Peripheral nerve stimulation places small electrodes alongside a specific peripheral nerve and delivers mild electrical pulses that interrupt the pain signal before it reaches the brain. It differs from spinal cord stimulation by targeting one troublesome nerve directly rather than a region of the spinal cord. It is used for nerve pain conditions including occipital neuralgia, post-amputation pain, post-herpetic neuralgia, diabetic peripheral neuropathy, meralgia paresthetica and pain after hernia or chest surgery. Candidates have usually exhausted conservative treatment without adequate relief, and a trial period precedes the permanent implant. Spine Institute of North America (Spine INA) in East Brunswick, New Jersey performs peripheral nerve stimulation.
Peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS) is a pain management technique that uses electrodes on your peripheral nerves to control pain. Your peripheral nerves are part of your nervous system in your brain and spinal cord. These nerves can be damaged or injured by surgical procedures or traumatic injury. Sometimess after surgery, the nerves can be trapped in scar tissue and start to cause the patient pain. The electrodes placed on the nerves create a tingling sensation, which interrupts the pain signal being sent to the brain. The device that is used is safe and provides effective treatment of pain.
What Conditions Does PNS Treat?
The use of PNS has been successful in treating numerous painful nerve conditions. These include the following:
- Diabetic peripheral neuropathy
- Occipital neuralgia
- Post-amputation pain
- Ilioinguinal/iliohypogastric neuropathy
- Post-herpetic neuralgia
- Post-thoracotomy syndrome
- Trigeminal neuralgia
- Intercostal neuralgia
- Meralgia Paresthetica (also known as Lateral Femoral Cutaneous Neuropathy)
- Pain after hernia surgery
