Columbus, OH
A 22-year-old female asked:
Can a person with a spinal cord stimulator become tolerant and not receive benefits in the long run?
1 doctor answer • 2 doctors weighed in
Dr. Romanth Waghmaraeanswered
Pain Management 41 years experience
SCS: Although you have a scs - tolerance to its effects can be seen. This is more with older designed systems. The newer ones that are designed now days(boston scientific) result in less tolerance. One has to rule out new pathology as a reason.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
1 comment
Dr. Chris Faubel commented
Pain Management 16 years experience
I agree that new pathology is possible, but the most common reason for decreasing effectiveness is the SCS lead being pulled down or the battery is dead (or not charged) or the lead is dead. The first step is to call the stimulator rep to test and possibly reprogram the stimulator. An x-ray can be taken to make sure the lead or paddle electrode is in the correct place. See your physician first.
Apr 10, 2014
Last updated Aug 14, 2019
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