Hi Callahan
I can give you my experience. One of my injuries from a motor vehicle accident was “nerve damage” and tiny fractures of the facets at L5; S1. It delivered to me debilitating pain in just one hot spot ..low left lumbar/pelvic…deep……rhyzitomies and facet injections worked well for me although only gave me results for four months at a time so I did the SCS trial. I received about a 75% reduction of pain the first two days of trial and on the third the leads moved about in my spine. I heard crackling sounds…it felt so weird and then settled back down. From that moment on the “debilitating” pain was gone …I have not a clue what happened…with fear that the pain would return…I had the implant.
NOW….to get the coverage from my waist to my toes I had to ask them to go higher….they wake you up during surgery to ask if the sensations are covering the pain area…while it was just at “the spot” …I wanted it a bit higher as my pain radiates to hips so they did go higher ….This meant that the “paddle’ was inserted at T5…my bra strap. While I did get the coverage, I lost a great deal of mobility in my arms that plagues me to this day 2 ½ years post op. I use the SCS very little now.
What it did for me is gave me hope and determination and a bit of pain relief so I could get into more physical therapy and that is what really healed me…I just needed 4 years of pelvic exercises. I do not regret getting it because for some reason it broke up something in there. I would have done most anything to relieve that pain.
SOOOOO….IMHO….yes….I did get coverage from a SCS for my L5; S1 nerve injury. Better pain relief from the trial because I believe they got the location of the leads closer to the injury. The implant gave slight pain relief to my lumbar area which waned over the 2 years. I do not feel it relieves any pain now. If I use it is for the soothing sensation. I suffer terribly now from the laminectomy…I take 4 times as many pain meds…It took away my ability to continue my profession. It was one surgery too many.
There is my perspective.
All my best to you..I am so sorry for the pain you endure.
HB