Neuromodulation

Neuromodulation is a rapidly evolving and exciting area in Pain Medicine. It may be an alternative for a highly selected subset of patients who have failed more conservative or surgical treatment options.

It is defined as the therapeutic alteration of activity in the nervous system, using implanted devices. A spinal cord stimulator (similar to a pacemaker) delivers low levels of electrical energy directly to nerve fibers. This can be an extremely effective way to treat pain at its source.

Medical device manufacturers such as Advanced Neuromodulation Systems (ANS) Inc. and Medtronic, Inc. are neuromodulation industry leaders.

The goal with neuromodulation therapy is to reduce a patient’s pain to a manageable level, so the patient can return to a more normal lifestyle. Indications for these exciting technologies are constantly expanding.