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Peripheral Nerve Stimulation

Peripheral Nerve Stimulation services offered in Atlanta, Fayetteville, Stockbridge, Newnan, GA

Long-term pain can be debilitating, and you might feel frustrated if pain management hasn’t worked. Peripheral nerve stimulation at Pain Consultants of Atlanta offers a new and highly innovative method of long-lasting relief using a tiny implanted pulse generator. It replaces your pain signals and prevents you from feeling them, often reducing your pain by half or more. There are four offices located in Atlanta, Fayetteville, Stockbridge and Newnan, Georgia, so call the one nearest you or use the online booking feature to learn more.

What is peripheral nerve stimulation?

Peripheral nerve stimulation treats chronic pain within the peripheral nerves (the nerves outside the spinal cord and brain). The treatment uses an implanted pulse generator, which delivers mild electrical impulses to the pain-triggering nerves through thin electrodes. 

These impulses replace pain signals. So, instead of perceiving pain, you’ll experience either a mild tingling (paresthesia) or no sensation when your nerves try to generate pain signals.

The Pain Consultants of Atlanta team can set a program for your device, and you also control the peripheral nerve stimulation using an app on your phone as needed. 

Are peripheral nerve stimulation and spinal cord stimulation the same?

Peripheral nerve stimulation and spinal cord stimulation are similar in how they treat pain. But, the wire leads that deliver the electrical impulses are placed in two different places. 

With a spinal cord stimulator, the leads are always near the spinal cord. With peripheral nerve stimulation, the leads are near the specific painful nerve, which could be nearly anywhere from the chest to the abdomen to the ankle area or somewhere else.

In general, peripheral nerve stimulation may be a good treatment for nearly any isolated nerve pain (in one particular area). But if you have radiating nerve pain that moves into other areas of the body, spinal cord stimulation might be better for you. Both treatments can offer dramatic pain relief.

What conditions can peripheral nerve stimulation treat?

Peripheral nerve stimulation treats many conditions that cause pain in your peripheral nervous system. A few of the most common include:

  • Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS)
  • Post-amputation pain (phantom limb pain)
  • Cluster headaches
  • Migraine headaches
  • Hip pain
  • Knee pain
  • Ankle and foot pain
  • Shoulder pain
  • Back pain
  • Neck pain

The Pain Consultants of Atlanta carefully evaluates your situation and discusses your treatment goals with you to help you decide whether peripheral nerve stimulation is the best treatment choice for you. 

How soon does peripheral nerve stimulation work?

Many patients experience a significant improvement in their pain level in only a few days. But, it’s important to remember that your pain won’t vanish completely. Peripheral nerve stimulation, like spinal cord stimulation, is generally considered successful if it lessens your pain by half or more. 

Other treatments can work alongside peripheral nerve stimulation to give you the most effective pain relief possible. To learn more, call Pain Consultants of Atlanta or book your consultation online today.