Nothing is more frustrating than turning to surgery to eliminate chronic pain only to find that it doesn’t help. Unfortunately, this often occurs because of neuropathic pain, which develops when nerve fibers or pathways in your body are damaged or malfunctioning.
As a result, a person can live with chronic pain, even when the initial source of discomfort no longer remains — such as after a hip or knee replacement.
But that doesn’t mean you have to live life in chronic pain or sit on the sidelines. Instead, a cutting-edge treatment known as dorsal root ganglion (DRG) stimulation could help. And the best part? It’s a minimally invasive procedure, and you know before committing to it whether it can ease your symptoms.
Our physicians at Glaser Pain Relief Center offer cutting-edge treatments to help patients in Encino, California, get their lives back. One approach that can provide relief for even the most complicated neuropathic pain involves neuromodulation.
Do you still have pain in your joints after a hip or knee replacement? Here’s how DRG, a type of neuromodulation, could alleviate your discomfort once and for all.
Chronic pain is always a challenge to treat. Part of this is because everyone’s pain differs and comes from different sources. That’s where neuromodulation comes in.
Neuromodulation approaches pain management by altering nerve activity in your body. It targets the nerve sending pain sensations to the brain and changes the message.
Unlike other forms of neuromodulation, DRG stimulation specifically targets the dorsal root ganglia. These densely populated sensory nerves are along your lower spinal column.
Think of them as the traffic lights that regulate messages on the busy streets (nerve fibers) running between your spinal column and your brain. They also play a significant role in difficult-to-treat areas of chronic pain in areas of the lower body like the hip, groin, knee, and foot.
During DRG stimulation, we can target the specific dorsal root ganglia associated with your pain. Then we use mild electrical pulses to alter the pain signals that they’re sending to your brain. The response? A reduction or change in pain sensations.
DRG stimulation begins with the trial period to ensure it can address your pain condition.
We start by locating the specific dorsal root ganglia associated with your chronic pain and insert thin insulated wires into the area. These wires, or leads, carry the electrical pulses used in neuromodulation. They connect to a small generator with a battery.
During your DRG stimulation trial period, you wear this device on the outside of your body. You also receive a handheld remote control that allows you to turn the DRG stimulator on or off and adjust the strength and location of the pulses.
A DRG stimulation trial typically lasts 5 days. In most cases, we could recommend permanent implantation of the generator device if you experience a 50% or better reduction in your symptoms. This minimally invasive procedure takes 60-90 minutes, and you go home the same day.
Not only can DRG stimulation reduce your need for pain medications, but it can also improve your mood and quality of life. And it’s easy to remove if you decide it’s no longer right for you.
Do you still have pain after your hip or knee replacement? Contact Glaser Pain Relief Center to learn more about DRG stimulation by calling 424-402-1240 or scheduling a consultation online today.
