Living With a Spinal Cord Stimulator: Charging, Travel Scanners, MRI Rules and Daily Habits

The first unusual moment often arrives at an airport. You are standing in a slow-moving line, shoes in one hand, and you suddenly wonder whether the small device under the skin of your lower back is about to set off an alarm, or worse, whether the scanner might do something to it. You reach for the wallet card the nurse handed you months ago and realize you never quite read it.

That is what living with a spinal cord stimulator tends to feel like after the surgery fades from memory: not one big adjustment, but a series of small, practical questions. How often do I charge this? Can I have that knee MRI? Is it fine to swim, drive, garden, lift a toddler?

None of these has a one-line answer, because implants differ and so do people. But the evidence and the major patient guidance agree on a handful of principles, and those are worth knowing cold.

How does living with a spinal cord stimulator actually work?

A spinal cord stimulator is an implanted system that delivers mild electrical pulses to the spinal cord to change how pain signals are processed before they reach the brain. It has three parts you will come to know well: thin insulated wires called leads that sit in the epidural space just outside the spinal cord, a small pulse generator (the battery and computer) placed under the skin, usually in the buttock or abdomen, and a handheld remote that turns the system on and off and adjusts programs.

The idea is old and simple. Stimulating certain nerve fibers can dampen the transmission of pain signals in the spinal cord, a mechanism often described as the gate control theory. Older systems produced a tingling sensation called paresthesia that overlapped the painful area; many newer programming modes are designed to work without any noticeable sensation. Neither approach removes the source of the pain. Both aim to change how much of it you perceive, which is why clinicians describe stimulation as a way to manage pain rather than fix it.

In practice, day-to-day use looks like this. You carry or keep the remote nearby. You may have several programs, each tuned to a posture or activity, because the distance between the leads and the spinal cord shifts slightly when you lie down or stand. If your generator is rechargeable, you place a charging paddle over it for a set period, held in place by a belt or adhesive patch. Your pain team adjusts the programming at follow-up visits.

The Johns Hopkins patient guide notes that a trial period, typically about a week with temporary leads, comes before any permanent implant, so by the time you are living with the full system you already have some feel for how it responds to you.

Who is spinal cord stimulation usually for, and who is asked to wait?

Stimulation is generally reserved for people whose chronic pain has not responded adequately to more conservative care: physical therapy, medicines, injections and, where relevant, surgery. The most common indications described in mainstream guidance include persistent pain after back surgery, complex regional pain syndrome (a condition of severe limb pain that follows an injury and outlasts normal healing), painful nerve damage from diabetes or other causes, and certain types of limb pain related to poor circulation. The NHS treatment guidance for complex regional pain syndrome lists spinal cord stimulation as an option when other approaches have not helped.

The trial matters. A temporary trial lead is placed through a needle and connected to an external generator. Cleveland Clinic describes a trial lasting roughly five to seven days, during which you keep a pain diary and go about normal, gentle routines. Johns Hopkins notes that clinicians commonly consider a trial worthwhile if pain is reduced by around half, though your team will weigh function, sleep and medicine use as well, not just a number.

Some people are asked to wait or to consider something else. Active infection anywhere in the body, an untreated bleeding disorder or the need to stay on certain blood-thinning medicines without interruption can delay the procedure; the prescribing clinician decides how any anticoagulant is handled, never the patient alone. Untreated depression or a substance use disorder is not an automatic barrier, but many programs ask for a psychological assessment first, because pain and mood shape each other. Pregnancy generally leads to postponement.

The decision always sits with the treating team, who will also discuss the alternatives: continued medical management, intrathecal drug delivery, peripheral nerve stimulation, or pain rehabilitation programs.

Spinal cord stimulator recovery time: what the first weeks usually look like

Recovery has two clocks running at once. The incisions heal fairly quickly; the leads take longer to become anchored, and that second clock governs most of the rules you will be given.

Skin incisions over the generator pocket and along the spine typically close within two to four weeks. Soreness around the generator site is common in the first week or two, and bruising is not unusual. During this stretch, patient guidance from Johns Hopkins and Cleveland Clinic converges on a short list: keep the wounds clean and dry as instructed, avoid soaking in baths or pools until your team clears you, and watch for signs of infection.

