Approximately 60,000 folks receive a spinal cord stimulator every year. If you’re one of them, you know how incredibly effective they can be in finally relieving your severe back pain.
However, with your new pain-free life comes a few new rules to live by as you navigate and adapt to the small challenges that accompany spinal cord stimulators.
Don’t worry. Dr. David Wu and our team at CurePain are here to walk you through it all. Here’s everything you need to know about adjusting to life with a spinal cord stimulator.
Spinal cord stimulation is an effective, minimally invasive procedure providing fast and long-lasting back pain relief.
It happens in two phases: trial and permanent.
We place a thin wire in your spine connected to a battery pack outside your body. The wire sends mild electrical currents into your spine, disrupting pain messages and effectively relieving your brain.
If it works well for you, we move into the permanent phase, where Dr. Wu places permanent wires in your spine and implants the generator back in your lower back or upper buttock. You control the electrical pulse with a remote.
Sciatica and other nerve-related causes of back pain respond best to spinal cord stimulation. Once your spinal cord stimulator is in place, you not only feel less pain, but you can focus on rehabilitating your back with physical therapy and other strength-building strategies.
But life changes a bit after receiving your spinal cord stimulator, and you must follow these safety and use guidelines.
You know about the magnetic fields in MRI and X-ray machines, but up until now, you probably didn’t realize that magnetic fields are all around you. The library, your favorite retail stores, and even your phone and tablets all operate on magnetic fields, which can disrupt your stimulator if you’re not careful. Here are some rules of thumb to follow:
Your personal smart devices are safe to use but be advised that your spinal cord stimulator can interfere with the magnetic strip on your credit cards.
During your trial phase (partially when you have fresh sutures), swimming and fully submerging yourself in water is a no-no. Once you’ve received your permanent stimulator, you can enjoy a refreshing dip in the pool, lake, or ocean — just check in with us at your follow-up appointments to make sure it’s safe to do so.
Driving or operating heavy machinery with your stimulator on is unsafe. Use your remote to power your pack off while you drive. It’s okay to have your simulator on while sitting in the passenger seat, though.
Talk with your plane’s flight crew about your spinal cord stimulator. They may ask you to turn off the device during take-off and landing so you don’t interfere with the pilot’s communication systems.
Living with a spinal cord stimulator does present some new challenges, but they pale in comparison to a life with no back pain. If you have more questions or concerns about how to care for yourself and your stimulator, don’t hesitate to call our friendly staff or use our online booking tool to talk with our expert at our Torrance, California, office today.
