by A Morris

Created on: July 06, 2010

Chronic pain conditions are well known but not always understood. This article refers to the use of a spinal cord stimulator for those patients suffering from Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS). This condition has previously been referred to as Causalgia, or Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy. Its symptoms include changes in the skin, sweating, temperature, circulation and pain that increases over time, and it usually occurs after an injury is sustained.

For some chronic pain conditions a spinal cord stimulator may be implanted, if all other treatment options have been exhausted. Usually the patient will have tried physiotherapy, combinations of painkillers and nerve blockers, TENS, desensitisation techniques and any other applicable treatments. If other treatments fail, a spinal cord stimulator can be implanted in some patients, to provide long-lasting pain relief which then allows the patient to enjoy a better quality of life.

The patient must go through medical and psychological testing before a decision is made about implantation. Because the stimulator is often the last option for patients who have exhausted all other pain relief methods, it is important that the patient will be able to deal with the possibility that the device may not work for them. Implantation of the device requires major surgery, and is a decision which must be carefully considered, both by the patient and the medical practitioners involved.

The stimulator consists of a small round electromagnetic device and one or two leads, each with electrodes at the end. The electrodes are attached to the spinal column, although the placement will depend upon where the patient requires pain relief. Usually the electrodes will be placed somewhere along the thoracic spine. A small channel is then created beneath the muscle, and the leads are fed through to the abdomen or buttocks, where they attach to the device.

Pain signals travel from the affected area to the spinal column, from where the brain processes the signal. The purpose of the stimulator (also referred to as a neurostimulator) is to create small electrical impulses between the site of pain and the spinal column, disrupting the brain’s ability to read the pain signal. The patient will feel a slight tingling or buzzing sensation in place of pain. The stimulator is effectively a more advanced, implanted version of a TENS machine, which can be removed if the patient does not experience the desired pain relief, or if they decide it is not

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