At Mercy Health Partners, you’ll find the clinical experience and technology you’d expect from a leading-edge healthcare provider. But you’ll also experience something else: compassionate and individualized attention. We call it the Mercy Circle of Caring and you’ll experience it at every point of interaction from registration to rehabilitation.
Watch the video on the right of Dr. Zeff for more information about Spinal Cord Stimulation with Mercy.
What is Spinal Cord Stimulation? Spinal Cord Stimulation (SCS) uses electrical current to treat different types of back pain by implanting a small stimulator in the body. The treatment is used for anyone with no other options to treat pain — especially neuropathic or pain resulting from injury to the peripheral nervous system.
What can I expect with Spinal Cord Stimulation? SCS is an outpatient procedure in which the stimulator is placed in the body through two small incisions in the back and side. Wires from the stimulator are placed into the spinal canal and supply very small amounts of electricity to the spinal cord to change the sensation of severe pain to a more pleasurable feeling of mild tingling or vibration. Once it’s in place, your interventional pain medicine specialist will help you determine the best impulse strength to relieve pain.
How do I know if Spinal Cord Stimulation is right for me? If you have tried surgeries and other therapies to relieve severe back pains and haven’t seen an improvement, discuss Spinal Cord Stimulation with your primary care physician or interventional pain medicine physician. With Mercy you have the ability to test the stimulator during a trial period before deciding on permanent implantation. Generally, the stimulator is tested for four to five days — it’s the only surgical procedure that lets you “test drive” it to help you make the right decision.
What are the benefits of Spinal Cord Stimulation? Some of the benefits could include
To find out more about how Mercy can help relieve severe back pain with Spinal Cord Stimulation, visit e-mercy.com and call the Mercy Medical Associates - Orthopaedic and Spine Specialists.
