stay in control of your pain as it happens. Call the office in Moreno Valley, Rancho Cucamonga, or Riverside, California, to learn more about peripheral nerve and spinal cord stimulators, or book a consultation online today.
Peripheral Nerve and Spinal Cord Stimulators Q & A
What are peripheral nerve and spinal cord stimulators?
Peripheral nerve and spinal cord stimulators are treatment options for chronic nerve and spine pain that other strategies can’t treat.
Peripheral nerve stimulator
A peripheral nerve stimulator uses a small electrical device that delivers rapid electrical pulses of energy into the peripheral nerves, the nerves outside your spinal cord and brain. The energy disrupts signals from traveling to your brain to prevent pain.
Spinal cord stimulator
A spinal cord stimulator works similarly to a peripheral nerve stimulator, except the generator device interferes with pain signals from the spinal cord.
You can control both types of stimulators with a remote.
Why would I need peripheral nerve or spinal cord stimulators?
You may be a candidate for a peripheral nerve or spinal cord stimulator if you have chronic back or nerve pain and can’t find relief with medications, injections, or other nonsurgical strategies.
Peripheral nerve stimulators can provide relief from neuropathic pain associated with diabetes or nerve trauma.
Spinal cord stimulators may treat your chronic spine pain from:
- Sciatica
- Arthritis
- Spinal stenosis
- Spinal cord injury
- Failed back surgery syndrome
- Complex regional pain syndrome
Dr. Loomba uses advanced diagnostic technologies to assess the health of your spine and confirm your diagnosis. If medications or other treatments aren’t effective and chronic nerve or spine pain limits you, he may recommend a stimulator device as part of your treatment plan.
Getting a peripheral nerve or spinal cord stimulator requires minimally invasive surgery to implant the generator. However, a stimulator can reduce your need for other spine surgeries to relieve chronic pain.
What happens during surgery for peripheral nerve or spinal cord stimulators?
Before you can have surgery to permanently implant the stimulator device, you must go through a trial period to ensure the treatment works for you. For a spinal cord stimulator, Dr. Loomba inserts temporary lead wires into the epidural space of your spine using a needle.
If using a peripheral nerve stimulator, the wires attach to the trigeminal nerve, which provides sensations to your face. The lead wires connect to a generator you wear on a belt. When you feel pain, you use an external remote to deliver energy pulses into your body through the lead wires.
If treatment with a stimulator is successful, Dr. Loomba coordinates another procedure to remove the temporary leads and implant the generator and wires into your body. He can adjust the settings of your stimulator when necessary to optimize your pain relief.
Call the Advance Comprehensive Pain Care, Inc. office near you to find out if you’re a candidate for a peripheral nerve or spinal cord stimulator, or book a consultation online today.