Also known as a dorsal cord stimulator, is a treatment for pain that blocks nerve impulses to the spine. SCS is a device placed under the skin and works by sending a mild electric current to the spinal cord.
A general condition known as failed back surgery syndrome is one of the most common reasons spinal cord stimulation is used. The term describes chronic pain after one or more back or neck surgeries fails to alleviate persistent low back pain, leg pain (sciatica or lumbar radiculopathy) or arm pain (cervical radiculopathy).
The therapy also has the potential to alleviate pain related to the following conditions:
See Types of Back Pain: Acute Pain, Chronic Pain, and Neuropathic Pain
See Chronic Neck Pain: What Condition Is Causing My Neck Pain?
See All About Neuropathy And Chronic Back Pain
Spinal cord stimulation is recommended for an increasing number of painful health problems, and this is not a comprehensive list of conditions the therapy may help.
Dr. Carl Balog is Board-certified in anesthesiology, interventional pain management, and addiction medicine with substantial clinical management and consultative experience. He is the CEO/Medical Director of Cornell Surgery Center and has been on the Board of Managers since its inception. In his off time, Dr. Balog enjoys classical music, local cuisine, Dragonboating, and travel.
As the son of a judge and a registered nurse, Joseph Knaus has had a lifelong passion for helping people. After becoming a Gerontological Nurse Practitioner in 1998 and later a Family Nurse Practitioner in 1999 in Missouri, Joseph relocated to Oregon in 2000, and has been practicing in the field of pain management for the past 14 years. An eternal student, when Joseph is not helping his patients, he is often studying new and alternative healing methods from the typical healthcare model.