As many as 40% of people will develop the spinal condition sciatica in their lifetime, a problem that can have devastating effects when it doesn’t respond to initial treatments.
Sciatica pain can shoot from your lower back into your buttock, hip, leg, and foot. It can burn, tingle, stab, or feel like an electric shock. For some people, sciatica comes and goes; for others, it’s a constant problem.
At North of Atlanta Pain Clinic in Duluth, Georgia, we know chronic sciatica can affect almost everything you do. It makes walking painful, sitting uncomfortable, and sleeping difficult.
It can also wear you down emotionally, especially when you’ve tried medications, injections, physical therapy, or even surgery and still don’t feel like yourself.
When chronic sciatica doesn’t improve with standard care, spinal cord stimulation may offer a new path forward. It doesn’t cure the underlying cause of nerve pain, but it can change how your body feels that pain. For many patients, that difference is life-changing.
Sciatica usually starts when something irritates or compresses your sciatic nerve or one of the nerve roots that feed into it. Common causes include:
Nerve pain can continue after inflammation improves. It can also become more sensitive over time, meaning your nervous system keeps sending strong pain signals even when the original problem doesn’t appear severe on a scan.
That’s one reason chronic sciatica is so frustrating. Your imaging may not fully explain the degree of pain you feel every day. We take that seriously, because pain doesn’t need to look dramatic on a scan to disrupt your life.
Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) uses a small implanted device to deliver mild electrical pulses near your spinal cord. These pulses interrupt problematic pain signals before they reach the brain.
Think of it as turning down the volume on the nerves screaming at your brain. Some people experience a gentle tingling rather than pain, while newer SCS systems cause no noticeable sensation.
The system includes thin wires (leads) and a small battery-powered generator. We place the leads in the epidural space near your spinal cord. The generator sits under your skin, usually near the upper buttock or lower back.
As we’ve explained, chronic sciatica involves irritated or damaged nerves. Since spinal cord stimulation targets nerve pain signals, it can help patients who haven’t had enough relief from other treatments.
We may suggest spinal cord stimulation if you have:
Spinal cord stimulation doesn’t suit every patient, so we start with a careful evaluation. We review your symptoms, medical history, imaging, previous treatments, and goals. We also talk honestly about what the treatment can and can’t do.
One of the biggest benefits of spinal cord stimulation is the trial period, because you don’t have to commit to a permanent implant right away.
For the trial, we place temporary leads during an outpatient procedure. You wear the external stimulator for several days to test how much relief it offers you during normal activities.
If the trial reduces your pain enough and improves function, we discuss a permanent implant. If it doesn’t help, we remove the temporary leads, and you haven’t committed to the full device.
We perform the spinal cord stimulation trial with local anesthesia and sedation when appropriate. Most patients go home the same day. During the trial, you’ll follow activity limitations so the leads stay in the right place.
If you move forward with the permanent implant, we place the leads and generator during another outpatient procedure. After healing, we program the device to match your pain pattern. We can adjust the settings over time as your needs change.
Spinal cord stimulation aims to reduce pain and improve function. Some patients gain enough relief to walk more, sleep better, return to hobbies, or rely less on pain medication. Those improvements can have a powerful effect on confidence and mood.
SCS doesn’t erase every pain signal for every person. It also doesn’t repair a damaged disc or reverse conditions like arthritis. However, when chronic sciatica keeps sending intense nerve pain signals, spinal cord stimulation may help calm your system and make life feel manageable again.
Contact North of Atlanta Pain Clinic to schedule a consultation and learn whether spinal cord stimulation could help with your sciatica. Call our office at 770-559-8385 or click here to book your appointment.
