Neuropathic Pain
Surgery
Some invasive therapies involve placing spinal cord stimulators in the spine or around nerves to interrupt the pain signals. Brain surgery to stimulate certain parts of the brain may be used in highly specialized cases of neuropathic pain that do not respond to other treatment types.
This is a surgery that may be done to provide pain relief by taking pressure off a nerve. During this procedure, a surgeon moves the surrounding tissue that is pressing on your nerve. A common example is carpal tunnel release, where surgery is done to relieve pressure on the median nerve in the wrist.
Spinal cord stimulation is usually considered after medicine and other less invasive treatments fail to control your pain. During surgery, the surgeon will put a small wire under your skin near your spinal cord. The wire will be connected to a device called a spinal cord stimulator. An SCS device sends tiny, safe amounts of electrical current through the wire to the nerves that are causing your pain. The electric current blocks pain messages in the nerve pathways going to the brain. Instead of feeling pain, you may feel tingling instead. SCS is generally first offered on a "trial" or short-term basis to see if it helps to relieve pain. Although risks are rare, they include equipment failure, infection, and injury to the spinal cord.
Peripheral nerve stimulators are similar in action to spinal cord stimulators. They are placed near the spinal cord or further away in an arm or leg, usually when severe pain is present. Like the spinal cord stimulator, you may try a PNS on a short-term basis to see if it will ease your pain. If it helps relieve your pain, you may have a long-term PNS put in. PNS is highly specialized and is available only in a few parts of the country. There is limited information about its usefulness.
Implantable Technologies: Spinal Cord Stimulation and Implantable Drug Delivery Systems
Surgical Nerve Decompression
This is a surgery that may be done to provide pain relief by taking pressure off a nerve. During this procedure, a surgeon moves the surrounding tissue that is pressing on your nerve. A common example is carpal tunnel release, where surgery is done to relieve pressure on the median nerve in the wrist.
Spinal Cord Stimulation (SCS)
Spinal cord stimulation is usually considered after medicine and other less invasive treatments fail to control your pain. During surgery, the surgeon will put a small wire under your skin near your spinal cord. The wire will be connected to a device called a spinal cord stimulator. An SCS device sends tiny, safe amounts of electrical current through the wire to the nerves that are causing your pain. The electric current blocks pain messages in the nerve pathways going to the brain. Instead of feeling pain, you may feel tingling instead. SCS is generally first offered on a "trial" or short-term basis to see if it helps to relieve pain. Although risks are rare, they include equipment failure, infection, and injury to the spinal cord.
Peripheral Nerve Stimulation (PNS)
Peripheral nerve stimulators are similar in action to spinal cord stimulators. They are placed near the spinal cord or further away in an arm or leg, usually when severe pain is present. Like the spinal cord stimulator, you may try a PNS on a short-term basis to see if it will ease your pain. If it helps relieve your pain, you may have a long-term PNS put in. PNS is highly specialized and is available only in a few parts of the country. There is limited information about its usefulness.
More Information
Implantable Technologies: Spinal Cord Stimulation and Implantable Drug Delivery Systems