How Does Cluneal Nerve Stimulation Help Chronic Pain?

You’re tired of chronic back pain. You’ve tried several treatments, none of which has brought significant relief. Lower back pain and pain down your legs can have a number of etiologies, each with different treatment strategies. 

If your pain has been diagnosed as possible cluneal nerve entrapment, then cluneal nerve stimulation may be the treatment that benefits you. The expert staff at Apollo Pain Management in Sun City Center and Bradenton, Florida, specializes in treating patients whose pain hasn’t been reduced by other treatments. 

Where is my cluneal nerve? 

You have three cluneal nerves: superior, medial, and inferior. Your superior cluneal nerve is often the culprit that causes pain. This nerve is in your lower back going down your buttock. The medial cluneal nerve is at the level of your tailbone, or coccyx, and your inferior cluneal nerve is in the area of your lower buttocks.

The superior and medial cluneal nerves are sensory nerves. These nerves transmit signals to your brain; it’s a one-way highway. They send signals that trigger body movement and other important body functions. If a nerve gets entrapped or compressed, you likely feel pain. Sometimes the superior cluneal nerve gets entrapped by the tissue around it. 

Symptoms of cluneal nerve entrapment

Following are some common symptoms of cluneal nerve entrapment: 

• Lower back pain which may be more to the sides than the middle of the back
• Burning pain in your buttocks
• Pain extending down the legs
• Tingling in the legs
• Pain causing you to limp
• Pain when you walk 
• Pain easing when at rest

More than half of patients with cluneal nerve entrapment may experience leg pain or tingling. 

Why do I have cluneal nerve entrapment? 

There are a number of reasons for cluneal nerve entrapment. Osteoarthritis from degenerative disc disease in your spinal cord, scar tissue from a previous surgery, various endocrine and metabolic abnormalities, and even weak muscles in your abdomen or around your spine after an operation are just some of the possible causes for this condition. 

How does cluneal nerve stimulation help relieve my pain? 

Your nerve is sending pain signals to your brain. Nerve stimulation devices provide signals to the offending nerve that shut off the pain signal it’s sending. 

We perform a test to determine if cluneal nerve stimulation is going to help you. We insert temporary electrodes at the site of the nerve. The test runs for about a week. You provide feedback on the amount of relief you feel. If it’s significant enough, we implant the wire under your skin. You have a preprogrammed battery pack with the amount of stimulation that helps you, based on the test. 

Call Apollo Pain Management or use our online portal to request an appointment today for relief of your chronic pain.