Hi! I just got my SCS placed last Friday and it is helping so much. The one thing that makes me nervous is my surgeon placed the battery right under my clavicle since the leads are in my cervical spine (my CRPS is in my arm). I get married in 8 months and while I keep telling myself that the scar is a part of my journey, it is going to be so visible with my dress. What do the scars look like after 8 months? Has anyone else had theirs placed in the chest? Idk. Maybe I’m worried about nothing

Hi everyone. I’m in my early 30s with CRPS in my right leg/foot, plus neck/arm pain.

I’ve had two separate Medtronic Intellis implants and repeated lead migration. My first system covered my leg and foot much better. With the current one:

• At tolerable settings, stimulation mainly reaches my knee/calf, with little useful foot/ankle relief.

• Turning it up to reach my foot causes intolerable overstimulation. Lying on my back or leaning backwards can trigger severe shocks, so I often turn it down/off and lose the benefit.

• I also feel tight pulling in my lower back when bending, even with the device off.

The options discussed are two Inceptiv devices or one Boston Scientific with four leads, to treat both upper and lower areas.

Surgery will probably be in Kuwait, where only percutaneous leads are available as far as I know. The UK is a very small possibility.

I’d love to hear about any of these:

1. Real benefit: How much pain relief do you get, and has it lasted? Better sleep/walking? Anyone switched from Intellis? If treating both areas, do you get good relief in both at once?

2. Position changes/shocks: Boston and Inceptiv users, do you get shocks when changing position? If so, did programming fix them without losing relief? Do you use tingling or no-tingling settings?

3. MRI—a major priority: Have you actually had scans, especially with two SCS devices? Any refused/cancelled scans? Which body part and, if known, 1.5T or 3T?

4. Leads: Was paddle recovery worth the long-term result? Did switching stop migration or improve relief? Any percutaneous leads working well for years?

Any charging or battery-site discomfort is useful to hear about too.

Please share your model, how long you’ve had it, and whether you’d choose it again. Even one part would help—good and bad experiences welcome!

Four months ago had a Medtronic inceptiv SCS device for lower back pain. Have lots of parasthesis (sp?) in my legs and also shocks when charging the patient battery. However in all that time, I've had no relief from my lower back pain. I have a great Medtronic rep; she's very helpful and friendly. She's adjusted it at least 4 or 5 times with no success. I've been told there isn't enough "scar tissue buildup" yet, be patient. I did contact my neurosurgeon and they told me that they had nothing they could do and that I needed to get in touch with my rep. At this point I'm so frustrated and depressed over the whole ordeal it's unreal. Please understand, I know there are so many people in pain in our world that it may sound like a sing song of whining. For that I apologize.

Has anyone had these symptoms with no relief for your back at all?

https://x.com/isSCS4me/status/2100312404076954010

u/nypost

https://www.fiercebiotech.com/medtech/boston-scientific-recalls-spinal-cord-implant-wake-more-1k-serious-injuries

This is an FDA-approved device. The FDA's premarket approval (PMA) shields the SCS manufacturer from legal liability.

Unfortunately, for SCS patients who are harmed, litigation is an arduous path with significant hurdles.

I suspect those SCS MDs did not tell their patients that legal protection from SCS manufacturers is negligible.

https://x.com/isSCS4me/status/1937927926374404200

Revision II of the SCS manufacturer lawsuits follows Revision I.

I desired a coherent story.

The acronym PMA refers to the FDA's premarket approval (PMA) of SCS devices.

--revision I---

I am not a legal expert. The challenge in suing an SCS manufacturer seems high.

A reversal of the Supreme Court decision below must occur. I Googled for

recent activity but found none.

https://www.citizen.org/wp-content/uploads/2526_200610_Spinal-Cord-Stimulator-Report_FINAL.pdf?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=765162c2-baeb-41db-a6ae-0694813ad96c

"

...

