SALEM, Ohio – A Salem Regional Medical Center doctor offers spinal cord stimulation to help patients with long-term relief from chronic back, leg and nerve pain.
Dr. Ryan Sankovic, a double board-certified specialist in physical medicine and rehabilitation and pain medicine at Salem Regional Medical Center, is the first to provide this therapy to residents in the greater Columbiana County area through his affiliation with SRMC.
“Chronic pain can affect a person’s physical and mental health, often limiting daily activities,” he said. “For those who haven’t found relief through therapy, medications, injections or surgery, spinal cord stimulation can offer a proven way to reduce pain and restore an active lifestyle.”
Sankovic said that when tissues become inflamed, nerves send pain signals through the spinal cord to the brain.
“Your brain translates the signals into the pain you feel,” he said. “A spinal cord stimulator is an implanted device that delivers mild electrical impulses to the nerves to interrupt these signals before they reach the brain. This significantly reduces or eliminates the sensation of pain.”
The system works much like a pacemaker with two parts:
- Small wires (leads) are placed near the spine, and a tiny battery pack is tucked under the skin near the lower back.
- The procedure is minimally invasive, and patients get a wireless remote to turn the device on and off or adjust the relief levels as needed.
“Before permanent implantation, patients undergo a temporary trial of about three to seven days to evaluate if stimulation therapy will be successful in reducing their pain,” Sankovic said. “During this process, leads are placed near the spine with a simple procedure similar to an epidural injection and are connected to an external trial stimulator that’s usually worn on a belt or waistband.”
Spinal cord stimulation is manufactured by Boston Scientific and is FDA-approved and covered by most health insurance plans, including Medicare, and most workers’ compensation programs.
For more information or to make an appointment with Sankovic, call SRMC Comprehensive Pain Management at 330 482 3762. The office is located in the SRMC Surgery and Outpatient Pavilion at Firestone Farms, 400 Town Center Ave., Suite 301, Columbiana.
Pictured at top: The SRMC Surgery and Outpatient Pavilion in Columbiana.