The trial phase lasts 5-7 days. The goal of the trial is to see if the therapy reduces your pain and improves your quality of life. It’s like taking it for a test drive—you get to decide if it’s right for you.

2. The Implant Procedure: If the trial is successful and you find relief, you can move forward to the next step. The temporary electrodes are replaced with permanent ones during a minor outpatient surgical procedure at the surgery center. During the procedure, a small implantable device (like a mini pacemaker) is placed under the skin, usually in the lower back or abdomen. This device generates the electrical pulses that help block pain signals from reaching your brain.

3. Programming the Device: After the device is implanted, it’s customized just for you. The stimulator company’s therapy specialist programs the settings to ensure the stimulation is effective at managing your specific pain.

4. Adjusting and Living with SCS: Over time, we can adjust the stimulator settings if needed, and many devices come with remote controls for you to make minor changes on your own. Most people can resume their usual activities and find that the device helps them live a fuller, more comfortable life.

1. If you take blood thinners, we will provide detailed instructions on when to stop and restart them.

2. Please let us know if there are any changes to your health, such as a new pregnancy, or if you start antibiotics before your procedure.

3. Since this procedure is done with sedation in a surgery center, plan for a friend or family member to drive you home afterward. They are welcome to wait in the waiting area during your procedure, or you can call them when you are ready to leave. 

4. We’ll provide additional instructions based on the surgery center where your procedure is scheduled.

Rest and Activity:

• Plan to take it easy for the first 24–48 hours following the procedure.
• Avoid heavy lifting or strenuous physical activities for at least a week.
• Gradually return to your normal daily activities as you feel comfortable.
• Light walking or gentle movements are encouraged to prevent stiffness.
• Avoid operating heavy or potentially dangerous equipment on the day of your procedure.
• Plan to avoid driving for the rest of the day of the procedure.

Alcohol: If you received sedation, please skip alcohol for the rest of the day.

Dressings: We will provide instructions on when you may remove any dressings. Do not remove them on your own.

Blood Thinners: You can restart your blood thinners the day after your procedure unless we have advised you otherwise.

Comfort at the Procedure Site: It’s normal to feel some mild discomfort at the procedure site. Applying ice can help ease the soreness—just remember to wrap the ice in a cloth and avoid placing it directly on your skin. Refrain from using heat on the procedure site on the day of your procedure.

Additional Instructions: Follow up appointments and any other specific instructions will be provided the day of the procedure.

Yes, Medicare and the Medicare Advantage plans cover spinal cord stimulation, as do most commercial insurance plans. Prior authorization is required by most plans.

Neurostimulation of the central nervous system (CNS) is a sophisticated treatment option that can help manage a variety of neurological and psychiatric conditions besides controlling pain. The type of stimulation used depends on the specific condition being treated.

CNS stimulation includes treatments like:

• Deep brain stimulation (DBS)
• Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)
• Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)
• Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)

These therapies are used to treat both neurological conditions such as tremors, dystonia, Parkinson’s disease, and epilepsy, or psychiatric conditions such as depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) use external stimulation to treat the central nervous system and require no implants. While TMS and ECT are used to treat psychiatric conditions, tDCS can be used to treat certain types of headaches in addition to some psychiatric conditions.

With tDCS, electrodes are placed on specific areas of the scalp to deliver a low-level electrical signal to specific areas of the brain. It is a painless procedure lasting 30 minutes that patients find quite relaxing and the level of stimulation is much lower than that used for TMS or ECT. Because the electrical stimulation targets specific areas of the brain, this is something that should be performed under medical supervision.

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) uses a pulse generator (similar to a pacemaker) placed in the upper chest with leads surgically implanted in the brain. It stimulates specific parts of the brain to treat neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s Disease, essential tremor, dystonia, and epilepsy.

Peripheral nerve stimulation is similar to spinal cord stimulation but, in this method, the leads are placed near a specific nerve outside the spine. Instead of an implanted device, an external pulse generator is used to send the electrical signals. This approach is typically used for pain that affects one nerve (mononeuropathy) or for targeted nerve stimulation.

An example of this is sacral nerve stimulation, which is used to treat conditions like fecal incontinence, overactive bladder syndrome, and urinary retention. A variation of this is tibial nerve stimulation, which is used to treat the same conditions. Unlike a sacral nerve stimulator, which is permanently implanted, a tibial nerve stimulator is temporary. A small electrode is inserted near the tibial nerve, and electrical pulses are delivered for about 30 minutes per session. Patients often undergo weekly treatments for several weeks, followed by maintenance sessions.