Chronic Back Pain

My brother-in law has suffered from chronic back pain for a decade or so. He’s tried all kinds of things to ease the pain and recently had a spinal cord stimulation system implanted in his back. “That’s where a tiny programmable generator and electrical leads are implanted beneath the skin,” says our own Dr. Kessler of Spine and Sports Medicine. “Low-level electrical signals are then transmitted through the lead to the spinal cord or to specific nerves to block pain signals from reaching the brain.” Using a magnetic remote control, my brother-in-law can turn the current on and off, or adjust the intensity. So now, instead of pain he feels a mild tingling sensation. Approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 1989, spinal cord stimulation has become a standard treatment for patients with chronic pain in their back and/or limbs who haven’t found relief from other treatments. Joking around, I told my brother-in-law he could now be categorized as a cyborg, but he didn’t really care. He was just happy that the pain in his back was manageable again.

Labels: back pain, Low back pain, Spinal cord simulation system, Sport Injury, Surgery

Posted by Spine and Sports Medicine on 9:55 AM

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