The leads are the delicate part. They are held in place by anchors, but scar tissue is what eventually locks them in position, and that process takes roughly six to eight weeks. Until then, bending, twisting, reaching overhead and lifting anything heavier than a light grocery bag are usually restricted. Movements that seem harmless, such as twisting to reach a seat belt or a child, are exactly the ones that can shift a lead a few millimeters and change where you feel stimulation.

Most people are asked not to drive in the first days while wearing dressings and taking prescribed pain medicines, and many teams advise keeping the stimulator off while driving thereafter; the specific instruction comes from your clinician. Return to desk work often happens within a couple of weeks, while physically demanding jobs wait until the lead-anchoring window has passed.

Programming visits cluster in these early weeks, because as swelling settles and you move more, the settings that felt right on day three may need refining by week four. That is expected, not a sign of failure.

How long does a spinal cord stimulator battery last? Rechargeable vs non-rechargeable

The answer depends first on which kind of generator you have, and second on how much energy your programs draw. Patient education from Cleveland Clinic describes non-rechargeable (primary cell) generators lasting on the order of two to five years, and rechargeable generators lasting up to around ten years before the generator itself is replaced. Manufacturers publish their own estimates for specific models, which your team can share; treat every figure as a range shaped by your settings, not a guarantee.

Feature	Rechargeable generator	Non-rechargeable generator
Routine upkeep	Regular home charging through the skin	None between clinic visits
Typical generator lifespan	Up to roughly 10 years (Cleveland Clinic)	Roughly 2–5 years (Cleveland Clinic)
Replacement	Minor surgery when the battery no longer holds charge	Minor surgery when the battery depletes
Higher-energy programs	Manageable with more frequent charging	Shorten battery life more quickly
Who it may suit	People comfortable with a routine and higher-energy settings	People who prefer no charging or use low-energy settings

A few points follow from the table. High-frequency or high-intensity programs consume more power, so the same rechargeable unit may need charging every day for one person and every two weeks for another. Non-rechargeable devices avoid the chore entirely but bring the replacement surgery forward. Replacement itself involves only the generator; the leads normally stay in place.

Your remote or charger shows battery status. Ask your team what the low-battery warning looks like on your specific system and roughly how long you have once it appears, so a beep at an inconvenient moment does not become a scramble.

Charging habits that make a rechargeable stimulator easy to live with

Charging is the part of life with a stimulator that people underestimate before surgery and stop noticing after a few months, provided they build a routine early. The charger is a paddle or disc that sits over the generator and transfers energy through the skin by induction, the same principle as a wireless phone charger. It must be aligned fairly precisely, which is why systems include a belt, a pouch or an adhesive patch and give a tone or light when the coupling is good.

Pair charging with something you already do. Many people charge while reading in the evening, during a favorite program or on a video call, because the paddle allows you to sit or recline. Standing or walking with a belt is possible on some systems but alignment tends to drift. Choose a spot where the charger’s own battery is topped up nearby; a charger that is flat when you need it is the most common practical hiccup.

Skin comfort deserves attention. The paddle warms slightly during use. If the skin over the generator becomes red, tender or unusually warm after charging, stop and mention it to your team rather than pushing through. People with reduced sensation in the area, for instance from diabetic neuropathy, should be especially careful because they may not feel excess warmth.

Let the generator run down completely too often and some systems shut off stimulation entirely until recharged, which can mean an abrupt return of pain. Short, frequent top-ups are usually easier on you than long rescue sessions. Ask your programmer whether your settings favor daily or less frequent charging, and whether a lower-energy program exists for travel days when charging is awkward.

Airport security with a spinal cord stimulator: what happens at the scanner

Back to that airport line. Manufacturers and patient guides such as the Johns Hopkins overview advise carrying your device identification card and telling security staff that you have an implanted medical device before screening. The card states the device type and gives a contact for verification; most security agencies have procedures for implanted electronics and will offer alternative screening if you ask.

What the equipment does matters less than how you handle it. Walk-through metal detectors and handheld wands generate electromagnetic fields. Guidance from device makers generally says brief exposure is unlikely to harm the implant, but that the field can trigger a temporary change in stimulation, either a surge of sensation or an interruption. For that reason, many manufacturers recommend turning the stimulator off before passing through a metal detector, walking through at a normal pace without lingering, and asking that a handheld wand not be held over the generator for more than a moment. Millimeter-wave body scanners, the tall booths where you raise your arms, use a different technology and are not generally reported to interact with implants, though the same principle of turning the device off first is often suggested.

