Simple yoga, physical therapy, anti-inflammatory diets, and medications are generally ineffective in controlling chronic pain. To escape the pattern of chronic pain, you may require more effective treatments.
Dr. Gurneet Sawhney, one of the best neurosurgeon in Mumbai, can efficiently block pain impulses from reaching the brain using an implanted spinal cord stimulator, providing patients with long-term comfort.
Here’s everything you need to know about this efficient and long-term pain management approach, including how to determine if you are a good candidate.
Treatment with Spinal Cord Stimulation for Long-term Pain Reduction
When you have chronic pain, aberrant pain signals pass through your spinal cord to your brain regularly. If various pain management tactics and interventional management approaches fail to relieve your pain, it may be time to turn to SCS to get to the root of the problem.
SCS suppresses pain by regularly delivering a low-voltage electrical current through the spinal cord, providing long-term relief. SCS treatment can treat chronic pain in the neck, back, legs, and arms.
Step I: Trial phase
The placement of trial leads with the spinal cord stimulation device is the initial step in treatment. Dr. Gurneet Sawhney, a highly qualified and experienced spine surgeon in Mumbai, will evaluate how well the stimulator helps the chronic pain problem after using it for 7-8 days.
The surgeon may utilize a live video X-ray system to guide the operation and positions patients on the stomach to implant the device for the trial. During the process, a local anesthetic keeps patients comfortable.
A hollow needle pierces the skin and penetrates the epidural area between the spinal cord and the bone, allowing the surgeon to attach temporary electrode wires through the needle. These may be positioned precisely to target specific nerves and provide pain relief.
The cables’ other ends connect to a pulse generator (or battery pack) worn on a specific belt. The surgeon uses this generator to assess the body’s response to SCS treatment.
Step II: Placing an implant
Wires run from the spine to the buttocks once the surgeon has determined that this form of treatment will work for the patient and their SCS device has been implanted and closed with sutures in the epidural area above the spinal cord.
The surgeon places the portable battery-powered pulse generator and connects it before closing her incisions in a small pocket of space they make.
The patient can use their SCS device at any time of day and can switch off or remove the implants at any moment.
Could you be one of the candidates?
Patients with chronic back or neck discomfort unrelated to movement are the ideal candidates for SCS treatment. Patients with the following conditions may benefit from SCS:
- Sciatica
- Lumbar radiculopathy
- Failed low back surgeries
- Peripheral neuropathy
- Refractory angina
- Peripheral vascular disease
- Chronic abdominal pain related to abnormal nerve function.
- Patients with several low back surgeries.
SCS may not be appropriate for you if you have a pacemaker or are pregnant. Contact Dr. Gurneet Sawhney right away to know more about SCS and see if you might be a candidate. You can schedule a consultation at +91 9902579412.