What Is Peripheral Nerve Stimulation And How Does It Work?
A Peripheral Nerve Stimulator is an outpatient procedure where a small electrical device is implanted near a damaged nerve to interrupt pain signals. Peripheral nerves are nerves found outside of the brain and spinal cord. Frequent areas that are treated are the shoulders and knees. Other areas that can be treated include the hips, ribs/chest, wrist and ankles, but peripheral nerve stimulation can be used to treat almost any area of pain.
Once implanted, mild electrical impulses will “stimulate” those damaged nerves in order to break up the pain signals reaching the brain. This will aid in masking the pain from a specific joint. Your body will sense a tingling sensation versus the sharp or dull pains coming from the joint. The device is controlled with a remote that is provided to turn the device on or off as needed. Patients who are good candidates for peripheral nerve stimulation are those who have already tried interventional therapies and injection therapies and are still having residual discomfort.
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