Chronic nerve pain, whether from a degenerative disease or an injury, destroys your quality of life. Not even a constant supply of painkillers — which isn’t healthy, especially in the long term — can eliminate this type of pain. But dorsal root ganglion stimulation, which targets nerves near your spinal cord through an implanted device, reduces the pain enough to let you return to your daily life without side effects. To learn more and set up an appointment, call Pain Management NYC.
What Is Dorsal Root Ganglion Stimulation?
Dorsal root ganglion stimulation is an innovative neurostimulation therapy that targets dorsal root ganglia. This group of nerves in your spine regulates pain signals from your lower body to your brain. By stimulating a specific dorsal root ganglion (DRG), your doctor can interrupt the pain signals before they reach your brain.
DRG stimulation is a specialty at Pain Management NYC, serving New York and New Jersey. Consult Dr. Leon Reyfman, a board-certified interventional pain management specialist, or Dr. Boleslav Kosharskyy, a specialist in minimally invasive pain treatments, at the clinic. Drs. Reyfman and Kosharskyy have extensive clinical experience and training easing your pain.
How Does DRG Stimulation Work?
A DRG stimulator delivers mild electrical pulses to the specific dorsal root ganglion that corresponds to your pain area. DRG stimulation blocks pain signals to your brain, providing lasting relief. It requires a small device to be implanted by a trained specialist like those at Pain Management NYC.
The DRG stimulator gives you control to change settings to desired comfort levels. It consists of four components:
- Generator. This small device, which contains a battery, sends out electrical pulses. It’s implanted under your skin, usually in your upper buttock or abdomen area.
- Leads. Thin insulated wires that carry the electrical pulses from the generator to your DRG. The leads are placed near your spine.
- Controller. This is a handheld device that allows you to adjust the strength of the signal or the location of the stimulation. You can even turn it off.
- Delivery system. These tools allow your doctor to implant the generator and place the leads exactly where they’re needed.
What Disorders Does Dorsal Root Ganglion Stimulation Treat?
DRG stimulation treats a variety of pain disorders affecting a specific part or area of your body, from neck pain to ankle pain. Your pain may be caused by injury, surgery, illness or nerve damage. The DRG stimulator targets the root nerves exiting your spine.
DRG stimulation reduces the pain in these areas more effectively than some peripheral nerve stimulation techniques. The DRG stimulator acts on a specific dorsal root ganglion that corresponds to where you feel the pain. Common disorders that dorsal root ganglion stimulation treats include:
- Complex regional pain syndrome. This chronic condition causes severe pain, swelling and changes in your skin, usually in your limbs.
- Causalgia. This is a type of CRPS that occurs after a nerve injury. It causes burning pain, skin changes and muscle spasms.
- Neuropathic pain. This type of pain results from damage or dysfunction of your nervous system. It causes abnormal sensations, such as tingling, numbness or shooting pain. Neuropathy in your feet or hands are examples of neuropathic pain.
- Post-amputation pain. This type of pain occurs after losing a limb or part of a limb. It may include phantom limb pain, which is the sensation of pain in the missing limb, or stump pain, which is the pain in the remaining part of the limb.
- Post-surgical pain. This type of pain persists after a surgical procedure, especially in your spine or joints, due to nerve damage, scar tissue or an infection.
What Are the Benefits of DRG Stimulation for Pain Management?
DRG stimulation can help if you suffer from chronic pain in specific areas of your lower body and desire a non-drug pain management option. The treatment offers targeted pain relief and includes a number of comparative advantages over conventional pain disorder treatments, such as:
- Low energy usage. DRG stimulators require low-energy and deliver paresthesia-free stimulation, which means less power consumption, less discomfort and a longer device life.
- Reduced side effects. DRG stimulation carries low risk, as even the implantation procedure is minimally invasive and very safe. Side effects are extremely rare, especially compared to other pain management techniques.
- Improved quality of life. DRG stimulation has been shown to improve the physical, emotional and social aspects of life for patients with various chronic pain conditions, including polyneuropathy and causalgia.
DRG stimulation doesn’t usually eliminate your pain, but it does change how your brain perceives it. It’s a viable alternative for certain painful nerve disorders, especially those that affect your lower body. It can also reduce or eliminate your need for opioids and other pain medications.
Get this treatment in New York and New Jersey at Pain Management NYC, a leading medical practice for treating pain and nerve disorders. The team, led by Dr. Reyfman and Dr. Kosharskyy have extensive clinical experience and training in DRG stimulation and other neuromodulation therapies. Contact the pain clinic today to set up a consultation to find answers to your chronic nerve pain.
Leon Reyfman, MD, is a top-rated, best-in-class interventional pain management doctor. He is a nationally recognized pain relief specialist and is among the top pain care doctors in New York City and the country. He is an award-winning expert and contributor to prominent media outlets.
Dr. Leon Reyfman has been recognized for his thoughtful, thorough, modern approach to treating chronic pain. He has been named a “top pain management doctor in New York” and one of “America’s Top Doctors™” for advanced sports injury treatments. Among other accolades, he was voted by peers as a “Castle Connolly Top Doctors™” and “New York Super Doctors™”. Dr. Leon Reyfman was a part of the medical team at the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.