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How does spinal cord
stimulation work?
Pain is an electrical signal that travels along nerve fibers through the
spinal cord to the brain.
Southwest's pain specialists use the Precision Plus
System to mask these pain signals. The system delivers tiny doses of electricity
to change the pain signal into something your brain interprets as a pleasant
sensation called paresthesia. Patients describe paresthesia as feeling like a
gentle tingling or massage.
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The graphic on the left shows you how spinal cord
stimulation works:
- Pain signals travel along the spinal cord toward
the brain.
- A small rechargeable implantable pulse generator
(IPG) produces tiny electrical impulses.
The impulses travel
along one or two small wires called leads, which are attached to the
implant. Each lead has tightly spaced electrode contacts.
- Electrode contacts deliver electrical
impulses to a specific location on the spinal cord to mask the pain
signals.
- The masked signals then travel to the brain
where they are often perceived (felt) as tingling sensations
(paresthesia), and the feeling of pain is
reduced.
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- Interventional Pain
Clinic -
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