What is peripheral nerve stimulation?
- Peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS) is a minimally invasive treatment technique that uses electricity to treat pain for patients who suffer from peripheral nerve pain and other chronic painful conditions such as:
- chronic pain after knee, foot or shoulder surgery
- chronic regional pain syndrome (CRPS)
- This technology is ideal for patients who have not experienced pain relief from conservative or other interventional therapies.
What is the process?
- First, you will undergo a peripheral nerve block to see if your pain can be temporarily relieved by targeting a specific nerve.
- If you have pain relief from a nerve block, the PNS procedure requires inserting a small electrical wire along the damaged nerve under the guidance of an ultrasound. The wire delivers tiny electrical pulses which feel like a mild tingling sensation (a paresthesia), which in turn helps reduce or cover pain symptoms.
- Unlike other spinal cord stimulation devices, the battery for a PNS is a small sticker worn on the skin, making this a very minimally invasive procedure.
