Struggling with chronic pain, and nothing seems to work? You’re likely a candidate for spinal cord stimulation (SCS). But before committing to the implant, you go through a trial period, a test run to see if the treatment actually helps.
How do Dr. Raul Lopez and our West Texas Pain Institute team know it’s successful? That’s what we’re diving into in this blog.
Spinal cord stimulators are small devices that help manage chronic pain by delivering mild electrical pulses to the nerves in the spinal cord. These pulses disrupt pain signals before they reach the brain, reducing pain and discomfort.
The trial phase lets you “test drive” the simulator before undergoing permanent implantation. During this phase, we place temporary electrodes near your spine. The wires lead to a small battery-operated generator that remains outside your body.
You wear the device for 5-7 days, tracking your pain relief and daily activities.
At the end of the trial, we evaluate your progress and decide whether to move forward with a permanent implant.
We consider a stimulator trial successful if it significantly improves your pain and quality of life. However, success looks a bit different from patient to patient. Here are some of the key signs we look for.
One primary indicator of success is pain reduction. If your pain decreases by at least half, that’s a strong sign that the stimulator is working. Some patients experience even greater relief, but the typical goal is 50%.
If you find yourself relying less on opioids or other pain medications during the trial, that’s a great sign. The goal of SCS isn’t just pain relief — it’s also about reducing the dependence on medications that can have side effects or risks.
Chronic pain makes it difficult (sometimes impossible) to move comfortably or sleep well at night. If you notice you’re sleeping better and/or moving more easily — whether that means walking or standing for longer periods or doing daily tasks without pain — that’s another indication the trial is working.
In addition to pain relief, you should also feel improvement in your mental and emotional health. With less pain, you should experience more independence, more stable moods, and less frustration with daily pain. Chronic pain takes a toll on mental health, so feeling more in control of your life is a huge marker of success.
Not every spinal cord stimulator trial works. Here are some reasons why it might not be successful:
Don’t worry if your trial was unsuccessful — we can walk you through your other pain management options, including different types of nerve stimulation and alternative treatments.
If your trial is a success, we move on to permanent implantation. We remove the temporary electrodes and place a long-term device under your skin, usually in your lower back or upper buttock. You control your permanent stimulator with a remote and fine-tune the settings to achieve the best results.
An SCS trial allows you to see if the treatment can truly make a difference in your life. If you want to see if you’re a candidate, schedule a consultation with our expert online or over the phone at our El Paso, Texas, office today.
