Do You Have Pain After Back Surgery? Get Relief with a Spinal Cord Stimulator.
Mark’s Story
Mark Robertson’s chronic back pain began over ten years ago. He consulted with multiple surgeons and had numerous surgeries, looking to resolve his pain issues. Unfortunately, Mark didn’t find much relief. Though some comfort came after a spinal fusion, Mark only experienced temporary relief, and soon, the pain returned and spread to more areas.
“My pain level was eight or nine out of ten,” stated Mark. That’s when he sought help from Dr. Phillip Essay in Lincoln, Nebraska. Dr. Essay and the team at Innovative Pain & Spine Specialists began treating Mark with injections but found that it wasn’t relieving enough pain. Spinal Cord Stimulation is a treatment often used to treat pain after back surgery using a spinal cord stimulator, and Mark was the perfect candidate.
What is a Spinal Cord Stimulator, and How Does it Work?
- A spinal cord stimulator is a device that is implanted and connected to the spinal cord that sends small amounts of electricity to relieve pain.
- Spinal cord stimulators have small wires known as leads that carry an electrical current to the spinal nerves to block or scramble pain signals to the brain.
- The leads (small wires) receive power from a small, battery-powered generator implanted under the skin that needs to be charged daily and is controlled with a remote so patients can increase the electrical impulses as required.
At the height of Mark’s pain, he couldn’t mow the lawn, walk long distances, and found standing and sitting for long periods to be challenging. He regularly found himself standing in the back of the room at church and his daughter’s recitals, trying to avoid the pain.
Like all candidates for a spinal cord stimulator, Mark went through an evaluation process before the week-long trial period of a spinal cord stimulator to help determine if it would be the procedure to help eliminate his pain.
During a Spinal Cord Stimulator Trial, our experienced interventional pain medicine physicians at Innovative Pain & Spine Specialists will implant temporary leads, or small wires, into your spine. These leads are controlled by an external battery pack that is worn around a patient’s waist. The battery pack supplies the leads with a low-voltage stimulation to the spinal nerves to block or scramble the brain’s pain signals.
During Mark’s trial period, he was out to dinner with his wife and friends in Lincoln, Nebraska. His wife could see that he was in pain and struggling to get through the meal. He became frustrated, thinking the spinal cord stimulator wasn’t working. Unbeknownst to him, Mark had bumped the power on the external battery pack and shut off the stimulator. After turning it back on, he quickly had relief, proving that the device was working on his pain. “My family physician questioned whether the spinal cord stimulator would be effective, then I shared that story,” Mark added.
“When I was experiencing chronic pain, people looked at me and read me as upset or not friendly when in reality, I was in so much pain that my body and face were showing it in nonverbal cues,” Mark recalls. He admitted that his pain often controlled his attitude and mood. “After having my back surgeries and finding no pain relief, Dr. Essay suggested the spinal cord stimulator as an option. I was ready to try anything.”
“It’s been life-changing for me,”
Mark remembered his pain as relatively high, and after Dr. Essay placed the permanent spinal cord stimulator in his back, he experienced considerable relief from pain. Now Mark can mow the lawn, and though he doesn’t claim to be good at it, he can play a round of golf without any problems. “It’s been life-changing for me,” stated Mark.
You may be a candidate for a Spinal Cord Stimulator if:
- Have you had back surgery, but still experience pain?
- Have you suffered injuries to the spinal cord?
- Do you suffer from arachnoiditis?
- Have medications or therapies failed to treat your pain?
If you think you may be the right candidate for a spinal cord stimulator, call Innovative Pain & Spine Specialists in Lincoln, Nebraska, at 402-413-5010 and schedule an appointment with Dr. Phillip Essay.