In the past, spinal cord stimulators had batteries that had to be replaced or recharged every three to five years. Now, however, the Proclaim XR SCS System has a 10-year battery life, which allows you to benefit from years of neurostimulation without having to have a follow-up battery procedure. 

What kind of pain does a spinal cord stimulator help? 

The Proclaim XR SCS System is designed to help people who have chronic pain in the body and/or the arms or legs. This may include pain that occurs on one or both sides. It also includes pain associated with failed back surgery and chronic, untreatable low back and leg pain.

A spinal cord stimulator helps if you have tried a variety of methods to control your pain and the pain has returned or only subsided, and you have not found sufficient relief. People who get spinal cord stimulators may have tried treatments such as:

• Physical therapy
• Corticosteroid injections
• Neurotomy or radiofrequency ablation
• Weight loss
• Exercise
• Supplementation

If you’re frustrated with pain management treatments that haven’t worked for you, talk to your pain management doctor about the Proclaim XR SCS System to see if this is an option for you.

How does the Proclaim XR SCS system work?

The Proclaim XR SCS System uses BurstDR stimulation, a new type of waveform that was developed by doctors. BurstDR was created to mimic naturally occurring signal patterns in the body. 

There are two ways the brain receives information via the central nervous system:

• At steady intervals, or tonic waves
• In clustered, or “burst” waves 

It is the burst firing that the Proclaim XR SCS system mimics because researchers have found this type of firing of the brain affects not only the physical response to pain but also a patient’s emotional response. Oftentimes pain affects a person’s psyche as well as physical well-being. Pain and depression, for example, go hand-in-hand, and can produce a vicious circle of pain and emotional response to pain that feed one another. 

Am I a candidate for a spinal cord stimulator?

To determine whether you’re a good candidate for the Proclaim XR SCS System, talk to your pain management doctor about doing a temporary evaluation. 

This is the protocol for all potential SCS patients – a test period of about one week during which you’ll have a neurostimulation device placed on your body. The device has electrical “leads” (small wires) which (similar to the actual Proclaim XR SCS device) alter the signaling of pain to the brain. The test device, however, does not require surgical implantation.

During the trial period, you will keep track of your pain symptoms. Pay attention to whether you notice improvements in areas such as:

• Sleep
• Functionality and mobility
• Daily activities

If, at the end of your neurostimulation trial period, you have experienced at least 50 percent improvement in pain symptoms, you may be a good candidate for the Proclaim XR SCS System. Discuss your experience with your pain management doctor to determine whether the SCS is the right choice for you and to determine next steps.

What’s involved with Proclaim XR SCS implantation

If you and your pain management doctor determine that an SCS is right for you, having the spinal cord stimulator implanted is a surgical procedure that happens at a surgery center or hospital. This is an outpatient procedure, and you can go home the same day, but it does require anesthesia and you will need to have someone drive you to and from your appointment. 

After SCS implantation, you will need to take it easy for a while. Your doctor will provide you with postsurgical instructions for bathing and showering as well as activity. In the first week or two after the device is implanted, any pain you might experience is mostly from the small surgical wound as it heals. You’ll need to be especially careful not to move around a lot or lift heavy objects during this critical healing period.

Soon after the surgery, and certainly after the wound has healed, many patients report experiencing immediate relief from previous back, leg and arm pain, as the spinal cord stimulator begins to work by disrupting pain signals to the brain.

Curious about the Proclaim XR SCS System and whether it’s right for you?

Talk to a pain management specialist at Restore Medical Partners. 

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