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Has anyone heard of the Neuro spinal stimulator battery inbedded in the original position -hip buttocks area,and the battery has moved and flipped around from an auto accident change stimulation down your legs??? I had my doctor tell me it has nothing to do with it ,but once I got the battery flipped around and put back my my surgeon where it was, the stimulation came back down my legs! Can a doctor please answer me, or has a patient experienced a problem with their battery flipping around with stimulation? I have had my stimulator 6 years, and I cant function without it. I leave it on 24/7. Please answer.
I am looking for some information on Neurostimulation / Spinal Cord Stimulation. My girlfriend's father’s doctor has said this may be the solution to his back pain. He can not walk 50 yards without having to take a break. But yet, they can not tell him what the pain is caused by. So I guess I am wondering how they would know if it would help? His pain is in his hips and down his legs (left leg first, then down the right). I read that Neurostimulation helps with lower back and leg pain but have not heard or read anything about hip pain.
I read on one sight that you could break a toe and not even know it. This obviously concerns me in that I am afraid he could be hurting himself worse and not even know it. Has anyone heard anything like that? Also, if you can not feel the pain, can you feel anything at all? If he gets a burn on his leg or something like that, will he feel it? I realize it may seem like a silly question, but I just want to be sure he has all the facts.
I also heard there may be brands which work better than others. Has anyone heard anything like that? Any suggestions.
Thanks for your help.
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 am being eyed up for one. I have lots of worries over it. I am tiered of being a prisoner of lower back and leg pain. I know someone who has had it for 2 years now and he would not have it done again. He is still on pain killers so its is hard to judge how much to put into what he says.
I had a neurostimulator implanted on May 14, 2009 due to RSD (reflex sympathetic dystrophy) in my left leg and foot due to a left calf muscle injury. The RSD spread to my right foot. I went 1 1/2 years without being able to wear shoes or socks. Having the stimulator implanted was the best thing I have done and would shoot anyone that tried to remove it. Milnerda's reply was totally off base and sounds to me just out to scare people from having this done. First, the trial stimulator is not a "needle", it is a lead connected to the programmer. The one part he/she did get correct is that it is not secured to the spine--that is why it is a trial--I had so much tape on my back after my trial one was implanted, I knew it wasn't going anywhere, but it only takes common sense to know you have to be extra careful! When the permanent one is implanted, it is surgery. The trial is done under local anesthetic and fluoroscopy. I had to undergo a psychological evaluation before the permanent stimulator was implanted. Also, as far as Milnerda's claim that the only way to adjust the stimulator is to "turn it up" is totally wrong. It does form scar tissue around it, which helps to secure it, but it will still be slightly positional. I have had mine for over a year and I have a program for during the day and I switch to a separate program at night. The adjustments they can make are not minimal. I had to have my leads adjusted twice (once after falling getting out of the tub). The leads have areas on them where the stimulation is transmitted. The company rep adjusts the areas on the lead where the stimulation is generated until you feel results in the area of your body targeted. The re-adjustment is painless and is done in the doctor's office or can be done in your home. In both cases, I had mine re-adjusted within 24 hours of contacting my rep. I really don't feel that Milnerda was in the right mindset to have had a stimulator implanted and it just boils down to what you and your doctor decide is the best option for you. In my case, it was having the neurostimulator implanted. It was one of the best decisions I have made--I am now jogging again and doing my regular workouts. One major thing to know, though, is that once you have a stimulator, you can never have an MRI done, but you do get to bypass security at the airport!!!
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I had a neurostimulator implanted May 14, 2009 and it was the best decision I have ever made. Although my situation is different (I have a condition called RSD--reflex sympathetic dystrophy), the stimulator has let wear shoes after going 1 1/2 years of not being able to. I also am back into running (up to 3 miles several times a week). Please let me know how you are doing.
Just had the trial and am having the perm. surgery done on 8-13. it stopped the pain in my heels and the lower part of my back and hip. I have tried every injection, medication, PT and any other thing I could find. This test has given me more hope than I have had in a long time. Spine surgeon told me they usually get about 30% better results than they get in the test as it is fastened down onto the spinal canal. I can only tell you to try the test, it's pretty much painless and the only discomfort I had was in not being able to take a shower for 5 days. other wise it is something that worked for me. Worst case it can be removed.
With the stimulator, I am pain free and, thus, pain med free. Why would some one want to be spaced out on pain meds when the stimulator controls pain without drugs. A pain med pump might be an option if the stimulator didn't work or you aren't a candidate for one.
With the stimulator, I am pain free and, thus, pain med free. Why would some one want to be spaced out on pain meds when the stimulator controls pain without drugs. A pain med pump might be an option if the stimulator didn't work or you aren't a candidate for one.
I would actually qualify for both. I have nerve pain as well as spasms. The pump would have a medication for spasms.
I've had the external TENS; it used to help some but stopped helping.
With the stimulator, I am pain free and, thus, pain med free. Why would some one want to be spaced out on pain meds when the stimulator controls pain without drugs. A pain med pump might be an option if the stimulator didn't work or you aren't a candidate for one.
My wife has full body RSD and because of having both upper and lower RSD the stimulator could not be programmed to tackle full body. Multiple implants may work but she's not going there. Pain pumps have their downside but the upside is your head does not get foggy from the drugs. The narcotic is cetralized at the spinal column bathing nerve endings with pain killer not the brain or stomach. I know of 3 people crippled from RSD who after years of absolute misery and failed spinal stimulators went for the pump. All three are working now full time. http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/index.php
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neurostimulator--GODSEND!!
