What are spinal cord stimulators and how are they implanted?
Often spinal cord stimulators are suggested by pain management specialists when all structural abnormalities of the spine have been addressed, and there is still pain, or in situations where surgery will not be successful. Spinal cord stimulators are devices that can be implanted percutaneously (way below the skin ?) by a pain management specialist. They are essentially electrodes that are placed (directly?) on top of the spinal cord. When stimulated, they trick the spinal cord and the brain into perceiving signals usually sent as pain and perceiving them as other sensations such as numbness, tingling or perhaps no pain whatsoever. They are approximately 70 % successful. Sometimes when the spinal cord stimulators are found to be extremely mobile, not maintaining their position along the spinal cord, it is asked that we do an open implantation of the spinal cord stimulator. This would involve a small laminectomy, the placement of the leads on top of the spinal cord and then a tunneling
