Is spinal cord stimulation (SCS) really a last resort, or could it be the right tool for the right type of chronic pain?

In this episode, we take a deep dive into the most common questions patients ask before an SCS evaluation, using insights from Vertrae® in Dayton, Ohio. This conversation explores how spinal cord stimulation works, what neuropathic pain feels like, what patients can expect during the temporary SCS trial, and why this therapy is considered reversible.

We also discuss the difference between mechanical back pain and neuropathic nerve pain, including symptoms like burning, shooting, electric, or radiating pain that may travel down the leg or persist even at rest. For patients with persistent nerve pain after spine surgery, complex regional pain syndrome, or painful diabetic neuropathy, SCS may be part of a thoughtful treatment conversation.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

✅ What spinal cord stimulation is

✅ Whether SCS is a “last resort”

✅ How neuropathic pain differs from mechanical pain

✅ What the temporary SCS trial involves

✅ What an implanted spinal cord stimulator feels like

✅ Whether an SCS system can be removed

✅ How newer high-frequency and closed-loop systems work

✅ When another back surgery may or may not be the right option

Unlike structural spine surgery, spinal cord stimulation does not remove arthritis, repair a disc, or fuse the spine. Instead, it uses gentle electrical signals to help change how the nervous system processes pain. And because patients typically complete a temporary trial first, they can test the therapy before deciding whether to move forward with a permanent implant.

If you are living with chronic nerve pain, shooting leg pain, persistent pain after back surgery, or symptoms that have not improved with conservative care, an SCS evaluation may help determine whether this treatment is right for you.

To learn more or schedule an evaluation, visit Vertrae.com.

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