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New Pain Management Device Mimics Natural Response To Pain

Spinal cord stimulators (SCS) have been a part of the pain management marketplace for a very long time. These devices are all basically the same; they are electrodes, surgically implanted in the epidural space of the spine.  These electrodes are attached to an impulse generator which is implanted in the abdomen or gluteus.  The other key piece of the system is a remote control which is used to modify the the electrical signals being transmitted to the spinal cord via the electrodes.  These electrical signals become "white noise" to the nervous system in an effort to "scramble" the pain signals, making pain more bearable for the patient.. The goal here is to maximize the patient's comfort while minimizing dependency on pain medication. These devices are most commonly used for patients with failed back surgeries, who really have no alternative but to find ways to cope with chronic pain.

Electrode Placement Example--Spinal Cord Stimulator



Up until recently, these devices were pretty similar to each other-that is to say, there was not much variation from manufacturer to manufacturer. That is, until St. Jude Medical came out with its "Prodigy" neurostimulator.  This product offers "Burst" technology which is said to mimic the body's natural response to pain.  The device has been available in the European Medical marketplace for a while, and as of early October 2016 has been FDA approved for use in the USA.

 Sources:Medgaget.com; Painweek.org;wikipedia; sjm.com

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