I am interested in the spinal cord stimulator.My doctor
has suggested this option for me.I would like to hear
from people who have them
Thanks
MZ33

Hi ~ First you will have a trial period with the stimulator. This way you can find out if the stimulator will work for you before the implantation. Some trial periods are from one day to one week. Mine was a week long. During that time I was given some restrictions so the leads in the back didn't move. In fact they gave me so MANY restrictions that I didn't get a very good assessment of how much pain relief I was going to get. I "thought" I was getting GREAT pain relief.

When I had the unit implanted, and after the initial healing period, i started going on about my daily routine and BAM - the pain hit me like a ton of bricks. I kept turning the unit up and up and it irritated the nerves even more. I had it reprogrammed several times, and it still didn't help. Then, we discovered that I didn't have enough "fat" content in my body to hold the unit in, as it was trying to work itself out!!! So I had to have it removed after 6 months.

So during your trial period, yes you will have restrictions but STILL give it a good work out -- make sure you're up and about and do as much of your daily routine as possible. You can't bend or twist or reach - but other than that, try to stay on your feet alot to make sure this is going to ease your pain. It HAS been a life saver for thousands of people. Many Many people find this a God-send, and I hope it works well for you too! I'm just one of the few that didn't have any luck with it. It works best on mechanical pain -- it doesn't work AS good on neuropathic pain, but it does still help. Best of luck and God bless. Hugs, Lee

Thank you for your advise,it seems you have had a terrible journey.
I have had 2 surgeries on my C spine and it has left with
mechanical and neurological pain.I also have nerve damage in my arm from this and have very limited use of my arm.The pain increased after surgery and I
am in pain management.Fentanyl patchs and percocet help but I want off
of it all.My pain management Dr.thinks I should consider this, because he says
some people can use this totally drug free.I not really hearing that,but it must help.
I was also left with vocal fold paralysis.
Thanks,
MZ33

This will PROBABLY help you alot then. I would give it a try. This very well could get you off your meds -- most of them anyway. I don't know of anyone who is off completely from their meds. You will almost certainly need breakthru meds for pain.

I really hope this works for you. It has helped thousands and thousands of people regain their lives. Give it a try - you will be glad you did. God bless. Hugs, Lee

Hi there, I personally don't have one, but my father has had one for his lumbar area for approx. 7 years now and it did not get him off his meds. He had a 3 level fusion in his lower back, and was hoping for relief from the nerve pain with the stimulator, he uses it constantly, and it does give a bit of relief, but not enough for him to stop his oxycondone, demoral and percs. He says it just changes things up a bit and give brief relief. He's had it reprogrammed a couple times also. One thing to consider, he can never have an MRI again because of the implant, so he can only have CT mylograms when testing for his back or neck must be done. He descibed it to me as about as much relief as when I go to physio and use the tens machine on my arm and wrist pain. Doesn't take it away, but does offer a little relief.

Good luck to you... I understand your pain and wanting to get off the narcotics, I'm having a 3 level ACDF in a month and hope and pray it gets me off all the narcotics I'm currently on.

I just happened to notice your thread and wanted to let you know there has been an entire sub-forum created specifically for SCS/Pain Pump interaction. It is a very active forum and lots of folks there have SCS's (including myself)...
You can read many testimonies and at the top of the screen there is a section called the 'stickies' in which you can find links with detailed information about these units.

Here is the link to get you there if you wanted to check it out:

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/fo...ysprune=&f=118

It is found in the main menu listed as a sub-forum in the "Medications & Treatments" section.....

A cervical implant could potentially bring much relief to your arm!

Wishing you the best
Rae

hi : } i had an scs implanted 2 and a half weeks ago. it works!!!! yahoo!!! my intolerable sciatica is tolerable!!! and i hope to return to work in about 4 or 5 weeks after being off for 7 awful months . very long story about a failed laminectomy . however i have not had my first follow up visit to my surgon yet but i figure you guys mite answer a nagging couple of questions for me. at the site of the implant leads...{ where my bra hooks when im able to wear one} i have not been able to since surgery. i have pain. it seems to be topical . as in where the insision is. and im sore at the site of the battery { high on my left hip} i can wear my jeans though so far with out pain and can sleep on that sise fine. im hoping its all just healing and not anything more. i go to Dr. on the 15th. anyone with any thoughts for me? and i mite add . im very glad i yahooed this site you all were very helpfull in my decision to have the test and the implant. thank you all very much : }

Rae gives good counsel and the right direction to the subforum for SCS and Pain Pump device implants here on Neurotalk by giving you the link to the very subforum she encouraged NT to allow. We are heavily populated by folks who have had the full gamut of concerns and questions such as you express..... frankly, including even me, because I came here in search of answers to basic questions originally about the psychological evaluation which is part of the selection process of hoops to be chosen as a viable candidate for the surgery due to its high expense and permance of the implant of foreign material into the body.

MZ33, I was originally afraid of the whole thought of taking on another surgery because I had gone through so many after a wreck in which I was involved. I just did not want to go there, but with the gentle nudging of my wife and my physiatrist, I did ultimately elect for giving it a go, and AM I EVER GRATEFUL for having had it done. Among the steps, the trial surgery, during which the implant is temporarily inserted as wire leads connected to an externally mounted brain/battery unit gives you around a week to determine in consultation with your doc and company representative whether your situation is ripe for permanent implant. Many steps make up the process of getting to permanence, and for good reason.

Chupachickie, I noticed subsidence of the pains associated with the incisions of permanent implant over a period of weeks. It is just a part of incisional work and your body healing process which makes for discomfort over a period of time. You will get to the point where you hardly notice the incisions themselves. My permanent implant was June 30, 2010, just to give you a time concept.

We have so many different uses among the patients represented on the subforum, trigeminal nerve face pain, arm and hand pain to the point that a hand was in a constant tight grip and has opened due to the relief from pain, arm pain, cervical issues, low back and peripheral nerve pain in the legs among the users I can recall from the subforum. So, follow the link Rae provides, and give yourself a tour. You may find answers or those will readily answer them once you do.

May all be well with you,
Mark56