The implant may or may not set off the metal detector; generators are small and casings vary. If it does, the card and a calm explanation settle things quickly. You are entitled to request a pat-down instead of any scanner.

Keep the remote and charger in your carry-on, not checked luggage, and expect to be asked to power them on at screening as with any electronic device. Because instructions differ between systems, confirm the specifics with your own team or the manufacturer’s patient materials before you fly.

Flying and long trips: clots, movement and planning follow-up

Two questions come up before any trip: is it safe to travel, and when. The stimulator itself does not stop you flying once your surgeon is satisfied the incisions have healed and the leads are settled, which for many people means waiting until the six-to-eight-week anchoring window described by Johns Hopkins has passed. Before that, the twisting and lifting involved in hauling luggage are the real issue, not the aircraft.

Long journeys of any kind raise the risk of deep vein thrombosis, a blood clot in a deep leg vein, for everyone, and more so after recent surgery or when mobility is limited by pain. Standard travel advice from public health bodies such as the CDC applies: stand and walk the aisle when it is safe, flex and extend your ankles and calves while seated, stay hydrated, and avoid sedatives that keep you immobile. Whether you need compression stockings or any preventive medicine is a decision for your clinician, not a general rule.

Pack for the device as carefully as for yourself. Bring the remote, the charger, its power adapter and a plug converter, plus a printed copy of your device card and your pain team’s contact details. Ask before travel whether a lower-energy program would stretch battery life on days when charging is impractical. If your trip involves a country where you would struggle to reach a pain clinic, know what you would do if stimulation stopped: usually, rest, use the non-stimulation parts of your pain plan, and contact your home team.

Arrange your next programming or wound check for after you return, and do not let travel push a scheduled follow-up months down the road. Sitting for long stretches can also change lead position relative to the cord and alter sensation temporarily; this usually settles with position changes.

Can you have an MRI with a spinal cord stimulator?

Sometimes, under conditions, and only after someone has checked. MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) uses a powerful magnet and radio waves, both of which can interact with metal leads and electronic generators. The concerns are heating of the leads, movement of the device, damage to the electronics and unpleasant or unsafe stimulation during the scan.

Older systems were labeled as unsafe for MRI altogether. Many current systems are labeled MR conditional, a formal term meaning the device has been tested as safe only under specific conditions: a particular magnet strength, limits on the scanner’s energy output, sometimes a restriction to head-only scans, and often a requirement that the generator be switched to a dedicated MRI mode first. Whether your system is conditional, and which conditions apply, depends on every component, including the leads, any extensions and the generator, not just the newest part.

This has practical consequences. A scan that seems unrelated to your spine, say for a shoulder or the brain, still requires the radiology department to verify your exact components against the manufacturer’s MRI guidelines. The device card lists model numbers for this purpose. Do not assume the scan is cleared because it was booked, and do not assume it is forbidden because a receptionist hesitated. Ask that the radiology team confirm in writing before the appointment.

If MRI is not possible, alternatives such as CT scans or ultrasound may answer the clinical question, a judgment for the ordering clinician and radiologist. And if you are still deciding on an implant, it is fair to ask your surgeon how the proposed system handles future imaging, because most people will need some kind of scan in the years ahead.

Other devices, procedures and electronics: what interferes and what does not

Most household technology is a non-issue. Phones, laptops, microwaves, induction cooktops and electric blankets are not generally reported to disturb stimulation, though some manufacturer guides suggest keeping magnets and large speakers a short distance from the generator, and being aware that strong magnets in some phone cases or wireless chargers could interact with certain devices. If stimulation flickers near a particular appliance, step away and note it for your programmer.

Medical settings need more thought, and the rule is to tell every clinician you meet that you have an implant before anything touches you. Some situations covered in manufacturer labeling and patient guides:

• Diathermy, a physiotherapy treatment that heats tissue with electromagnetic energy, is generally described as contraindicated because it can heat the leads.
• Electrocautery during surgery, external defibrillation, lithotripsy for kidney stones and radiation therapy each carry precautions; the surgical or treating team liaises with the device representative or your pain clinic beforehand.
• Dental work and routine X-rays are usually fine with the device switched off if the dentist prefers.
• TENS units and other electrical stimulators applied to the skin should not be used without checking first.
• Pacemakers and implanted defibrillators can coexist with a stimulator, but only after cardiology and pain teams have jointly reviewed the combination.

