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Spinal Cord Stimulator Treatment for Sciatica
Inside of the spine are a series of nerves that are responsible for delivering messages throughout the body. Injury to specific areas of the spine can damage or put pressure on the nerves, which in turn creates and sends pain signals to the brain.
Because the spine is responsible for sending pain signals to all areas of the body, it is possible for an injury to the spine to cause pain that radiates to areas outside the back. One of the most common is known as sciatic pain, also called “sciatica.” This is a type of leg pain that starts by damage to the back – due to age or injury – that puts pressure on the sciatic nerve leading to pain down the leg.
Many conditions can cause sciatica, including:
- Degenerative Disc Disease – An age-related spinal disease that weakens discs.
- Spinal Stenosis – Narrowing of the spinal canal.
- Herniated Disc – Damaged discs that put pressure on the nerves.
Other causes include pregnancy, piriformis syndrome, and bone fracture. But no matter what the cause, it originates at the spine.
How to Treat Sciatica and Best Treatment Available
Often, when a person struggles with chronic sciatica, it becomes important to seek treatment. Many of the causes of sciatica will not clear on their own. But the treatment you choose is going to depend on many factors, including your age, health, the type of injury, whether or not you have tried other treatments, and the risk/success rate associated with the procedure.
Some of the best treatments for sciatica include:
- Physical Therapy – One of the most conservative but effective treatments, physical therapy can strengthen the core and reduce or prevent spine related damage.
- Epidural Steroid Injections – With a mix of steroids and pain relief medication, epidural steroid injections are an effective way to reduce inflammation and prevent some or all pain.
- Spinal Cord Stimulator – This device is a great tool for when other treatments have failed. It is manually controlled and delivers electrical pulses to the nerves to disrupt pain messengers and reduce pain. Very effective and requires only a minimally invasive procedure.
- Intrathecal Pump – Another unique device, the intrathecal pump delivers low doses of medication directly into the spinal cord. It delivers pain relief with fewer side effects than oral medication because less dose is needed to experience benefits.
- Surgery – Finally, sciatica may respond well to surgery. Surgical options include discectomies (removal of discs), spinal fusion, and laminectomies. Other surgical options may be considered depending on the cause of the sciatic nerve pain.
Each one of these treatments merits consideration depending on the cause of your sciatica, the amount of pain, and your previous history with back pain treatments.
The only way to know which is the best treatment for you is to schedule a consultation with Physician Partners of America. Contact us today to get started.