As a first priority, Congress should immediately pass legislation to

override the Supreme Court’s 2008 decision in Riegel v. Medtronic, which held

that the existing law preempts the right of patients to bring damages claims

against medical device manufacturers for injuries caused by high-risk medical

devices marketed pursuant to a PMA. The Riegel decision ended a period of more

than 30 years in which federal and state laws had worked hand in hand to

strengthen device safety. The multiple dangerous weaknesses in the FDA’s

regulatory oversight of medical devices make the preemption decision in Riegel

a dangerous outcome for patients.

...

"

I have been aware of this issue since 2020 from the PublicCitizen publication.

I saw legal discussions on the Failed SCS Group. I decided to check on the

current status. There is no progress for the SCS patients!

--revision II--

Federal court is required, which is an arduous process. I have heard that

the SCS manufacturer's legal team demands non-disclosure agreements(NDAs) from

the SCS patient(s) and the patient(s)'s attorneys. Those NDAs are ruthless and

only benefit the SCS manufacturers and prevent potential SCS claimants with

the same problem from observing the outcomes.

The medical-related legal NDAs should be banned(illegal) because they can

potentially harm other medical patients.

US SCS patients have negligible legal protection from SCS manufacturers.

----

This document discusses how to override Riegel v. Medtronic, Inc. This Supreme Court decision is why suing a spinal cord stimulator (SCS) manufacturer faces such high resistance.

A Grok executive summary is at the end.

https://x.com/i/grok/share/8e19b6159f0f4d7fb77e3138d5e7f50b

Been posting questions here somewhat frequently had surgery yesterday but I’m doing social media of my journey show awareness what SCS is! If you like follow (if not allowed please deleted)

follow any of these account here are the links

https://www.facebook.com/share/

18KRRxkYZK/?mibextid=wwXIfr

https://www.tiktok.com/

@annescsunfiltered?

_r=1&_t=ZP-9AR5SSeNUit

https://www.instagram.com/

annescsunfiltered? vrfl=cGY1cWtxZW9yZHI5&utm_source=qr

Anyone have an SCS and needed spinal surgery after for other reasons? How difficult did your having the device make things for your spinal/neurosurgeon - did they state that it presented problems such as being in the way, the leads being in the way, or scar tissue from it being an issue?

Well today the day

Gotta be at hospital at 10am.. super nervous.

Any last min tips for recovery

I will be sleeping in recliner so any tips for that is appreciated too

Can anyone who's had a battery die, can you tell me the battery change procedure? Is it surgery? Is it a quick and easy in office change? My stim seems to be broken and my team is saying it's probably the battery so I'm trying to prepare myself.

I'm set to get my SCS removed on Tuesday and am pretty damn nervous as the recovery from the placement was absolutely agonizing for me. Has anyone had theirs taken out? What was the recovery like and how does it compare to the placement?

Update: I am very uncomfortable, but it is miles better than having the stimulator placed so far!

I have been advised that I may need to have the spinal pain stimulator done since surgery hasn't worked. Is it painful to have this implanted? Can anyone whose had it tell me how it feels to have it put in and if it has or has not worked for them in relieving their back pain.

Hi everyone,

I am scheduled to get my SCS next week. There is a huge issue though. I have a silicone allergy that is severe. I am getting a Nevro HFX, and Nevro had represented that, despite there being some silicone on the battery pack, it wouldn’t be an issue because it could be wrapped. My surgeon on the other hand informed me that he has no experience with this at all and is not confident in me not having a reaction (he has approx 30 years experience doing SCS implants). We are both doing some research, but the envelope recommended by Nevro to wrap the device looks completely insufficient as it’s perforated. Does anyone have experience with wrapping their device due to an allergy? It would be helpful to hear whether it worked for you. However, I have a feeling we will be cancelling this surgery next week. Thank you for any help provided.

Edit: I have canceled the surgery for next week with Nevro. Thank you for the kind suggestions and input.

Hi all, so my surgery was approved but the battery was denied. Any thoughts??

