SCS systems are intended to aid in the management of chronic pain, including unilateral or bilateral pain associated with the following:

• Back and/or leg pain persisting and/or recurring after one or more spine surgeries (Failed back surgery syndrome – FBSS)
• Intractable low back or upper neck pain not responsive to other non-invasive therapies in subjects not candidate for spine surgery, with or without extremities pain
• Chronic nerve pain resulting from a nerve damage in either the upper or lower extremity (i.e. as a complication from diabetic neuropathy, or as resulting from traumatic nerve damage)
• Chronic abdominal pain in individuals without a surgically amendable pain cause
• Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS)
• Chronic pain following surgery (i.e. groin pain after hernia repair, or trunk pain following breast or lung surgery)

SCS systems work by delivering electrical energy from a small, implanted device to an area around your spine. Patients first go through a trial phase where you and your consultant evaluate the therapy to see if it is right for you.

During the trial phase, you will temporarily use an external trial stimulator, which is not implanted in the body.

These trials usually last between 1-2 weeks. Patients undergo a minimally invasive procedure under sedation where leads are placed directly into the spine, through a small hole which is made in the skin. A trial device is then worn externally for 1-2 weeks under clothes or on a belt. The system is customised for your pain and you are given multiple programmes to try over the course of the week/weeks. At the end of this week you meet with the consultant again for a feedback session where you are asked questions about your function, pain relief and overall health to evaluate if the trial was successful in treating your pain. Only after a successful trial, your consultant will discuss with you the implantation of a battery-powered device after the trial phase.

During a minimally invasive procedure, a small device is implanted under the skin, just above the beltline or in the buttocks area. It is connected to thin, flexible wires, just like those used in the trial, which are placed near the spine. It is also possible your consultant may recommend an alternative approach using either a different type of wire or battery location according to your unique clinical needs, and this might require a slightly different procedure.

SCS systems are intended to aid in the management of chronic pain, including unilateral or bilateral pain associated with the following:

• Back and/or leg pain persisting and/or recurring after one or more spine surgeries (Failed back surgery syndrome – FBSS)
• Intractable low back or upper neck pain not responsive to other non-invasive therapies in subjects not candidate for spine surgery, with or without extremities pain
• Chronic nerve pain resulting from a nerve damage in either the upper or lower extremity (i.e. as a complication from diabetic neuropathy, or as resulting from traumatic nerve damage)
• Chronic abdominal pain in individuals without a surgically amendable pain cause
• Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS)
• Chronic pain following surgery (i.e. groin pain after hernia repair, or trunk pain following breast or lung surgery)

Clinical Evidence has shown that SCS provides significant (>50% reduction from baseline) long term pain relief for back and leg pain in approximately 70% of the subjects treated.