A spinal cord stimulator delivers mild electrical signals to the spinal cord to interrupt pain messages before they reach the brain. It is done in two stages: a trial period first, and a permanent implant only if the trial works.
In Phoenix this procedure is performed in office at Mesa and Westgate. Fluoroscopy is on site there, so the injection is placed under live X-ray guidance rather than by feel. Where a clinic does not perform a procedure on site, your care is coordinated to one that does.
It is considered for nerve pain that has not responded to other treatment, including pain that persists after spinal surgery and some forms of neuropathy. The trial stage exists precisely so that nobody receives a permanent implant on a guess.
Nobody is offered a procedure at a first appointment. The first visit is an examination and a plan; the procedure is consented and scheduled separately, and most plans require prior authorization first, which we arrange.
The trial places temporary leads through a needle under live X-ray guidance, and you go home with an external device to use for several days in ordinary life. If the trial gives you meaningful relief, the permanent implant is scheduled separately.
You go home afterwards rather than staying overnight. Arrange a lift if you would rather not drive.
The trial is the answer. You are asked to record how much your pain drops and what you can do that you could not before, and that record decides whether the implant goes ahead.
Whatever the result, it is information. A good response confirms the source of the pain; a poor one usually means the pain is coming from somewhere else, and that changes the plan rather than ending it.
We accept most major insurance plans and are in network with most Medicare Advantage plans in both states. These procedures generally require prior authorization, which we arrange, and benefits are verified before anything is scheduled.
Read more about spinal cord stimulator or Pain Management in Phoenix.
Every clinic below has Chiropractic, Physical Therapy, Acupuncture and Pain Management on one chart, so care can move between them without a new referral.
Downtown out through the north, west, south and east suburbs.
Academy, Interquest and Tenderfoot cover the north, central and south of the city.
Harmony in Fort Collins and our Greeley clinic serve Larimer and Weld counties.
Across the Valley, from the West Valley through Phoenix to the East Valley.
In office at our Mesa and Westgate clinics. Fluoroscopy is on site for guided injections.
No referral is needed to be evaluated. The procedure itself is scheduled after an assessment, and most insurance plans require prior authorization, which we arrange.
No. The first visit is an examination and a plan. Procedures are consented and scheduled separately.
The skin is numbed with local anaesthetic. You are awake, and being awake is useful because you can tell the physician what you feel.
The procedure itself takes a few minutes to under an hour depending on what is being treated. Allow longer for preparation and a short rest afterwards.
Often yes, but not always. You will be told in advance, so arrange a lift if you would rather not find out on the day.
We accept most major plans and are in network with most Medicare Advantage plans in both states. Prior authorization is usually required and we arrange it.
That is useful information rather than a dead end. It usually means the pain is coming from a different structure, which changes the plan.
Spinal Cord Stimulator is performed in office at our Mesa and Westgate clinics. No referral is needed to be evaluated, and appointments are usually available within the same week.
