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I'm having a trail using one from St. Jude Medical. Their newest one has leads that are like a padle and they say it is less likely to migrate. I have had 3 surgeries fusions of S1, L5,L4,L3, and had them remove all the metal because I was still having problems. After 14 years of pain meds, I'm going to try this. Can you give me some of your results? Did you experience the zapping, how much lower back pain was relieved? Did you have pain in the groin and was it relieved?

Have they told you how long it will be before the permenant unit can be done and how long it will take to heal after that?

I'd like to know what your results are. I'm waiting for a consult with St. Jude Medical rep to begin the process. I had a laminectomy of my L5/S1 3 years ago and now the pain is back. I'm not a good candidate for surgery right now so I'm going to try the neurostimulator. I sure hope it works for me.

I am wondering if you are talking about the Spinal Cord Stimulator, because I just had one put in on Dec 28th, and I am having great results with it. It is helping the numbness going down my leg, but the back pain due to failed fusions, and several other medical problems doesn't get any relief from this. It does what I was told by my Neurosurgeon, Pain & Spine Dr, and my Orthopedic that it would do for me.

If this is what you are talking about, I would be happy to talk to you more about my results.

If it is not the SCS that you are asking about, sorry, and I wish you the best.

Yes it's the Spinal cord stimulator stem. Thank you for your response. I haven't gotten any relief from pain with this. I'm glad it's working for you. My doctor will do the pain pump next. I hope to get some relief from my pain soon. I had high hopes this stem would work. As with alot of other things it works well for some and not for others. I would be glad to hear more of your results.

Hi, My doctor has recently mentioned my getting an implantable neurostimulator for the pain I have experienced for the past 3 years in my wrist. I have ha 4 unsuccessful surgeries. I am only 25, and I am concerned with the appearance of the neurostimulator. What does it look like after it is implanted? How much does it show under your skin? Is it very obvious? Will I be able to wear summer clothing without having a strange looking thing sticking out of my skin? How big is it? I have been unable to find any photos on the web of how the unit looks after it was installed. Thanks!!

Hi! Is this an implantable stim? I have basically had it all done. The trial I had for the implantable neurostim was a failure in my case. I could see how it would help some people with leg symptoms, but for me I felt like I was a bug in a bug zapper or a dog with invisible fencing. Any large breaths or movement, it would be quite intense, and I would feel like it was zapping me. Since then I have had the pump placed. This is helping greatly with the pain. Talk to your doctor. If it is a TENs unit, I have had that also and that did not help either. Good Luck! Hope this was helpful.

Yes, It's the implantable stim. I'm having the same issues with the zapping everytime I move. If I turn it down to keep it from zapping then my pain is as tense as before. No pain relief. My doctor talked about the pain pump next. I see him Tuesday. Thank you for your resonse. It was quiet helpful, at least i'm not the only person that having this problem. Thank you.

i Just had the stim implant this past dec. i am having problems with pain from before the surgery. THey tell me its not 100% cure but i still miss work from hurting so bad. My pain is in my foot and leg from a foot injury 4 years ago. Can you talk to me about the pain pump?

I am just completing test phase with Boston Scientific Unit. Test failed. The unit was able to stimulate legs and lower buttocks; however, my pain is failed back at L3/L4 L4/L5 L5/S1 w/ multiple cages installed and multiple surgeries. The unit was unable to penetrate through years of scar damage and I had no relief to my lower back. Today the leads will be removed. I believe this unit would do great things for anyone with back problems that haven't undergone to many surgeries or have to much scar damage. Wonderful unit though and easy to control. I will now proceed with implantation of an intrathecal pain pump to see how that works. Hope this helps

I had a Medtronics stimularor sugerically implanted in December. The test gave me some relief but it was like the implanted in that it did move and gave me sudden impulses with movement. My rep. explained that I would have some movement until I was healed and scared over, maybe a year. I am having less and less sudden impulses. I have not had the help I wanted but any was welcome. Would I do it again, yes.

Hi ,I had the scs from st.judes test done late last year and it was a failure, I had chest pain that started during the placement of the temp. leads and was told by the Dr. that he hit scare tissue. the trial was to last a week and bad pain in the implanted area and in my chest was bad. The implant was to take away my headaches due to severe damage in my neck in 2003. I also have bad middle back pain and Thorasic Outlet in my arms, mostly in my right all the way to my hand.I already had the discs replaced and all of them fused together with and a plate in 2009. So, no the trial was not a success in taking away any pain in my neck or back or arms, but it did sort of help the headaches.

After many talks with my enthusiastic Doctor, it was decided that i would meet the surgeon and discuss the trial and the permanent ones differences and weather or not i would do it. I expressed my desire to be medication free and that i wanted the quality of my life back. I did it on Feb 19 2012. And to this day it has not provided me any relief. They did tell me at first that i had to heal longer, and i have had many adjustments to the programmer, and a time when my staff both at the dr.s and St. Judes forgot i even existed. I had to write my doctor a letter stating my discomfort and dissatisfaction with the quality of my care. They gave me a leason to help me with the communication problems.

Today i had to call for to refill my medications, and was met with unusual treatment...like as if i was med seeking or something! And i was told that if i had further pain issues that i would need to get another referral for them becausethey have treated me for my neck to date.I am on Vicodine and Dilaudid monthly because of the pain and breakthrough pain....medications they told me i would not have to take after this operation!!I came off the Dilaudid almost within 2 weeks or so after my surgery and just stayed with the topamax for my migrains and the vicodine for breakthru pain and lydoderm patches.

However, thru the weeks to come the pain in my head became intense, my arms and right shoulder radiated with pain and my neck is practically un movable, most of time each day. I was asked to have injections in my low back, and shoulder for which i did . and put back on Dilaudid.

All i wanted was some relief of the pain and a better quality of life and now i have made appoinment with my surgeon to discuss removal of this rediculous mess and transfere to another Pain Management Doctor so he can help me get back on the right track...God willing!

My advice to anyone that is going to do this if the Trial doesnt work Do Not Do The Perminent one.

Hello again-I neglected to say that my small paddle with leads was placed way up on C2 and the leads go down my spinal collumn to another incision in the middle right of my back where another incision is and the battery was attached and then the leads go all the way down my spine where the Battery is place in my left buttocks/hip area. I did forget to say that I also had the zapping randomly with different movements when turning my headhead, these Shocks' i call them, sometimes just drop me, or just go down my arm and up around my head. they did change settings over and over yet it continues , if the device is at a setting that i can even feel its presence. you never know when its going to happen- thats the scary part. I also found that i couldnt sleep with it on, and when i woke up my neck would be fixed as far as movement until i took medication and had some relief.

I hope others have had better experiences,it has become a very emotional experience for me, as i had such high hopes for it to work, based on the testimony of my doctorand staff. I wish anyone that is goin to try it the best of luck.

I found these comments helpful. I too am just today finishing the trial phase of the Medtronics neurostimulator implant device. Unfortunately, I too feel like a bug being zapped or a dog running into the invisible fence. When unit or stimulation turned down to only a tingle, I do not get relief for pain in my feet. When unit turned up hoping the stronger the signal the better chance of relieving the pain, I can't handle the 'taser' feeling. So, got to try something else, I guess.

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