Spinal Cord Stimulation for PN
 

Hello, I am a newbie here so please be patient if I make any mistakes. I know there are rules to every forum, so if I break one, bring it to my attention and I promise not to repeat it!

I developed PN from a botched lumbar fusion in 2002. I had four level cervical fusion and four level lumbar fusion with instrumentation ten days apart. Shortly after, I developed a horrific burning, crawling, electrical, freezing, tingling in my feet. After approaching my dr. about it, he actually told me he cut into the nerves (mistakenly) in my spine. I have been suffering terribly ever since. I take many, many medications and recently had a spinal cord stimulator implanted to control the discomfort. Good news, my feet are 90% improved. Bad news, I am having terrible pain where the actual "brain" is implanted in my hip. It appears that the "box" has moved up into my waistline. I am having awful muscle spasms and pain in that area.

My question is: has anyone had a stimulator implanted and if so, did you have any complications, and what was done to resolve them?

Thanks so much! Jana

Hi welcome. I am sorry about your struggles. I think there is a sub forum for scs you may want to post on. I have RSD and PN and there are more on the RSD forum too that have had scs implanted that could offer you some feedback. It seems less here have the scs with PN. My friend with PN though had 2 implanted but had to get a pump instead because of them not working properly. I have heard people mention pain where the scs battery is,the implant site,etc. Have you talked to the doctor who did the scs surgery? I remember that when I was looking into it someone stated about the placement of battery being important. Sorry I am not much help. I hope you can get some relief

This is our SCS forum:

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/forum118.html

Some posters there have PN.

Jana,re Spinal Cord Stimulator
 

This pain at implant site is not normal. You should have been told or read in your advisory literature that you contact your clinician with pain at implant site. Yes,I have implant,working successfully-needs new leads now but fine. Get your problem sorted immediately. Do not switch on the stimulator until problem is corrected.