Delivering real relief from chronic pain and restoring your quality of life is our goal here at the Pain Institute of Southern Arizona (PISA). Serving our community from offices in Tucson, Safford, and Benson, Arizona, our team of pain management specialists is well-known for combining outstanding medical skills with advanced technology to provide treatments that solve your pain issues.
Find out why your PISA provider may recommend a spinal cord stimulator as a drug-free, minimally invasive remedy for long-term back pain that’s been resistant to traditional therapies.
What is a spinal cord stimulator?
A spinal cord stimulator (SCS) is a small implantable device that uses computer technology and mild electrical impulses to disrupt specific pain signals sent by sensory nerves in your back to your brain. Much like static during a phone call, this interference relieves back pain by allowing your brain to ignore the discomfort in your nerves.
What are the benefits of a spinal cord stimulator?
Along with the immeasurable reward of moving through your day without debilitating pain, the benefits of an SCS for chronic back pain and the leg discomfort due to sciatica that often accompany it include:
- Drug-free pain relief that eliminates concerning side effects and addiction potential of long-term opioid use
- Increased mobility that’s currently restricted due to pain
- Minimally invasive procedure that typically does not require an overnight hospital stay
- Improved mood that helps restore your motivation to participate in daily routines
For many patients, the relief experienced with an SCS also makes it possible to effectively engage in physical therapy and other rehab activities designed to strengthen muscles, restore your flexibility, and overcome the many adverse effects of chronic pain.
How do I know SCS will work for me?
Not everyone is a candidate for SCS. At PISA, our recommendations for therapy are always based on a thorough evaluation that identifies the underlying cause of your symptoms as well as your response to other conservative therapies.
Also, should your pain management specialist recommend SCS treatment, it includes a trial period that gives you several days to gauge its effectiveness and ease of use before the device is implanted. The choice is always yours, but about 90% of our patients who choose to try SCS decide to continue with the device.
Schedule a visit at the Pain Institute of Arizona for outstanding medical care that delivers long-lasting relief from your chronic pain.
