Originally Posted by Skooz (Post 647363)

Neurostimulation can be a godsend to CRPS patients. There are two factors that will increase your odds of success with SCS - the depth of experience your physician has implanting SCS and the earliest possible point of intervention to your diagnosis of RSD. There was even one study that suggested that SCS can cause RSD to go into remission in some patients.

My RSD was so aggressive that I was bedridden within a year with two extremities involved at Level 10 pain. I was fortunate to be in the care of a top pain center but failed all treatments, including several experimental protocols. They recommended I be fast-tracked to SCS by, interestingly enough, not them, although they performed SCS, but by a top physician who was an expert in SCS.

They referred me to an expert who implanted a trial within two weeks. My permanent SCS has been installed for six years.

You will know instantly on the operating table when they perform your trial whether the SCS will mediate your pain. The trial is not perfect, but will give you an idea of the potential.

SCS does not eliminate CRPS, but it enables me to live with the help of meds. The faster you are able to pursue it, the greater potential benefit it has due to the way CRPS develops.

The other factor to be sure to evaluate are the two SCS vendors, ANS and Medtronix. Their products differ and one may be better for your long-term needs than the other. Typically, a given doctor only works with a single vendor. Vendor selector may impact your choice of surgeon. It is easy to become educated through the vendors websites and forums like this.

I wish you improved health. I hope that your pain doctor can help you on this path!