Neurostimulation / Spinal Cord Stimulation

[doggie daria]

the stim sucks gave me an infection which hurt like hell,,,,having the surgery just to clean it out meaning to cut right into same area until the insurance co approves it be taken out cant wait..think 3 times before doing this

[doggie daria]

pls don't do it

[Krmeekster]

Have doctor and don't want to see how do I find Medtronics pump and stimulator certified spinal /pain management doctor in Richmond Virginia who accepts medicare. Alarm date. 9/12/14so I need help bad I don't want to see doctor Homza at vcu health. And Medtronics referrals Won't see me because of co.opt.and nor doc Bonner crane decker can naleen GU drescher or depalmer will see me quote quote. They all said hamza put it in they don't want to work on it.Is there a code of ethics amongst doctors . [email]krmeekster@yahoo.com[/email]

[darlasue]

Originally Posted by lilbuns

I have suffered with back pain for over 20 years; I've herniated disks over and over; have endured every type of treatment; physical therapy, acupuncture, epidurals, narcotics, muscle relaxants, patches, and finally spinal fusion. I now have severe pain in my left foot...neuropathy from the fusion; I have severe pain in my lower back, hip area, down buttocks and into legs; I have now herniated a disk above the fusion and have severe spasms in my mid torso and left and right lower back when performing activities such as lifting, bending. After a year with pain management and multiple epidurals, constant pain medication and less and less relief, my doctor had me try a spinal stimulator. It helped all the pain...not 100 %, but gave me about 50% improvement. At first I felt that I had to have the stimulator turned up so high that I could bearly walk. But after practice, I was able to adjust to walking with a high setting. I felt it was good enough to go ahead with a permanent implantation. I'm having it done this week...3/29/10. Aetna is covering it completely. We had this confirmed by the pain doctor, the surgeon, and my husband. I'm hoping it will be worth it. I'm wondering what the recovery is. I've talked to a few people and was told it can be two weeks to a month, while any write ups claim it's only a few days ...and is done in a doctor's office. I'm having it done in the operating room by a top neurosurgeon and will remain in the hospital over night...so am wondering if anyone has had my experience and would like to know if anyone has had success with the stimulator. Mine is by Metronomics ( not sure of the spelling, but it's made by Boston Scientific; is called PrecisionPlus;same company that makes the cochlear implant)

I have had a neurostimulator implanted due to pain in my back and legs it has done wonders for me. Before I got it I couldn't walk or do the simplest things around the house but since I got it I'm able to do everything that I want to do. I recommend that if your dr. thinks that you are a good candidate for a neurostimulator do it. Best of Luck

[retired lab rat]

It seems the main problem with making such a decision concerning inserting an electrical device to interlude your nervous system to program it to not see pain can be a tough one. I'm only 43 and I have had 3 full hip replacements, L4-S1 fused, C6-T1 fused, I also had the cytoplasmic injection on L3 and L2. I also suffer from scoliosis which is inverted at 33 degrees, the disk that I still have are all hernitated within different depths and I also have degenterive disk disease. I was in a wheel chair from my tingling in the feet turning into paralysis. After I had the tri-lumbar fusion I was able to walk again and had no more bugs under my skin. I was aware at the time, being in my 30s, that it was 50/50 for any type of success rate. When I awoke I was actually walking. It was a miracle. I knew it was not a cure- all but hopefully I would be able to attain a sense of normal life. I actually achieved about 7yrs without needing pain management, accupunture, steroid injections, etc. But unfortunately all good things come to an end. I had a rough time with my hip though. I was told a bunch of lies about a brand new type of hip that would get me a good 30 yrs. WRONG! It lasted only 3 yrs and I later found out that all the "research" I was told that was done before the implant was totally bogus. So I have had to have a revision because it started boring a hole in my hip. Now my back and kneck issues are returning. The only thing I was told by my surgeon is back to pain management. So I went to a pain management doctor and he is strongly suggesting this neurostimulation treatment. At first, I started to actually listen very assertively to his explanation about what it is and what it does. Then he starts with the numbers game. Now this is where I suggest everyone to really pay attention. I have been on both sides of the fence when it comes down to numbers. I'm a graduate in cognitive neuro-science which I don't tell my doctors anymore. I've learned that when it comes to healthcare that it's no different than any other business. I said it... a business. The numbers sounded promising and rose many questions but after my first one he couldn't answer all he could talk about was how this new model coming out won't require any surgery for "firmware" or "software" upgrades. All I asked the man is how is he attaining these numbers and where are these percentages coming from. All research requires some sort of baseline. Without it these numbers are merely made up. I was then suggested to start with steroid injections which we both agreed would NOT work for me. But I have an appt. for one next month. Also, FYI, for those of you who have injections on a regular basis I would suggest stop. Steroids are poison to the tissue in the spine. It's only placing a band aid on a severed hand. It eats away slowly at the tissue and causes nerve damage over time. Over the years I have listened to what doctors have told me they suggest and I only end up worse than what I was with a pile of hospital bills higher than the year before. In theory, neurotransmission sounds like a very prosperous hope for people like me. The reality of it is I've yet to hear any long term success rate. Not only that, I feel as if I am being bullied into having the procedure. But it's not going to happen for me. It seems the brochures do not give facts but only opinions who are more likely paid by the manufacturer. I was told it would only help, if any. for my back pain. If I were to break a toe, YES I would still feel it. Apparently it is only restricted to neurological make up within the spine. I have yet to see any true release of information that is empiracally tested, documented, and published. Sorry but the internet is a terrible place to seek such science when it pertains to you for the rest of your life. Unfortunately, I have yet to find a true pain management doctor. It seems now to even have to goto a pain specialist everyone wants to judge you and begin with a list long set of biases as to why your seeking their services. For years I refused to go because I was able to tolerate it after all the surgeries. I thought I was being an ideal patient by doing this. Unfortunately, today because of new laws and mandates most doctors within the field are too scared to practice. So in order to keep the practice a specialty they are grasping at straws. NO ONE knows my body better than ME!! Everyone in any branch of healthcare knows this philosophy inside and out but yet we find ourselves not doing our homework and just take any advice given only because they have a shingle outside their door. If you are contemplating in participating in this embriotic stage of medicine please ask questions outside the box. Ask questions like, have their been problems in people with the device who may suffer from demensia or possible speed up the onset of possible Alzheimers due to the constant abnormal signals that are produced. I started looking at it this way. If the device "tricks" our brains or keeps it hindered by using a signal that was not there in our prior life what are we to expect how our central nervous sytem to react in it latter parts of development. When your in as much pain as I am on a constant level I tend to focus on just what can the doctor do to lessen it. After my hip I now ask questions concerning aspects that can and will eventually manifest. to me even 50% of lesser pain with a 20% likelihood of no other neurological disorders developing is NOT enough reason for putting a device like that into my system which is hard-wired directly to my brain. I don't see cardio patients walking around with a car battery on their backs connected to their hearts walking around with only hope that tomorrow is a better day. I wish those of you who have decided to do it nothing but the best. Miracles do happen, unfortunaltely I know, and my doctor knows, in his quirky way, that it's not for me. But he would rather do that and let me suffer than to even write 60 hydrocodone a month.


signed,
Taking my body back !!