Spinal Cord Stimulator: What You Need to Know
If the chronic pain in your back (or neck) prompted you to search online for a suitable treatment, you might have come across results for a Spinal Cord Stimulator. It’s important to know if it may be suited for your condition. To help you with this, we’ve listed everything you should know about Spinal Cord Stimulation. Let’s first begin with the basic understanding of what it is and how it works. A spinal cord stimulator (also known as SCS) is a remotely controlled device that treats or manages different types of chronic pain by sending a low-level electrical current to the
All About Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS)
By Adam Spjute, MD What is Complex Regional Pain Syndrome? Complex regional pain syndrome is a syndrome that’s caused from nerves that continue to fire, particularly in extremities (which means the furthest point in a limb) that causes swelling, discoloration and decreased movement when there’s no obvious pathology. There are several components that are necessary for it to fall under Complex Regional Pain Syndrome. You need pain, discoloration, swelling, and generally there’s decreased mobility. How Long Has Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Been Around? The first recorded instance of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome was in the Civil War. There were a lot of scholarly papers and
The APC Difference: Our Multidisciplinary Approach to Patient Care
By Dr. Mark Malone, Founder of Advanced Pain Care When you walk through the doors at Advanced Pain Care, I want you to feel happy and optimistic. Everyone at APC brings a positive attitude to their work, and we want you to feel the same way we do. I know you’re in some form of pain when you visit us. I know that’s an unpleasant experience. Feeling happy and optimistic isn’t a typical feeling for most chronic pain patients. That’s why I created Advanced Pain Care: I saw a need for comprehensive and compassionate patient care. And my own personal experience as a pain
Spinal Cord Stimulator: A Tried and True Pain Relief Technology
By Dr. Ryan Michaud The spinal cord stimulator may sound like a newer technology, but it’s actually been around for many years. The first documented use was in 1967. Like many technologies of that era, the spinal cord stimulator has improved dramatically over the years — even within the past three years. It continues to be a safe, effective treatment for helping patients with chronic pain syndromes. Here are some answers to your most frequently asked questions about the spinal cord stimulator. How Does the Spinal Cord Stimulator Work? The spinal cord stimulator blocks pain signals that are sent to your brain. It’s placed in
Q&A: Chronic Pain and the Spinal Cord Stimulator
By Amber Featherston, Director of Surgical Services In APC’s recent Facebook Live lunch, we had over 300 comments asking Dr. Mark Malone, Dr. Brad Culling, and Patient Ambassador Chester Jones a variety of questions about the spinal cord stimulator. (If you missed it, you can watch the full video on our YouTube channel.) With such enthusiastic participation, we couldn’t answer all of your questions in that session, so we’ve answered them below. We also encourage you to set up an appointment so we can address questions that are unique to your personal situation. If you’d like to read more about the spinal cord
How Crystal Found Relief From Chronic Pain
By Allison Turner, DNP, FNP-C We understand your frustration. Enduring complicated medical procedures, taking multiple medications, only to experience minimal pain relief. You may think living in pain is just life. For Crystal, a 52-year-old with chronic low back pain and knee pain in the setting of rheumatoid arthritis, that’s the conclusion she was approaching. Even with a 12-year-old spinal cord stimulator for her back pain, multiple medications, and recent knee replacement surgery, Crystal only had moderate pain improvement. Adding to her frustration was pressure from medical professionals to continue trying invasive surgical procedures. She was also faced with the revelation that she might require
Recovering From a Spinal Cord Stimulator Implant Procedure
Once you have a spinal cord stimulator, you’re starting a new chapter in your life. You may feel ready to get back to your normal activities since you're experiencing pain relief. Still, recovering from a spinal cord stimulator procedure requires patience and understanding.
How Saundra H. Found Pain Relief With The Spinal Stimulator
Every person’s pain is unique, and every person’s success with the spinal stimulator is different. When chronic pain patients share their stories and journey with spinal stimulation, it often reminds us that others are going through similar experiences. It's a reminder to connect with those that need support and continue to offer solutions that can give you the pain relief you deserve. Saundra H. shares her inspiring story about her long struggle with chronic pain, and how the decision to choose spinal cord stimulation with Advanced Pain Care changed her life. 12 Years Of Chronic Back Pain With No Relief Saundra was an active