questions about SCS

 

I have some questions about how do you know you need a spinal cord stimuator?  I have scoliois,bulging  disks in my neck and lumbar spine, DDD, spondylosis, and spondylesis.  C2 thru C7 and L1 thru S1 are the main areas, plus I fx my  tailbone.  I have stenois in the Cspine area as well as some bone spurs and one disk in the L5-S1 area is slipping.  I am now hurting in the throaic spine area on the left side and it come around into the front on the left  side. 

I have groin area (panty line pain) some upper leg pain, but my lower legs from my ankle to my knees on the inside really hurts sometime.

My PM  did a steroid injection today and ordered xrays of the throaic spine.  He is pushing me to do the trial spinal cord stimulator.  My rheumy told me the ankle and inside legs is a inflamed tendon and with a brace and time should heal. (She looked at the left one, but now the right one hurts to)

I have hesitated about the SCS because, I am not sure my back is the cause pf the leg pain, and the permanent one is a big step.  I don't have a spleen, and with my other health problems I worry about infection.

My back hurts when I am on my feet, walking or standing.  Both hips hurt and sometimes sleeping is a real problem.  I can't do much bending or lifting, heck some days sitting hurts.

I have been to a nuerosurgeon who advised against any surgery unless it was a case of have to, due to my other health issues. He feels I am not a good candidate for surgery.

I have had several steroid injections, and nerve blocks.  They have really helped.  

I guess what I am asking is ....how do you know if you are ready for a procedure this big?

SCS is suppose to be a last resort along with a pain pump. My SCS is off label with my electrodes placed just below my skin, it helps with my pain in my lower back.

Hello BlueJeans, after reading your post it is really obvious that at least at this time you are not interested in doing a trial for an SCS unit. Of course this is solely your decision and I am wondering why your PM dr is pushing you to do a trial. I would not let any dr force me into something that I was not ready for or interested in. I have a pain pump & when my PM dr recommended I do a trial I said no. I was not ready for something like that. Now, at the time I had ran out of options with oral medications, there was nothing left for me to try, either I was full blown allergic, or it stopped working or did not work at all. I later went to him & said I was ready to do a trial for the pump. Usually these units are suggested for people that are on fairly high dose of pain meds & the drs are getting concerned with this. You said that you are on a fairly low dose of pain meds. Does your dr recommend these for a lot of his patients?

By chance are you on any of the nerve meds that help reduce pain? I noticed you have Fibro listed & know that many of those folks are on the nerve meds to help with the Fibro.

All I can say is having something like an SCS unit or a pain pump implanted is a big deal, you need to be comfortable with the decision of doing a trial & then having one implanted if it works for you during the trial.I suggest that you use the search feature here at the forum & type in SCS units,they have been discussed at length here at the forum & read up on what people have to say that have done a trial & ones that have them implanted. Just don't let someone force you in to anything you don't want.

Keep us posted on how you are doing. Take care....Susie

I am on nuerontin 300 mg 4 x a day and it does help. I forgot to put it in my 7 day planner awhile back and could not figure out why I was hurting worse. So now I know it does help.

I know that the SCS is a big deal and that is why I am so hestitant. I get the results of the xrays next week when I go in for my appt. I have just been having worse days lately and I don't sleep much at night due to pain.

I know that I am ready for an increase in meds. I don't like it and have tried to stay at as low a dose as possible, but know thats its time. I do the stretches, eat right, ice, heat, hot tub, and stay as active as possible, everything to try to help myself as much as possible. I have been on 15 mg ms contin and ultram for Bt for about 3 years now. I take the nuerontin, plaquenil, predisone, and muscle relaxer, as well as supplements and stomach meds, and lunesta at night.

I am on a Cpap, and go to bed at 1030 at night and am awake again at 12, 2, and 4am. Usually with back, and hip pain. Last night I could not get comfortable and sleep til 230 am. I rarely nap during the day.

Its hard to tell what causes what pain when you have as much going on as i do.

Thanks for your help!