Did you know that over 250,000 people in the United States live with spinal cord injuries? Figures are also high in Eugene, OR. And that number is only rising as our population gets older and more active. Many people are looking for ways to improve their quality of life, and spinal cord stimulation may be the answer. Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is a treatment that uses electrical current to help patients with chronic pain. Target a dependable center for spinal cord stimulation in Eugene. It’s been shown to reduce pain and improve function in many different types of chronic pain conditions.
Failed Back Surgery Syndrome
One of the most common problems of SCS is Failed Back Surgery Syndrome. This occurs when patients have had multiple back surgeries but are still in pain, ranging from mild to debilitating.
Young and middle-aged people who have no activity restrictions may benefit the most from SCS. Many people with FBSS have a loss of quality of life, which can be debilitating enough to prevent even simple tasks. Luckily, SCS is an effective treatment option for FBSS patients.
Injury to the Spinal Cord
The spinal cord carries messages between the body and the brain. When it’s injured, these nerve signals may become disrupted, causing, for example, loss of feeling to the legs. Spinal cord stimulation can be used to activate specific nerves to re-establish communication from the brain to specific parts of the body. This is called “neuromodulation,” and it’s a safe procedure that can to help people with paralysis regain their ability to walk.
Complex Regional Pain Syndrome
Some people suffer from a chronic condition called Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS). It’s sometimes referred to as Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy/Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome (RSD/CRPS), and it manifests itself as continuing pain in an extremity, even after an injury has healed.
The most common cause of CRPS is damage to a peripheral nerve. In some cases, SCS can work well at re-establishing the connection from the brain to the affected area and help treat this pain.
Nerve Pain
Some forms of nerve pain can be relieved by SCS. This is because the spinal cord contains sensory fibers that process and distribute information from the body to the brain. Stimulating certain nerves in the spinal cord can give patients relief where other treatments may not work.
There are many conditions that SCS treats effectively and safely. SCS is a treatment option that should be considered for anyone living with chronic pain, especially if they’ve had multiple failed treatments.
Arachnoiditis
Arachnoiditis is an inflammation of the arachnoid membrane covering the brain and spinal cord. A traumatic injury or surgery can cause it or develop spontaneously. Arachnoiditis makes itself known by causing sharp pain in the neck, shoulders, chest area, and arms.
Symptoms also include stiffness in these areas, hypersensitivity to touch, and numbness. Medications are the usual treatment for arachnoiditis, but sometimes, SCS is used to provide pain relief in cases that don’t respond well.
Chronic pain affects millions of people in the United States, and for many of those people, spinal cord stimulation may be the solution. SCS is a treatment that uses electrical current to help patients with chronic pain. It’s been shown to reduce pain and improve function in many different types of chronic pain conditions. The main thing is approaching a reputable spinal cord stimulation specialist.
