Spinal Cord Stimulation

What is Spinal Cord Stimulation (SCS)?

SCS is one of many therapy options available to treat chronic pain. It involves implanting a neurostimulator under the patients’ skin. It delivers mild electrical impulses to the spine to block pain signals from going to the brain. The therapy has been proven to provide effective pain relief and improve quality of life. Multiple studies have provided clinical evidence to suggest some patients treated with SCS may be able to reduce oral opioid consumption.

What is Diabetic Neuropathy?

Diabetic neuropathy is a type of nerve damage that can occur if you have diabetes. High blood sugar (glucose) can injure nerves throughout the body. Diabetic neuropathy most often damages nerves in the legs and feet. Depending on the affected nerves, diabetic neuropathy symptoms include pain and numbness in the legs, feet, and hands. It can also cause problems with the digestive system, urinary tract, blood vessels and heart.

Symptoms of Diabetic Neuropathy

Some people have mild symptoms. But for others, diabetic neuropathy can be quite painful and disabling. Diabetic neuropathy is a serious diabetes complication that may affect as many as 50% of people with diabetes.

Treatment for Diabetic Neuropathy

If you have Diabetic Neuropathy you can slow its progress with consistent blood sugar management and a healthy lifestyle. But if you have chronic pain which lasts more than three to six months, it is a disabling condition that adversely affects wellbeing. It can interfere with working, sleeping, and participating in physical activities, ultimately affecting quality of life. Millions of American adults—more than those affected by heart disease, cancer, and diabetes combined—are affected by chronic pain. Not to mention, the cost to treat chronic pain the U.S., as well as related lost productivity, is extremely high. When conservative treatments for Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy have failed, spinal-cord stimulation has been proven to be an effective treatment for chronic neuropathic pain. This treatment not only improves exercise tolerance but also significantly reduces pain.