Spinal Cord Stimulation for Back Pain

Physical therapy, medication, rest, and various types of surgical procedures are all proven effective treatment options to help a person overcome chronic low back pain. Spinal cord stimulation can also help when other methods fail.

Spinal cord stimulation is a procedure that uses a safe electrical current to transmit electrical pulses to the spinal cord. A small pulse generator is implanted into a person’s back, using a local anesthetic and sedative; these generated pulses interfere with the body’s nerve pulses that are causing the back or leg pain.

Dr. Kristen Zeller, an interventional pain management specialist at Summit Orthopedics, offers spinal cord stimulation as a treatment option after physical therapy, injections, medications, and surgery have proven ineffective for patients.

“Spinal cord stimulation can significantly reduce pain from nerve damage by intercepting the pulses that transmit pain to the brain,” Dr. Zeller says.

In 2007, at the American Academy of Pain Medicine’s annual conference, researchers presented study results that showed careful patient selection and proper stimulation programming can improve management of chronic low back pain with spinal cord stimulation. Quality of life numbers were higher and pain scores lower for those who underwent spinal cord stimulation versus those who did not.

A pain management specialist can determine on a case-by-case basis whether spinal cord stimulation should be considered as a treatment option for you.

If you have chronic back pain, contact Summit Orthopedics at (888) 896-9494.