If chronic pain is starting to take a toll on your day-to-day life, you may want to ask your doctor about the benefits of spinal cord stimulation therapy.
Providers at Maury Regional Medical Group (MRMG) Interventional Pain Management specialize in helping patients manage chronic pain. They utilize the most advanced technology available, including the WaveWriter AlphaTM Spinal Cord Stimulator system from Boston Scientific.
The system has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration and provides patients a drug-free and personalized long-term option to manage chronic pain.
“Spinal cord stimulation is a clinically proven approach to pain management that can give patients relief without the need for more medications,” said John C. Welker, MD, a specialist in interventional pain medicine with MRMG Interventional Pain Management. “It isn’t a cure for what’s causing your chronic pain, but it can help manage the pain when other therapies or surgery don’t help.”
Spinal cord stimulation works by interrupting the pain signals sent by the nerves in the spinal cord to the brain.
A small device — called a stimulator — is implanted under the skin near the waistline on the patient’s back. It is connected to thin, flexible leads that are placed along the spinal cord near specific nerves.
The stimulator sends mild pulses through the leads that interrupt the pain signals going to the brain. It can be personalized to each patient, and a wireless remote control can adjust the level of stimulation.
All patients go through a trial process. The leads are placed along the spine and connected to a temporary stimulator that is outside the body, typically worn around the waist.
“Your physician will give you instructions to follow during the trial period to determine if the therapy effectively manages your pain,” Dr. Welker said. “If you and your physician decide it’s not right for you, the system is reversible and can be removed at any time.”
Patients who benefit most from spinal cord stimulation therapy are those who have not experienced sufficient pain relief with medications, surgery or other therapies. A psychological screening is sometimes required to determine if mental health disorders are worsening chronic pain.
The therapy can help manage a range of chronic pain, including:
- Back pain
- Post-surgical pain
- Pain caused by spinal cord injury
- Nerve-related pain
- Cancer-related neuropathy
Those suffering from chronic pain should discuss spinal cord stimulation therapy with their primary care provider, who can make a referral to the specialists at MRMG Interventional Pain Management. The practice is focused on relieving debilitating pain and improving patients’ quality of life. In addition to chronic pain, other conditions treated include cancer-related pain, myofascial pain, fibromyalgia, complex regional pain syndrome and neuropathic pain.
For more information about MRMG Interventional Pain Management, visit MauryRegional.com/PainManagement.
John C. Welker, MD