Has anyone had a spinal cord stimulator,it has been one suggestion for my husband who is still suffering after 4 years after his first surgery, he has had a further op two years ago and is still suffering immense pain, has weakness in his leg and finds walking difficult and now needs a stick to walk with. I am hoping someone has had a spinal cord stimulator that has had similar condition as my husband because as I understand it it is only a minor op to implant. I think the other option is fusion which I have heard horror stories about, especially as he doesn't seem to have success with major ops. Thanks
Hi, I have finished the trial for the nevro senza SCS, this was due to several issues in the lower back & a failed fusion at L5/S1, the trial was amazing, i regained full mobility, my pain levels dropped from 9/10 to 1 & 0 across all areas, my mood returned to normal & i got out of bed for periods longer than an hour. I'm due to have my perm device fitted in the near future. One thing I would say to consider, the scs doesn't fix anything it merely masks the pain, if the fusion had worked then it would have fixed the issue & I wouldn't be walking around still damaging my back, this is a concern to me, just because you don't feel the pain doesn't mean the damage isn't still being done but at this stage I'll take anything I can get, pain free is still a wonderful outcome & I get my life back. Best of luck :-)
Thanks and good luck and glad to here that you are pain free. I think thats all my husband wants, I understand that it just masks the damage but as you say there is a lot to be said for being painfree. Good luck hope all goes well.
I realize you wrote this some time ago but I am due to have my trial implant fitted on Monday and am feeling a tad nervous so I read your post with great interest. I am now even more hopeful of a successful trial period! Have you had your permanent implant yet and if you have , how is it going? By the way, I have spinal stenosis and arthritis in my lower spine. Had decompression surgery on the L5. Consultant said that although this was successful the L4 has now compressed. Further surgery is extremely risky so I have opted for the implant. I'd cross everything but it hurts! Hope you are doing well. Take care.
hi khi i had the second stage permenant scs put into my back today 19.08.14 my advise to you is get as much info as possible i had the trial one last week and so far ive had a few problems with both its seems like its not going to be a easy fix and it will never stop the pain compleatly but if the technitions can get the programes right im might help but remember it will not work foreveryone hope this helps your disision graham
Hi all, I am just researching Nevro Spinal Stimulators as it is a new procedure we have recently learnt about and fingers crossed it will be the answer for my mum who has had chronic back pain for 13 years with little success from local hospitals and doctors. Please can you advise how to find out where are doing trials for this procedure and/or carrying out the procedure itself? You'd think family doctor would be keen to investigate for us but we have been asked to go back to them with information! I have found one recent trial but it ended early this year in London (we are Yorkshire).
Many thanks for any help you can give, it has been good reading your comments and hope we are nearing the chance of mum becoming pain free (or hopefully a lot better than she is at present).
Many thanks
Search pain management at Leeds University Hospitals. Info there on SCS. Take details to GP,they need to refer you. Good luck.
Should point out that procedure is approved by nice,and your Mum would be assessed to see if she is suitable.If she is then she will have a temporary implant for about 10 days,if she gets some relief then a permanent implant will follow.It's very unlikely that she would be pain free,they usually say up to 50%.You have to go through phsyc assessment to see how you would cope if it's not successful and they also give you hard facts about what to expect,don't think it's a miracle cure etc.
good luck
Hi hun I have had some issues & on strng pain relief, the stimlator does help but its not been anywhere near the relief I had during the trial. I'm doing better as I'm not bed bound but everyday is a struggle just to do daily thins, I have been told its a constant juggling act, drugs, reprogamming & minor ops, My consultant told me last week its a condition that i need to learn to live with its not a disease that they can fix.
I wish you the best of luck & hope you experience better long term results x
Hi ,just wondered how you are doing?My husband has just been accepted for trial at St James Leeds.
hi beverley im sorry to say my scs has been a desarster from start to finish and im waiting to have it removed if your hubbie goes ahead with it make sure that he get the paddle leads witch are stitched in and not the leads that are injected as they have a tendency to break or twist hope this helps you with your quest even though it will not be a cure but rather than a aid to pain relief all yhe best graham
sorry fogot to say that this was my permant scs
Hi Graham,so sorry that you've had a bad time.I know they try to prepare you for failure but you always try to be positive.It must be awful for you.I'm not convinced about the implant but I'm not the one in so much pain.It seems to be that you can't do anything for fear of these leads coming out.I will make enquiries about these paddle leads,they weren't mentioned at all.I wish you all the best for the future and hope you will find some relief.Thanks for taking the time to post.Bev
Hi, Just felt i needed to reply to your post about the Nevro Senza SCS.
I also have one implanted, when i had the trial i had a major reduction in pain releif not fantastic but enough for me to say ys for the full implant, I had mine put in March of this year and have not had the same pain releif as i did when i was on the trial ??
I am still on a lot of my pain medication have not been able to reduce any and also have so far had 5 lots of re programming x rays to check leads etc which had moved, but so far not getting the pain releif i experienced on trial arghhhh its just so frustrating.
Also if i have a program up to high i get very bad frontal headaches
I can't imagine how frustrating that be for you. I am so sorry it hasn't worked out for you the way you planned. We are no where even near being considered for a trial yet, my husbands accident was now 5 years and 2 spinal ops ago, they just keep giving him appointments in 6 months and then not doing anything. We have now been referred to neurosurgeon so we are hoping to get some joy. He is so much worse, he in only 43 and is just about managing to work but at the weekends he feels so ill that he just has to rest. He can't walk very far and his activity is far less than he used to because the pain is just too much and after 5 years of no respite I think is becoming all a bit overwelming. I hope they manage to sort your SCS out and get it working to provide you some relief, maybe could they consider a different sort if there is one. Good luck.
hi bev thanks for your concern the difference between paddle leads and injection leads is the paddle get stitched into place and the injection float in the epijural space and fuse over time and they are more likely to move around im just going to stick with the tryed and trusted morphen as iv had six faild back ops and ive had enough hope this help and all the best for your quest for pain relief graham
hi sandrac it sounds like you are haveing the same problems i had with my scs the leads have most likely moved twisted or broke and now im waiting to have the scs removed so if i was you i would insist on seeing you consultant and getting it sorted out all the best graham
Hi graham6214 I am sorry to hear of the problems you have had, have they said that they are going to replace it or are they going to just remove it? If by some mircale we eventually get offered a SCS I will follow your advice further up this thread and see if we can have one with the paddles that are sewn in. I don't know what to do to help my husband he seems to be so young for all of this to define his life and pain is ruling him at the moment. I really hope that they can help you Graham6214 and you manage to find something that works for you. Take care.
Hi everyone im new to the site so i apologise, im having the trial at the Walton Centre in Liverpool on 19th Dec im so nervous.While on the waiting list for the trial i have been on a pain management programme (PMP) at the Walton Centre which did help.It compromised of a 6 week course (2 weeks at 4 times per week 9 till 4 then 4 weeks at 2 times per week).This was really beneficial as you see Physios, Psychologists, Occupational Therapists, Doctors and other people the same as you!
They even put you up in a hotel if you live out the area it really did help
Just letting you know and needing some reassurance as im so scared of my trial lol
Ady
I am sure it will be really helpful for you. My husband has only just been referred to a PMP as previously the pain management consisted of a "doctor" telling him to think of a beach/waterfall which was of no help. So I am hoping that he will find the PMP as useful as you did. I obviously can't speak from experience but the specialised centres that deal with SCS I am sure are very aware of how nervous people are and are also very aware of the amount pain that you are in. Good luck and hope it goes well and works for you. Take care.