What is neuromodulation?
Neuromodulation describes technology that affects and alters your nerves to ease and prevent pain. Special devices deliver low currents of electricity to specific neurological points in your body. These currents disrupt pain signals that travel from your nerves to your brain and spinal cord.
The team at Overlook PAIN + Recovery offers several options for neuromodulation:
- Spinal cord stimulator (SCS)
- Dorsal root ganglion stimulation (DRG)
- Peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS)
Depending on your unique needs and condition, the providers can determine if neuromodulation is the right treatment option for you.
Typically, if you’re experiencing pain that’s not treatable with medications and other therapies, the Overlook PAIN + Recovery team can customize a care plan to ease pain now and in the long-term using neuromodulation.
How does neuromodulation work?
Different neuromodulation therapies work similarly to each other but focus on different types of nerves to address persistent pain.
Spinal cord stimulation
Spinal cord stimulation involves the attachment of thin wires to the epidural space just outside your spinal cord. Low-voltage electrical impulses move through the wires to alter the pain signals that come from your spine and travel to your brain.
Spinal cord stimulation may be an effective treatment option for painful conditions that result from sciatica, a herniated disc, or degenerative disc disease.
Dorsal root ganglion stimulation
Dorsal root ganglion stimulation is similar to spinal cord stimulation but focuses on relieving pain in the lower extremities, including your hands, legs, feet, and groin.
The neuromodulation device delivers low-voltage electrical impulses into the dorsal root ganglion in the epidural space of your spine to treat pain resulting from conditions like complex regional pain syndrome.
Peripheral nerve stimulation
Peripheral nerve stimulation sends electrical impulses to your peripheral nerves, the nerves that supply sensations to areas of your body outside your brain and spinal cord.
This type of neuromodulation treats neuropathic pain that can cause burning, numbness, and weakness in your legs, arms, hands, and feet. You can control the electrical impulses of each stimulator to ease your pain through an external device you manage remotely.
What’s involved in the placement of a neuromodulation device?
Before the Overlook PAIN + Recovery team permanently places stimulator leads in your spine or on your peripheral nerve, you can expect to have a trial period with the device. This ensures the stimulator is effective at easing your pain and is in the correct location.
If your trial is successful, the providers perform a minimally invasive surgery to place the leads in your body. They create a small pouch in your abdomen to hold a small generator. The remote control remains outside of your body, so you can control your own pain relief.
To find out if you’re a candidate for neuromodulation to treat chronic pain, schedule a consultation by calling the Overlook PAIN + Recovery office nearest you or request a consultation online today.
