Hi , Im not sure what the differences might be in a spinal cord stimulator and a transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulator (t.e.n.s unit ) I just got mine yesterday and it does bring limited relief . I have to wear it for at least a half hour before the relief starts ( per instructions ) and then I may turn it off . I find while it is on after it starts masking the pain I tend to do things that I should not , so I am trying to be cognizant of that . I wonder if the two are similar ?

the spinal cord stimulator is implanted into your back and the TENS Unit is what you use with pads on the outside of your back. I would first do the TENS Unit before doing anything implanted surgically...we were given that option too for my husband but said no. He is using the TENS Unit and finds it very helpful...and you can wear it all day if you want to. Good luck.

Diane

Somebody told me that the neurostimulator only helps neuropathic pain. I doubt this is true as it would mean my neurosurgeon and other doctors are unbelievably misinformed.

Is there anybody who has back pain and the neurostimulator helped or did not help or knows anything that could be of use.

It would be great for my neuropathic pain to go away, but my back pain is of paramount importance.

Neurostimulation provides pain relief by blocking the pain messages before they reach the brain. The neurostimulator sends out mild electrical impulses that reach the brain faster than the pain signal can arrive. In other words, it outsmarts your pain. Instead of pain, you feel a tingling sensation.

I just got done with the test trial for my spinal Cord Stimulator. I had to wear it for 5 days and yes it goes just right under your skin close to your spine. The first couple days are rough but such a huge difference than with a TENS unit. I am now waiting on a call from my Neurosurgeon for Surgery (permanent Stimulator) to be put in. Its kind of a long process but its been worth it for me. You have to go through a psych evaluation before anything is done then the trial before the permanent one is placed. I am going through medtronics for my stimulator and I cant wait for the permanent one! I loved the trial. It helped me do things I couldn't do otherwise. I can let you know as soon as my permanent one is in. It should be sometime this next week. if you have any questions just let me know and I can help as best as I can.

good luck to you siredma....I hope it goes smoothly for you :)

I have a stimulator installed. It was installed 9/27/12, the trial was great.. The permanent one, no so much. It gives a little relief but not as much as we hoped for. It all depends on your pain level and where it is located. My stimulator is installed at T5.
slredma, you are incorrect, the stimulator is installed in the spinal column against the spinal cord, even the trial.
I have the St Jude Medical Eon rechargeable battery with the Penta. I am also at the strongest setting they can do. My battery only last about 2 weeks max if I take it easy. It does help @ times.

wow kjbord that is what my husband is afraid of tht it would be on the highest setting and not enough pain relief...right now he is on 100mcg/hr fentanyl patch, 20mg oxycodone 4x a day for breakthrough and Zenaflex muscle relaxer...and he still isn't pain free! He uses the TENS unit during the day and it seems to take the edge off along with his meds. It would be too much for him to go through another surgical procedure to get something implanted that wouldn't work enough to justify it.

diane7460. I will say this. If they would tell me I'd have to do it all over again, I would. I have friends and previous customers that had it done with great success. So it depends on the person and also what kind of odds the doc says. You have to believe in your doctor. I did mine and I don't regret it at all. He is the best in the state (Louisiana), What level is damaged if you don't mind me asking? Mine is the Thoracic region (T5) is where it is implanted, my friend and also 2 customers (I use to work in the service department of a car dealer) have it in the lumbar region, both with great success. Me however not so good.... But then again my damage is to great to have any other options.

hi kjbord thanks for the reply......well my husband had the spinal fusion in October of 2011.....it was L3 to L5, they took out both discs and cleaned up bone fragments. They put in 2 meshes in the discs place and then 2 rods and 6 screws. His scar is a foot long. Ever since the surgery he has been needing to use the cane for balance and pain. He is on a lot of pain medicine fentanyl 100mcg patch and oxy 20mg 4x a day in addition to his muscle relaxer too. They said that it was a failed back surgery because of his scarring inside. His pain is from his back to both hips down both legs to his pinky toes. He gets awful spasms like he is being electrocuted...its awful. The other thing he is on is Coumadin a blood thinner for genetic problem of forming blood clots. So I thought prob the Coumadin didn't help his recovery maybe. That is why he is afraid to be opened back up and stick something near his spinal column unless they can guarantee it will help him. He does use the TENS Unit with some success....or relief at times rather....and he is allowed to wear it all day if he wanted but he prob only wears it an hour at a time. It just sucks for him because he worked as maintenance in the hospital I worked at and him and I remodeled our whole entire house. It isn't easy for a man who is used to working like that sit and not being able to do anything. I am waiting for him to get his medicare/disability insurance and then I will take him maybe to NY to see if I can find a good dr/surgeon that maybe can clean up the mess inside him and get him to heal better from the first surgery.....maybe the scar tissues need to be removed...I dunno but I would like to try and see if there is any hope for him....he is too young to live like this at 52.
Kjbord are you able to return to work or will you be disabled the rest of your life? Hope you are having a better day with no pain.

