[magecharlie]

Comnsidering a pain pump. I have really bad sacral and rectal pain.

Seems to me that they should put the leads in an SCS or the catheter w/ the pain pump further down the spine than you would for back pain.

Anyone have any thoughts / experience with this issue?

Maye Charlie

[Mark56]

I have a thoracic laminectomy and placement of spinal cord paddles for my SCS coverage of my body from the waist down. It covers all desired areas, and yes the pelvic region is within the area of coverage.

So, it depends whether the pump catheter placement is analogous to the SCS implant and placement for targeting your delivery of meds. Surely one of the pumpers will be along to dial in on your valid and on point question.

Prayin,
Mark56

P.S. Forgive my typo in the header to the post. "differes?" HA

[fionab]

The way it was explained to me is that wherever the leads are placed, they cover the pain below. So lead placement doesn't need to be exactly where the actual pain is...it just needs to be above it. And when you have your remote settings, you can have them adjust them so that you hopefully get the right areas covered for you. Some have to put up with feeling the coverage in unnecessary areas in order to get the necessary coverage where they need it...that's just the way it is. You'd think we'd all have the same nerves running the same way in our bodies, but seems like our nerves may be different from one anothers.

Don't know anything about pain pump placement as I was steared away from that and went for the SCS's.

[Rrae]

Originally Posted by Mark56

P.S. Forgive my typo in the header to the post. "differes?" HA

Well, I just thought that was a french word

Lead Placement - yes, it is amazing how they seem to know exactly where the leads should be placed. There are several nerve bundles along the spine (like circuit breakers) which lead the nerves to certain parts of the body. Some people (including me) have been so fed up with fighting the pain, that they would entertain the idea of having the nerves permanently severed - in my case for lower extremities, the sympathetic nerve chain. The procedure is referred to as a 'Sympathectomy'......

My Dr told me that the people who followed thru with this end up worse off than they were before. Same with amputation......the phantom limb pain is even worse.

Why did I go off on this rabbit trail?

[Mark56]

We tend to like to venture into the hundred acre wood with Pooh [don't even know whether she has one] every now and again, because it relieves strain. Gotta tell you though my sister-in-law Terri, the double amputee due to RSD and gangrenous onset STILL after many years feels phantom pain from the missing limbs. I, too, considered the "Cut the !#$%@#$!# Nerve" approach and the doc said 1. you will no longer walk and 2. you will still feel the phantom pain. Scratched that one off of the list in a hurry.

Yup,
Mark56

[fionab]

Interesting talk about phantom limb pain...my pain mgmt. dr. told me that he uses SCS's to help folks who deal with phantom limb pain.