Spinal Cord Stimulation (SCS)
Pain signals are sent through the nerve pathways to the spinal cord and then to the brain. When you experience pain, it is your brain that is causing the sensation, not the actual area in pain. If you can stop those signals from reaching the brain, you can minimize or stop feeling the pain sensation. At DOCS Health, we utilize many interventional pain treatments that can interrupt pain signals. One of the most advanced pain management tools is spinal cord stimulation (SCS), which we offer at our medical center in Los Angeles, CA.
What Is Spinal Cord Stimulation?
Electrical pulses can be used to interrupt pain signals that are sent to the brain. This medical technology has been used for many decades, but spinal cord stimulation is a more advanced treatment option. To control specific pain, a device is surgically inserted into the body with probes that are placed next to the nerves sending pain signals into the spinal cord. The device is controlled by a remote the patient has outside their body. When pain is felt, the electrical pulses can be increased, blocking the pain signals from going up the spinal cord to the brain, which can effectively manage chronic pain.
To determine whether SCS will be effective for managing a patient’s chronic pain, we perform a spinal cord stimulator trial. We identify the nerves that are signaling pain and insert the probes near these nerves with a device that is kept on the outside of the body. The patient uses this device for about one week to determine if it is effective in controlling their pain. If the trial is a success, we can schedule minimally invasive surgery to place a permanent SCS device inside the back.
Dorsal column stimulation or spinal cord stimulation (SCS) can be effective options for controlling chronic pain. If you are interested in learning more about interventional pain treatments for back pain or sciatica, contact us at DOCS Health in Beverly Hills, CA, to schedule a pain management consultation with one of our spine specialists.
Doctors who treat this condition
Unless otherwise indicated, the physician is a member of DOCS Health Medical Group and has medical staff privileges at DOCS Surgery Center, DOCS Surgical Hospital, or both. Physicians denoted with an asterisk (*) are independent physicians who are not part of DOCS Health Medical Group, but do have medical staff privileges at DOCS Surgery Center, DOCS Surgical Hospital, or both.