Who are candidates for peripheral nerve stimulators? The physicians at Northern California Pain Specialists use their vast clinical experience and care philosophy in finding the most effective, interventional treatment for each patient – not a cookie cutter solution. This stimulation can block pain signals from traveling to the brain which means the pain signal cannot get through – in a way tricking the body into believing there is no pain by changing the way it perceives it. A pulse generator sends gentle pulses through insulated wire, or leads, to target nerves that are associated with your pain. How does peripheral nerve stimulation work? Peripheral nerve stimulators work much like a spinal cord stimulator, except that we send the mild electrical currents directly to nerves outside the spinal cord. What is peripheral nerve stimulation? Peripheral nerve stimulation uses mild electrical impulses to block pain signals from various parts of your body before they get to the brain. Peripheral nerve stimulation is an effective and drug-free pain management approach for those who suffer from chronic and some short-term acute pain of the peripheral nerve origin.
After implantation, the patients returns for programming of the device to achieve maximal relief.Peripheral nerve stimulation, or PNS, is one of the innovative treatment options patients can expect from the physicians at Northern California Pain Specialists. Stage 2: Permanent implant – a new permanent lead (or 2) will be implanted along with a generator to provide a completely internalized system.If after 7 days the patient reports significant improvement in pain (usually considered >50% pain relief), a permanent implant will be recommended. Stage 1: Trial – a temporary lead is placed in the targeted region with an externalized wire (i.e., wire comes out of the skin) while the patient tries the therapy at home.PNS is often considered for chronic headache and facial pain syndromes, although definitive studies to support its efficacy is still pending.
PNS can be used to target pain anywhere in the periphery, and does not necessarily need to be placed over a nerve. SCS is most often used for patients with leg (or radicular pain) but is now often used for patients with chronic low back pain as well. The best determinant of benefit is to complete a trial, usually about 7 days, to determine if the therapy is effective. SCS and PNS can be tried on most patients with chronic pain that have not responded to other treatments. Newer higher frequency stimulation systems are thought to block the painful sensation completely. Much like you might lightly rub an area that has been hurt to make it feel better, SCS and PNS lightly “rub” an area with electricity to make the targeted region feel better. SCS and PNS are considered neuromodulation techniques based on the “gate” theory of pain. In most cases, the idea of having an implant for pain is daunting, but these threapies offer the opportunity (and often require) a trial to determine whether the treatment works before a permanent implant is recommended.
More recently, newer technologies use higher frequency stimulation patterns which patients cannot feel, with often even better results. In both cases, therapy is historically based on the idea that stimulation interrupts the normal pain sensations, drowning out the pain. Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) and peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS) are treatment options for patients with chronic pain that has not responded to other therapies. Conveniently Located to Serve Dallas, Fort Worth, and the entire State of Texas