Treating Diabetic Neuropathy With Spinal Cord Stimulation
Diabetes impacts more than 34 million Americans6. Diabetic neuropathy (also known as diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN)) is among the most common complication from diabetes. In fact, approximately 50% of diabetic patients experience neuropathy in some form7. Many people with DPN experience symptoms such as numbness, burning, and stabbing pain in the hands and feet.
Patients who have not found pain relief with traditional treatments now have access to an advanced therapy that can provide relief from the painful symptoms of diabetic neuropathy. It is called spinal cord stimulation.
Spinal cord stimulation for diabetic neuropathy pain relief
Historically, the only reliable way to treat diabetic neuropathy pain was by using prescription medications, such as Gabapentin. But prescription medications come with a variety of risks, adverse side effects, and lifestyle complications. Now, the millions of Americans suffering from chronic diabetic neuropathy have access to a drug-free alternative for achieving long-term, effective pain relief.
Twin Cities Pain Clinic is proud to provide spinal cord stimulation (SCS) for patients suffering from DPN. SCS has been around for decades and has been used to treat a variety of chronic pain conditions. In 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved SCS as an indicated treatment for DPN. Now, world-renowned medical device manufacturers Abbott, Boston Scientific, Medtronic, and Nevro, four of the top SCS technology companies, have developed new SCS programs specifically designed to target DPN pain.
How Does Spinal Cord Stimulation Work?
A small implantable battery generates mild electric pulses at a high frequency. The pulses travel through thin wires called leads directly to the nerves of the spinal cord. The pulses “stimulate” the pain-causing nerves, which masks pain signals before they can reach the brain. As a result, patients often experience significant and sometimes complete reduction in pain sensation.
Additionally, SCS can provide equivalent, if not greater, levels of relief as opioids without any of the negative side-effects.
Real Results for Diabetes Pain Relief
Extensive research has produced overwhelmingly positive results regarding the effectiveness of spinal cord simulation for treating DPN.
Clinical research data suggests that DPN patients are 17 times more likely to experience significant pain relief with stimulation therapy compared to conventional therapies1, 3, 4.
Another study showed that DPN patients receiving SCS therapy experienced 76% pain relief on average4 with 85% of patients experiencing at least 50% pain relief4.
While SCS therapy does not promise to entirely eliminate DPN pain, it has proven to provide significant enough relief to allow patients to enjoy a renewed quality of life, without using opioids.
Diabetic neuropathy treatment at Twin Cities Pain Clinic
Twin Cities Pain Clinic is one of the foremost authorities on spinal cord stimulation therapy in the country. Our highly skilled physicians perform hundreds of procedures every year and partake in extensive research studies to advance stimulation technology. As a result, we stay at the forefront of SCS technology and can offer patients the best possible treatments. Our team is excited and privileged to add diabetic neuropathy to the growing list of chronic pain conditions we can treat with spinal cord stimulation.
PROVIDERS: Click here to refer a patient online, or fax referrals to 952-841-2346.
PATIENTS: Call 952.841.2345 or complete our online appointment request to schedule an appointment and learn how spinal cord stimulation can help relieve diabetes pain.