Diane

Diane, with the failed back surgery, there really isn't anything they will be able to do about the scar tissue. The stimulator is most commonly used for Failed Back Surgery Syndrome. I can understand his pain and not being able to do the work anymore. I was a service consult/tech at a car dealer for years, I too was use to doing my own work on cars, boat, house, etc... Now I can't do any of that, and it kills me. I am in the process of healing from ACCF C4-5, 5-6 on top of the stimlator in my thoracic spine @ T7 according to my last CT... The stimulator was my only option for my thoracic spine. No one will operate on it due to the super high risk....
I wish you both luck with the out come and also with your husband learning his new limitations.. I know it is hard, because it is hard for me.

kjbord you are young as well...what happened that caused you to have such back problems at such a young age? TY for the kind words.....what do you do to fill your time during the day? I am sorry you are in the same situation and limited with what you can do. The issue with him being on a blood thinner weighs heavy on my husband and myself, especially with it being so close to the spine again. But do you think the spinal stimulator is way better than the TENS Unit? Because he thinks that works ok for him where he is able to do a lil something at times.

Diane

diane7460, Think of a stimulator as an internal tens unit. It helps with the pain, however if turned up too high it can cause spasms also. I have been maxed out on the voltage, I chose the Eon battery (St Jude Medical rechargeable) it has a smaller profile than the other batteries. With this set up and my voltage setting my battery only last about 2 weeks. My rep advises on charging it every week it takes about 2 hrs, but it can be done while watching TV, walking, shopping, driving, etc... As for my injuries, my doctors on't now what happened. I was a rough kid, played full contact football with no gear, a few car accidents and my dad and his siblings all had bad backs. most of them had surgery by time they were 39-45 years old. I have them beat by a few years lol... As for work, my neurosurgeon told me I wouldn't be doing any type of work again due to the amount of damage in my back which kinda sucks because I am so use to doing, and the learning that I am limited is really going slllooooowwww... It is so hard when I am use to doing and can't anymore. All of the things I enjoy are just gone it seems. Working on cars, fishing, playing ball, walking and playing with my Boxers. With out being able to twist my torso its kinda hard to do anything. My favorite thing to do is fishing, I have been fishing since I was 4 years old. My grandfather was a commercial fisherman so its in my blood. The last time I went, after about an hour I leaned over to wash my hands and it took me a little over 10 minutes to get back up, so I haven't gone since.... My wife had to change the power steering hose on our car, I attempted to over see her and my pain level went to a 10 in the matter of minutes, NOT good, as that is also one of my favorite hobbies I have a little over 30k in tools sitting and collecting dust now, along with about 2k in fishing gear, I just put my boat up for sale because of my back.

kjbord you sound just like my husband he has thousands of dollars worth of tools and doesn't want to part with them because he thinks he will hopefully get to use them again. I am so sorry to hear that you cannot do the things you love. I was going to wait until my husband gets his medicare in March and look for a better surgeon in NY maybe. I hope maybe they have more resources or ideas how to help him. The surgeon who did his back surgery said he could go back in and clean up his scar tissue but couldn't guarantee it would help him. So my thought process is wait until I can see a surgeon from a big city university. He also is on blood thinner -Coumadin for another disorder so it is a little worrisome to have another surgery or even an instrument placed in his back....but I guess we will see when the time comes to make a decision. God Bless kjbord...you are in my prayers


Diane

Diane I hope your husband gets some relief soon... I don't think his blood thinner will affect the stimulator if he chooses to go that way. I would say wait and talk to one of the more experienced doctors that deal with lower back issues only. I am lucky to have a clinic that has all of the neurosurgeons in one office. From brain surgery all the way down the spine.
Good luck and I pray for some relief for your husband soon.

Keith