Everyday security systems such as shop anti-theft gates are a common source of worry. The exposure is brief, and guidance generally suggests walking through at a normal pace rather than pausing in the doorway. Industrial environments with large motors, welding equipment or high-voltage lines are a different matter and warrant a specific conversation with your team.

None of this requires memorizing lists. It requires one habit: mention the implant, every time, before a procedure or a new piece of equipment is used on you.

Daily habits with a spinal cord stimulator: movement, posture, sleep and driving

Once the leads are anchored, the habits that protect the system are mostly the habits that protect any spine. Exercise is encouraged, not discouraged. Walking, swimming once wounds have healed, stationary cycling and supervised strength work help both pain and mood, and stimulation is intended to make movement more possible, not to replace it. The activities that still deserve caution are those with sudden, extreme flexion or torsion of the trunk, and contact sports; these are conversations to have individually with your team rather than blanket bans.

Posture changes sensation. Many people notice stronger stimulation lying on their back and weaker stimulation standing, because gravity and spinal fluid shift the distance between lead and cord. Some systems adjust automatically using a position sensor; others rely on you switching programs. If you consistently need to change settings for sleep, tell your programmer, who may be able to set a lower nighttime program.

Sleep positions are otherwise unrestricted after healing, though some people find lying directly on the generator uncomfortable for a few months. A small pillow arrangement usually solves it.

Driving is where instructions vary most. Because a sudden change in stimulation could distract a driver, manufacturer labeling has commonly advised switching the device off while operating a vehicle or heavy machinery; some newer programming modes without noticeable sensation come with different guidance. Follow what your own clinic and the device documentation say, and do not extrapolate from someone else’s system.

Skin over the generator pocket should be checked now and then in a mirror. A gradual change in contour is normal as swelling resolves; new redness, thinning or a feeling that the device is closer to the surface is not, and belongs in the next section on warning signs.

Can you live a normal life with a spinal cord stimulator?

For most people the honest answer is yes, with a redefined normal. The device does not disappear from your life the way a healed fracture does. You will charge it, carry a card, mention it to clinicians and occasionally reprogram it. But the activities that pain had crowded out, working, traveling, sleeping through the night, playing with grandchildren, are the ones stimulation aims to widen, and the evidence base is built around that goal of function, not around any promise of being pain-free.

Work is usually possible across most occupations once the anchoring period has passed. Desk and standing jobs rarely pose problems. Jobs involving heavy repetitive lifting, vibration or high-voltage equipment call for a specific occupational discussion. Some people find that being able to lower medicine use, under their prescriber’s direction, improves concentration and alertness at work; any change to prescribed medicines is a decision made with the prescribing clinician, never on your own because the stimulator is helping.

Intimacy is a question people rarely ask aloud and clinicians rarely raise. After healing, there is no medical reason to avoid sexual activity, and no evidence that stimulation harms a partner. Positions that put pressure directly on the generator may be uncomfortable early on. Pregnancy after implantation is possible but needs early discussion with both the obstetric and pain teams, since evidence on stimulation during pregnancy is limited.

Mood and expectations shape the experience as much as the hardware. Pain that had lasted years does not lift evenly, and there will be days when stimulation seems to do less. Pain rehabilitation principles, pacing activity, sleep routines and psychological support, still apply and often make the difference between a device that sits under the skin and one that changes what a week looks like.

What problems can happen with a spinal cord stimulator?

Any implanted system can fail, and knowing the typical patterns helps you recognize them early. A review of published complications by Eldabe and colleagues, indexed on PubMed, found that hardware problems are the most frequent category, with lead migration (the lead shifting from its original position) and lead fracture leading the list, followed by generator-site problems and infection. Serious neurological injury was rare in the series reviewed.

Lead migration usually announces itself as stimulation that has moved: the tingling now sits in the wrong place, or the pain relief you had lost its footing after a twist, fall or vigorous activity. Sometimes reprogramming recovers coverage; sometimes a revision surgery to reposition the lead is needed. Lead fracture or a loose connection tends to produce intermittent stimulation or an error message on the remote.

Infection is the complication clinicians worry about most because it often means removing the whole system, treating the infection, and considering reimplantation later. Reported infection rates in the series reviewed were generally in the low single-digit percentages, with higher figures in some cohorts. Most infections occur in the first weeks around the generator pocket, which is why wound care instructions are so insistent.

