Does a Spinal Cord Stimulator Help Neck Pain?

Spinal cord stimulation involves the use of an electrical pulse inserted in the spine to treat pain. The most common uses for spinal cord stimulation are to relieve back pain caused by spinal cord degeneration and sciatica, and/or to treat nerve pain caused by nerves in the cervical, thoracic and lumbar regions. Spinal cord stimulation has proven effective at reducing back and neck pain in many patients, however, the long-term effectiveness of the treatment is not proven.

Spinal Cord Stimulation

• The process of spinal cord stimulation involves the use of a transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) machine placed inside the spine. The machine interrupts pain signals that are sent out by damaged nerves, causing neck or back pain. The pain signals are replaced by a gentle tingling sensation produced by the spinal cord stimulator, which is preferable to the pain for the vast majority of patients.

Success with Neck Pain

• According to a study in Anesthesia & Analgesia, 11.5 percent of patients received 100 percent relief from pain after the insertion of a spinal cord stimulator. Partial pain relief (between 30 and 100 percent relief) occurred in 71.18 percent of patients. The study also reported that pain in the neck, head, face or other upper extremities responded better to spinal cord stimulation than pain in the lower extremities.

Testing Effectiveness on Neck Pain

• Prior to implanting a spinal cord stimulator, the physician will usually test the effectiveness of the device on a patient. This can include the use of an external lead that is connected to a generator and transmits a pulse or the implantation of a lead that is hooked up to an external generator and transmits a pulse. If the desired level of relief of neck pain is achieved as a result of the pulse, the full surgical procedure is performed to insert the spinal cord stimulator.

The Procedure

• The spinal cord stimulator consists of three pieces -- the leads placed in the epidural space near the spine, the extension that runs around the abdomen and body to the power source, and the power source which is a generator located in the fatty skin below the ribs. These materials are surgically implanted, and the patient controls the stimulator using a hand-held magnet that allows him to send an electrical impulse when he begins experiencing the neck pain.

Long-Term Effectiveness

• Although a spinal cord stimulator can be very effective in the short term at relieving neck pain, there are further complications when considering the treatment as a long-term solution. First, the battery pack or power source of the generator lasts between three and five years, after which an additional surgery is required to replace the power source for the stimulator to continue working. Furthermore, some patients who reported initial relief from neck pain as a result of the stimulator eventually become immune to the electrical pulses and the neck pain returns.