Reply To: Spinal Cord Stimulator – Part 5

[Amanda]

Hi All

Good for you Liz to be taking things gently…..rest is the best thing you can do now and keep those arms down by your sides.

Have you tried turning down your Stimulator? You may find that the stimulation reaches your lumbar area without reprogramming. When are you due to return to the hospital?

Jan

I dont think trying a TENS or having a positive response from using a TENS is a definitive requirement prior to SCS.
If you find it aggravates your pain, have you tried other locations for the placement of the pads?
There is a great guide on Google that shows placement pictures for all kinds of pain and it does pay to play around with where they go. Also some people prefer to use the machine on a pulse programme rather than a constant one. I personally got a lot from a TENS at times and nothing at others. I could only use it on a constant programme and the pulsing one drove me more in pain.

I was told that if a TENS helped me then an SCS would give me a positive response to my pain receptors as the theory is basically the same..even if they are totally different therapies.