Less dramatic issues are more common: discomfort over the generator, a pocket that collects fluid (a seroma) in the early weeks, skin erosion over the device in thin individuals, and gradual loss of effect over months or years even with normal hardware, a phenomenon that is real but not fully understood. Battery depletion, expected rather than a complication, still requires surgery.

These risks are why the decision to implant, to revise or to remove a system always rests with the treating team, weighing your individual situation against alternatives such as continued medical management or other neuromodulation approaches.

What people often get wrong about spinal cord stimulators

“Once it is in, the pain is gone.” Stimulation changes how pain is processed; it does not remove its cause. Trial thresholds in patient guidance are framed around meaningful reduction, commonly around half, not elimination. Expecting zero pain sets people up to see a working device as a failure.

“Airport scanners will break the device.” Brief exposure to metal detectors and body scanners is not generally reported to damage implants. The realistic concern is a momentary change in stimulation, which is why turning the device off and carrying the ID card are advised.

“I can never have an MRI again.” Many current systems are MR conditional. The restriction is on how and where the scan is done, and on verification of your exact components, not an absolute ban. Equally, having an MR conditional generator does not automatically make every scan possible.

“Rechargeable means I never need surgery again.” Rechargeable batteries last longer but still wear out; Cleveland Clinic’s patient guidance frames their lifespan as up to roughly a decade before generator replacement.

“If the leads move, the surgery was botched.” Lead migration is the most frequently reported hardware complication in the literature and can follow an ordinary twist during the anchoring weeks. It reflects the physics of a thin wire in a moving spine more than anyone’s competence.

“I can stop my medicines now.” Some people do reduce medicines over time, but only with their prescriber’s direction. Stopping certain pain medicines abruptly can cause withdrawal or rebound symptoms.

“Turning it up always helps more.” Higher intensity is not more effective by default and drains batteries faster. Program changes belong in a conversation with your programmer, who can see what each adjustment is doing.

Questions to ask your care team about life with the device

Bring these to the pre-implant consultation, the first programming visit or any annual review. Write the answers down; the specifics are easy to lose among everything else.

• Which exact components will I have, and is the whole system MR conditional? Under what conditions, and who verifies this before a scan?
• Is my generator rechargeable or not? Given my likely programs, how often should I expect to charge, and what happens to stimulation if the battery runs flat?
• What does the low-battery warning look like on my remote, and how much notice does it give?
• For how many weeks should I avoid bending, twisting, lifting and reaching, and how will I know when I can resume each activity?
• Should I switch the device off while driving, and does that change if my programming is altered later?
• What is your guidance for airport security, and can I have written instructions to travel with?
• Which medical procedures require you to be contacted first, and how do I reach you or the device representative in an emergency or from abroad?
• How will my medicines be reviewed as stimulation settles, and who leads any changes?
• If stimulation moves or fades, what are the steps: reprogramming, imaging, revision? How is loss of effect over time handled?
• What are the signs of infection or lead problems that mean I should call the same day?
• Who do I contact for programming problems between scheduled visits, and what is the usual wait?
• What would removal involve if the device stops helping?

Good teams welcome this list. The answers form the practical manual for your particular system, one that no general article can replace.

When to call your doctor

Most bumps in life with a stimulator are programming matters that can wait for a scheduled visit. A smaller set of signs should prompt a same-day call to your pain team, or emergency care if they are severe or arrive suddenly.

Around the wounds and generator pocket, contact your team promptly for spreading redness, increasing warmth, swelling that is growing rather than settling, pus or cloudy drainage, an incision that opens, or a fever with no other explanation. Infection near an implant is time-sensitive, and early treatment gives the widest range of options.

Along the spine, seek urgent assessment for new or rapidly worsening weakness or numbness in the legs, difficulty walking that was not there before, new loss of bladder or bowel control, or severe new back pain with fever. These can signal bleeding, infection or pressure around the spinal cord and are emergencies regardless of the cause.

From the device itself, call the clinic if stimulation becomes suddenly painful, shocks you, changes location abruptly, or stops and cannot be restored by the steps in your patient manual. A persistent error on the remote, or skin over the generator that looks thin, shiny or as if the device is pushing through, also needs review.

Headache that is worse when upright and eases lying down in the days after implantation or revision can indicate a leak of spinal fluid and should be reported.

