What to Expect During Your Peripheral Nerve Stimulation Trial

If you’re experiencing chronic pain from peripheral nerve damage, you’re seeking answers. You’ve no doubt already tried traditional therapies, including medication and physical therapy, but they’re not providing the relief you need. 

Your chronic pain likely affects every area of your life, from work to social life to intimacy with your partner. You may not be able to engage in your favorite hobbies or lead the active life you want to when the pain sidelines you. 

Our board-certified interventional pain management team with Apollo Pain Management can help provide answers for you. First, we perform tests to ascertain whether peripheral nerve damage is causing your pain. If the answer is “yes,” we can proceed with a peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS) trial to see if it will help you. 

What types of conditions does peripheral nerve stimulation treat? 

Your doctor may treat recommend PNS if you have any of the following: 

• Nerve damage from an injury, condition, or disease 
• Complex regional pain syndrome
• Peripheral neuropathy
• Certain headache syndromes 
• Trigeminal neuropathic pain
• Chronic pain after amputation 

How can peripheral nerve stimulation help relieve my pain? 

Peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS) is a form of neuromodulation. It changes the way your damaged nerve acts and how often it sends signals to the brain. The stimulation uses electrodes to stop the damaged nerve from sending pain signals. Some research indicates that PNS changes the way your brain responds to nerve signals. 

PNS is a minimally invasive procedure that involves placing one or more electrodes under your skin. Through a weeklong trial, you get the opportunity to see whether PNS is going to help relieve your pain enough to proceed with it on a longer term basis.

What to expect during a peripheral nerve stimulation trial 

We perform PNS as an outpatient procedure. You receive local anesthesia and sedation. Then your doctor places a very thin temporary wire (called the lead) under your skin in the area where you are experiencing pain, using a needle to help insert and place it. The procedure is done using X-ray guidance. 

The lead contains an electrode that communicates with an external device you can hold in your hand. Your doctor tests the device during the procedure by asking you whether you experience pain relief as he positions the electrode. This device delivers rapid electrical stimulation via the electrode to the damaged nerve.

A PNS trial usually lasts about a week. You can keep a pain diary to record when pain occurs, its severity, and how long it lasts. Are you experiencing significant pain relief? If you get a 50% or greater reduction in pain that allows you to move and function at a higher level, the trial is a success. You can proceed with a more permanent peripheral nerve stimulator. 

About two-thirds of patients who have a peripheral nerve stimulation trial receive enough benefit to proceed with PNS. If you don’t get enough relief, we remove the temporary lead and move to other strategies to resolve your pain. 

Call or message one of Apollo Pain Management’s offices, in Bradenton and Sun City Center, Florida, today if you have unexplained or chronic pain. We’re your pain management partner.