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Is Spinal Cord Stimulation right for you?

To learn more and schedule a consult, please contact your primary care physician (PCP) for a referral to the Cape Cod Hospital Pain Center.

Personalized and powerful pain relief

Cape Cod Healthcare now offers Spinal Cord Stimulation (SCS), a medication-free and FDA-approved way to manage chronic diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) pain by disrupting the pain signals traveling between the spinal cord and the brain.

SCS is the latest example of the comprehensive services, physician expertise and leading-edge technology offered by Cape Cod Healthcare.

What is diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN)?

Diabetic neuropathy is a complication of diabetes. The most common type of diabetic neuropathy, DPN affects the feet and legs first, often followed by the hands and arms. Symptoms of DPN include numbness, tingling or burning feelings, muscle weakness, sharp pains and extreme sensitivity to touch.

SCS MedtronicWhat is spinal cord stimulation (SCS)?

Spinal cord stimulation is a non-medication, FDA-approved way to manage chronic pain that may be caused by DPN. SCS works by disrupting the pain signals traveling between the spinal cord and the brain. Stimulation is delivered via a neurostimulator implanted under the skin. The electrical impulses travel from the device to the spine over thin insulated wires called leads.

Who is a candidate for spinal cord stimulation?

Candidates for spinal cord stimulation include patients who experience chronic pain due to DPN and have not been satisfied by the levels of relief provided by oral pain medication, injections, or other treatments for pain.

SCS therapy is available as a trial system allowing candidates to evaluate this option prior to a implanted device. The procedure to implant the SCS device can be performed on an outpatient basis and typically takes 1-3 hours.

Clinically Proven Patient Outcomes

  • DPN patients are 17x more likely to experience significant pain relief if treated with SCS compared to conventional treatment
  • 86% of patients experienced treatment success after receiving SCS therapy for 1 year
  • The majority of patients experience meaningful pain relief through 5 years of treatment with SCS

Risks of SCS include infection, pain at the implant site and loss of therapy effectiveness. To learn more about SCS, please speak with your physician about your treatment options and if SCS may be appropriate for you.