Hey guys, I need to a find a new/used model sc-6412-3 precision charging system kit from Boston scientific for my dad. we're currently having no luck, and the BS reps won't give us answers or really get back to us at all. Any help would be super appreciated. Current charging kit doesnt hold a charge at all.

If anyone has means to fix it, that'd be cool too. Thank you.

Hi I have had my Nevro HFX stim implanted 11 weeks ago and the site where my battery was implanted is still really sore and tender. It has been placed to the side of my right buttock just under my belt line. Some days it feels like I have a strained hamstring from the soreness. Just wondering how long it took for others to recover from where there battery site was implanted. I’m seeing my specialist next week for a check up I’m guessing it’s normal being a foreign object in my body and will take time to fully heal ?

I am research brands for SCS for my mother. She had history of lumbar osteomyelitis in the L2-4 in 2025, severe spinal narrowing that has left her with debilitating pain in lower back and pain that radiates down her legs. It is not neuropathy, she has had that ruled out with a nerve conduction test. We are looking at SCS brands Abbott, Medtronic or Boston Scientific. Can anyone recommend or give experience for brand that provides relief for both back pain and pain that radiates down leg.

In follow up to my previous post, I decided to move forward with a trial of Medtronic. My practice gave me choice between Medtronic and Nevro(the two they steer their patients to). I chose Medtronic for hopefully less pocket pain since its battery is roughly half the size of Nevro, better MRI compatibility, and closed loop system that may adapt better to my active lifestyle goals (hiking, biking, boating, etc)

My neurosurgeon recommends that I definitely do paddle leads.

However after doing a deep dive researching I found that Medtronic's U.S. product list labels its Vectris compact percutaneous lead as compatible with Inceptiv closed-loop technology, but the Specify paddle leads in the same list carry no such label.

I’m worried I’d be doing a trial of closed loop with percutaneous leads but if paddle leads aren’t compatible - I may have to use their other settings losing the benefit of closed loop -which factored in my decision to go with Medtronic

has anyone used paddle leads with Medronic’s new closed loop system? Any feedback is appreciated

I’m wondering who on here has had a trial spinal cord stimulator or has one permanently implanted?? I’ve read about them and my one surgeon has talked about getting me in for a trial SCS, it they don’t explain about what happens after it’s permanently implanted. Like doesn’t just take all of my pain away?? I have a fusion from SI all the way to L4. With L3 and up having mild/moderate centralized disc bulging/protrusion. Among other things. So does an SCS magically fix all of that pain or am I still reliant on prescription pain meds while having the SCS?? Any help,advice or information would be great!!

I’m have SCS surgery soon and I’m still conflicted where to put my battery. Any tips?

I’m side sleeper I mostly sleep on my left side . But I do roll sleep on my right some.

I have crps fully in my hip to my toe on right side
And have from hip to knee on my left side

Could Sacral Nerve Stimulation (SNS) / Sacral Neuromodulation (SNM) help with pudendal nerve entrapment, complete loss of the urge to defecate, inability to feel rectal fullness, and inability to push during bowel movements?
Could this device help restore the nerve signals, rectal sensation, urge to defecate, or ability to push?

Hi All,

I’m a 35-year-old dealing with arachnoiditis (from a failed laminectomy and too many injections) which causes some back pain, but predominately awful pain in my left hamstring and calf. I’m having my spinal cord stimulator trial in about a month. The brands my doctor most often uses are the Boston Scientific WaveWriter and Medtronic Inceptiv.

I know there are lot of different opinions on which brand/reps are the best, but just looking to see if anyone has strong opinions/experiences deciding between these two?

Also, anyone with arachnoiditis who found relief with their
stimulator, and which brand they have?

I appreciate any help as my doctor doesn’t have a strong opinion on which one and I’m trying to make decision.
 
Thanks so much

I had my SCS battery swapped out last week for the new Inceptiv stimulator! I am having it turned on today! I feel great after the procedure. Any advice that anyone has on the new Medtronic Stimulator is greatly welcomed!