Spinal Cord Stimulation

What is spinal cord stimulation?

A spinal cord stimulator (SCS) is a small implanted device that delivers mild electrical pulses to the spinal cord through thin leads placed in the epidural space. The stimulation interrupts pain signals before they reach the brain. Modern systems from manufacturers such as Nevro, Abbott, and Boston Scientific offer therapies that most patients don't feel at all — no tingling required — and are adjusted wirelessly from a handheld controller.

Who is a candidate?

SCS is intended for chronic pain that has persisted despite injections, medications, and therapy. Well-established indications include persistent pain after spine surgery, complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), chronic back and leg pain in patients who aren't surgical candidates, and painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy. Related neuromodulation options — dorsal root ganglion (DRG) stimulation for focal pain such as CRPS of a foot or knee, and peripheral nerve stimulation for single-nerve pain — let Dr. Eaddy match the technology to the precise pain pattern.

How does the trial work?

The defining advantage of SCS is that you test it before anything is implanted. During a brief outpatient procedure, temporary leads are placed through a needle under X-ray guidance and connected to an external battery you wear for about a week. You live your normal life and judge the result yourself. If your pain improves by at least half — and most trial patients know clearly one way or the other — you can proceed to the permanent implant. If not, the leads are simply removed and nothing is left behind.

What is the permanent implant and recovery like?

The permanent system is placed during an outpatient procedure: the leads are anchored and connected to a small battery implanted under the skin, typically above the beltline. Most patients resume light activity within days and full activity after several weeks of avoiding bending, lifting, and twisting while the leads heal in place. The system is adjustable for life, many batteries recharge through the skin, and the therapy is reversible — the device can be turned off or removed if your needs change.

What are the risks?

Spinal cord stimulation is far less invasive than spine surgery, and the trial-first approach means nothing permanent is implanted until the therapy has proven itself. Complications are uncommon. Risks include:

• Infection
• Bleeding
• Lead migration that changes stimulation coverage and may require revision
• Device or battery malfunction over time
• Dural puncture (spinal-fluid leak) causing a temporary headache
• Nerve injury (rare)

What symptoms and diagnoses may lead to an SCS evaluation?

An evaluation may be appropriate for persistent burning, electric, or radiating pain—often after spine surgery, with CRPS, or with painful diabetic neuropathy—that continues despite appropriate medication, rehabilitation, injections, or surgery. The diagnosis and pain pattern determine whether SCS, DRG stimulation, peripheral nerve stimulation, or another approach fits best.

Does insurance or Medicare cover a spinal cord stimulator trial?

Medicare and many commercial insurers cover spinal cord stimulation for selected diagnoses when required conservative treatment, psychological screening, and documentation criteria are met. Permanent implantation generally requires a successful temporary trial. Coverage and cost sharing vary, so the office verifies benefits and prior authorization before either stage.

Before your visit

The questions above cover candidacy, the temporary trial, the permanent implant, recovery, risks, insurance, and long-term device management. A successful trial supports—but does not guarantee—the decision to proceed with an implant.

Reducing the risk of infection before your procedure

Because a device is implanted, Dr. Eaddy uses a skin-preparation protocol in the days before your procedure to lower the already-small risk of infection. Follow the exact instructions the office gives you — in general it involves:

• Mupirocin antibiotic ointment — applied twice daily for the five days leading up to your procedure.
• Hibiclens (chlorhexidine gluconate) antiseptic wash — used each day for the four days before your procedure, and once more on the morning of the procedure.

Because a stimulator trial leaves temporary leads passing through the skin, every stimulator trial also requires an oral antibiotic taken for the entire length of the trial.

This reflects published evidence that decolonizing the skin and nose with mupirocin and chlorhexidine (Hibiclens) lowers the rate of surgical-site infection, along with neuromodulation-specific guidance from the Neurostimulation Appropriateness Consensus Committee (NACC). See preparing for an interventional pain procedure for the rest of your pre-procedure checklist.

Trusted resources

Learn more from these independent medical sources:

• MedlinePlus (National Library of Medicine) — Spinal cord stimulation
• American Association of Neurological Surgeons — Spinal Cord Stimulation
• International Neuromodulation Society — Spinal Cord Stimulation

Related care

Conditions and treatments connected to this page, all provided by Dr. Eaddy:

• Failed Back Surgery Syndrome — persistent pain after spine surgery
• Complex Regional Pain Syndrome — early diagnosis and targeted neuromodulation for CRPS
• Neuropathy — care for burning, tingling, and numbness from nerve damage
• Device Troubleshooting & Revision — reprogramming, diagnostics, and revision for existing devices
• Patient guide: preparing for a spinal cord stimulator trial — how the try-before-you-commit period works

Medically reviewed by Kenneth J. Eaddy, MD · Last reviewed: July 29, 2026