Spinal Cord Stimulation in Ventura

Spinal cord stimulation delivers electrical pulses to the spinal cord to interrupt pain signals before they go to the brain. This helps people manage their lower back and lower extremity pain.

A spinal cord stimulator is surgically placed under the skin to stimulate nerves in the area where the pain is. The pain is reduced because the stimulator’s electrical pulses mask the pain signal. The goal for a spinal cord stimulator is 50% to 70% reduction in pain.

A spinal cord stimulator is a good option for people who can’t get much relief with medications, epidural injections, nerve blocks, radiofrequency ablation or surgery. It’s also an option for people who do not want to take opioids, or have struggled with a past addiction.

Before someone has a spinal cord stimulator implanted in their body, they need to do a trial run, which usually lasts about five to seven days. During the trial, small wires are placed into the epidural area of the back. The other end of the wires connects to a stimulator battery outside the body. This trial gives people the chance to test different settings on the battery to see if it works for them.

A doctor will program a hand-held controller to adjust the amount of spinal cord stimulation. The controller is then given to the patient who can use it as needed. The controller has a range of intensity and duration to choose from.

If the trial is a success, the patient can have the spinal cord stimulator implanted by a surgeon.

If you have been struggling with chronic low back and lower extremity pain, then a spinal cord stimulator may work for you. Please call our office at 805-351-0745 to make an appointment with the doctor who can examine you and go over your options. Call today!