If in doubt, call. Pain teams would far rather hear about a false alarm than see a problem a week late. And every decision about reprogramming, revision, antibiotics or removal rests with the clinicians who know your system and your history.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to heal from a spinal cord stimulator implant?

Skin incisions usually close within two to four weeks, while the leads take roughly six to eight weeks to be anchored by scar tissue, according to patient guidance from Johns Hopkins and Cleveland Clinic. Activity restrictions on bending, twisting and lifting follow that longer timeline. Desk work often resumes within a couple of weeks; physically demanding work waits longer. Your surgeon sets the exact schedule based on your recovery.

Can you live a normal life with a spinal cord stimulator?

Most people return to work, travel, exercise and intimacy once the early healing period has passed, with a few new routines: charging a rechargeable unit, carrying a device card and telling clinicians about the implant before procedures. Stimulation aims to widen what pain had restricted rather than to remove pain entirely, and pacing, sleep habits and psychological support remain part of managing chronic pain alongside the device.

How long does the battery last in a spinal cord stimulator?

It depends on the generator type and your program settings. Cleveland Clinic’s patient guidance describes non-rechargeable generators lasting around two to five years and rechargeable ones up to roughly ten years before replacement. High-frequency or high-intensity programs use more energy and shorten the interval. Manufacturers publish model-specific estimates that your team can share, and replacement involves only the generator, not the leads.

What are the potential problems associated with spinal cord stimulators?

The most frequently reported problems are hardware-related: leads shifting from position or fracturing, loose connections, and discomfort or fluid collection at the generator pocket. Infection is less common but serious, often requiring removal of the system. Gradual loss of effect over time also occurs in some people. A published review indexed on PubMed found serious neurological injury to be rare. Any revision or removal decision sits with your treating team.

Can you have an MRI with a spinal cord stimulator?

Often yes, if your entire system is labeled MR conditional and the scan is performed under the manufacturer’s tested conditions, which may limit magnet strength, scan energy, body region and require an MRI mode on the generator. Radiology must verify your exact lead and generator models beforehand, even for scans far from the spine. Older systems may be unsafe for MRI, in which case CT or ultrasound may be considered.

What is airport security like with a spinal cord stimulator?

Tell security staff you have an implanted device and show your device ID card before screening. Manufacturer guidance commonly advises turning the stimulator off, walking through metal detectors at a normal pace, and asking that a handheld wand not linger over the generator. Brief exposure is not generally reported to damage the implant, but it can cause a momentary change in stimulation. You may request a pat-down instead of any scanner.

How often do you have to charge a spinal cord stimulator?

Charging frequency ranges from daily to every week or two, depending on how much energy your programs use and the capacity of your generator. The charger sits over the implant and transfers power through the skin by induction, usually while you sit or recline. Letting the battery run completely flat can interrupt stimulation on some systems, so short regular sessions are generally easier to live with than long rescue charges.

Is spinal cord stimulator recovery time different for the trial and the permanent implant?

Yes. The trial uses temporary leads placed through a needle and an external generator, typically for about five to seven days according to Cleveland Clinic, with only a small puncture site to heal. The permanent implant involves incisions for the leads and a generator pocket, so recovery is longer: weeks for the skin and roughly six to eight weeks for the leads to anchor, during which movement restrictions apply.

Can I drive with a spinal cord stimulator?

Driving is usually possible after the early recovery period, but manufacturer labeling has commonly advised switching the stimulator off while driving or operating machinery, because a sudden change in stimulation could distract you. Some newer programming modes without noticeable sensation carry different guidance. Follow the instructions for your specific system and your clinic’s advice rather than another patient’s experience, and never drive while taking sedating medicines.

What everyday devices interfere with a spinal cord stimulator?

Most household electronics, including phones, laptops and kitchen appliances, are not generally reported to disturb stimulation. Strong magnets, large speakers and some magnetic phone accessories may interact with certain devices, and shop security gates can cause a brief flicker; walking through at a normal pace is usually advised. Medical equipment such as diathermy, electrocautery and TENS units requires specific precautions, so always tell clinicians about the implant first.

References

• NHS: Complex regional pain syndrome, Treatment
• PubMed (NIH): Complications of Spinal Cord Stimulation and Peripheral Nerve Stimulation Techniques: A Review of the Literature
• MedlinePlus: Chronic Pain

This article is for general information only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult a qualified doctor about your individual situation.