Peripheral Nerve Stimulation

Neuropathic pain can manifest as pain, burning, tingling, or numbness, and often does not respond well to traditional pain medications. A peripheral nerve stimulator device uses electrical pulses to interrupt these pain signals, thereby preventing the brain from sensing neuropathic pain.

Peripheral nerve stimulation is a safe and effective treatment to reduce pain in a number of peripheral neuropathies, such as diabetic peripheral neuropathy, peripheral vascular disease neuropathy, lateral femoral cutaneous neuropathy, complex regional pain syndrome, occipital neuralgia, trigeminal neuralgia, post-amputation pain syndrome, herpetic neuralgia, and reflex sympathetic dystrophy.

Procedure: Peripheral Nerve Stimulation

Before the placement of a permanent peripheral nerve stimulator, your doctor will perform a trial to assess whether peripheral nerve stimulation will be an effective method to reduce your pain. This trial involves the placement of temporary electrodes along the course of the affected nerve. The trial may be preceded by a nerve block, i.e. the injection of local anesthetic around the damaged nerve, to verify that the nerve is the source of pain.

If the peripheral nerve stimulation trial provides substantial pain relief, the peripheral nerve stimulator device can be placed with or without IV sedation. Your doctor will use local anesthetic to numb the procedure area. Electrodes are placed along the course of the damaged nerve, which connect to a battery that will be placed under the skin. The battery lasts for several years and can be easily replaced. The stimulator can be turned on or off with a remote, as needed. When the stimulator is turned on, you may feel a mild tingling sensation in the distribution of the damaged nerve. The stimulator settings can be adjusted by your doctor to maximize pain relief, or the settings may be adjustable via remote control.