Having both a lumbar and cervical stimulator, I am finding the cervical the easier of the two. The only challenge there is with the cervical SCS is that due to one's moving head/neck area so much more than one's lower body, they say to allow 9 months for complete scarring in of the leads (that is, if you get leads...if you get paddles there may be a different timeline). I was having great success with the cervical SCS until my last reprogramming when I asked them to give me a program that covered some different upper back areas. Unfortunately it turned out to be a bad idea and after having used it for a short time it has caused me to have a shoulder spasm/neck spasm that's taking some time to calm down. So, plan on it possibly be a matter of trial and error when you get the permanent in and are trying to find the best program to give you the best pain relief.

With the trial, I had about 80 pain relief and was ecstatic. Gone were the vision problems, the dizziness, the nausea, the throbbing temples, the sore/stiff neck and sore/tight upper back. However with only being 5 weeks post surgery (and having two implants put in), I am still dealing with post-surgery pain.

I've had to take some pain meds. occasionally, mainly for lumbar pain (having issues there finding the right stimulation for the right areas, too). If I hadn't played around with a different setting for the cervical area I don't think I'd be having the current difficulties with my shoulder/neck that I currently do. But, that is what it's all about...finding what settings and stimulation coverage works best for you. And, keep in mind, that during recovery from the permanent implant, the settings and stimulation needed may change as your body is healing from the surgery. But, again, the lumbar is the more complicated of the two, so I'd jump at the chance if I were you. The trial is a breeze and will give you a good feel for what percentage of pain reduction you could expect from the permanent implant.