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Description of Spinal Cord Stimulator Procedures

Spinal cord stimulators are machines designed to relieve nerve pain caused by spinal cord nerve damage. The procedure is usually a last resort, after other treatments for sciatica or back pain have failed. It involves an implantation of the device.

  1. What is Spinal Cord Simulation

    • A spinal cord stimulator is a machine that is placed in the body, which has leads that administer electrical impulses to interrupt the mechanism that causes nerve pain. The leads issue a pulse or electrical signal to the spinal cord. This signal interrupts the pain receptors, causing a feeling of gentle tingling instead of the pain that previously occurred.

    Equipment

    • A spinal cord stimulator consists of three separate parts--the power, the extension and the leads or stimulator itself. The power source is a battery-like pack with batteries that last between three and five years before needing to be replaced. It is surgically inserted below the ribs. The power source uses an extension, which runs through the abdomen and around the body, to power the stimulator itself. The stimulator is placed in the epidural space near the spine, and administers the electrical pulses when activated by a hand-held magnet that the patient carries.

    Part I

    • The first part of the procedure involves a test to ensure that sufficient pain relief is provided by the stimulator. Sufficient pain relief is considered to be at least a 50 percent reduction in pain. The lead must also be placed in the correct location in the spine to relieve the pain.

    Part II

    • The second phase of the procedure involves the actual insertion of the extension and power source. In some test procedures, an actual lead is placed in the spine and powered by an external source. In these cases, the second step of the procedure simply involves inserting the battery and the extension, and attaching the lead to the extension. In other cases, the second part of the procedure after the test involves the insertion of a new lead, as well as the extension and battery pack.

    Leads

    • There are three different types of leads that can be inserted as part of the procedure, depending on the patient's needs. The longest type of lead is the octrode, which has eight different electrodes that stimulate two different areas of the spine. The next type, quadripolar leads, are shorter leads with four sources that administer pulses to one section of the spine. The third type has multiple leads, which are placed on either side of the spine to stimulate both sides simultaneously.

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