Chronic pain is defined as pain that lasts more than three months, persists for more than one month after the original problem has resolved, recurs on and off for months or even years, or is associated with a chronic disorder such as cancer or diabetes. Nerve pain is also called neuropathic pain, and it can be caused by a malfunction of your nervous system or damage to it.
At Apex Medical Center, our team of providers specializes in pain management. Many different problems can cause nerve pain. Unfortunately, diagnosing and treating the underlying cause of chronic nerve pain doesn’t always resolve it. Our team may suggest a treatment such as a spinal cord stimulator to help manage your nerve pain.
In some cases, chronic pain arises because your body continues to send pain signals when it should not. For example, imagine you had a painful ankle sprain. The sprain heals, but your ankle continues to hurt.
Your doctor performs diagnostic tests, orders imaging, and can’t find any reason your ankle should still be hurting. The next steps may include physical therapy and other conservative treatments. If those approaches don’t resolve the pain, your provider may suggest interrupting the pain signal.
This is just one example of how chronic pain can develop. Chronic nerve pain may also result from damage to your nerves from high blood sugar if you have diabetes, and it’s been associated with other conditions, including:
This is an abbreviated list of conditions associated with chronic neuropathic pain, but in all cases, the result is discomfort and disruption to your life.
A spinal cord stimulation system includes a wire, sometimes called an electrode, and a control unit, or generator. The electrode is placed over the spinal cord, sends very mild electrical pulses, and disrupts pain signals as they travel from the spine to the brain—which means you don’t feel the pain.
The process of receiving spinal cord stimulation usually begins with a trial, during which a wire is placed in the area just outside the spinal cord, and the electrode is controlled with a device outside your body. This gives you a chance to see whether the therapy is likely to work for you. If, during the trial, the stimulation reduces your pain by at least half, your provider may recommend implanting a permanent stimulator.
Whether or not this is an appropriate treatment for you depends on a multitude of factors. For example, is your chronic nerve pain disrupting your life? Have you tried less invasive treatment approaches? Do you have other conditions that may impact whether spinal cord stimulation could help?
The best way to find out if spinal cord stimulation can ease your pain is to work closely with an expert in pain management. Schedule your appointment at one of Apex Medical Center’s three convenient locations.
