Spinal Cord Stimulation, or SCS, offers hope for many of the estimated 75 million people who suffer from chronic pain. SCS sends electrical impulses that trigger nerve fibers selectively along the spinal cord, masking the pain message traveling to the brain. When this happens, the painful sensation is replaced with a soothing, tingling sensation.
This feeling is similar to the relief you might feel by rubbing or massaging an area after an injury occurs. The electrical impulses can be targeted to specific locations and—as pain changes or improves—stimulation can be adjusted when necessary.
SCS is prescribed for the treatment of chronic neuropathic pain of the back, trunk, or limbs. Many people with failed back surgeries, RSD, CRPS, phantom limb, and other types of neuropathic pain have had great success with the SCS. It is most commonly used to treat low back and lower extremity pain. Thousands of patients with severe chronic painful conditions have received relief with spinal cord stimulation.