Treating pain has historically been a very challenging endeavor with the use of prescription pain relievers utilized as a first course of treatment. However, with the looming opioid epidemic, doctors are exploring other alternatives to address chronic pain without the use of potentially-dangerous medication.
In patients for whom alternatives are appropriate, neurostimulation, or stimulation of the nerves using low-frequency electric pulses, can be a compelling option. With Stivax neurostimulator therapy at Infinite Health, we can offer lasting pain reduction without the prolonged use of narcotic prescriptions.
What Is Neurostimulation?
Neurostimulation refers to the process of altering the activity of the nervous system via invasive or non-invasive means to address issues related to pain or paralysis.
Until the advent of minimally-invasive technologies, neurostimulation, particularly for spinal cord injuries, required a surgical procedure. Patients were placed under local or general anesthesia in order to implant a device into the body at the source of pain. This kind of surgery often necessitates a hospital stay, leading many patients to pursue other, more harmful, alternatives due to the stress and cost of surgery.
However, recent innovations have alleviated this burden. In a simple minimally-invasive procedure, patients with chronic pain issues can address symptoms without an implanted neurostimulation device or the use of opiate medications. More comfortable and adaptable, these kinds of devices open doors for patients previously limited to non-ideal solutions.
The Stivax Neurostimulator
The Stivax neurostimulator is an alternative to traditional surgically-implanted neurostimulators. Instead of being implanted into the body at the source of pain, the Stivax device takes advantage of Cranial Electrotherapy Stimulation, or CES. CES is a mechanism that stimulates the brain via specially placed arrays. Delivered at a level too low to be felt by the patient, normally under four milliamps, the impulses provided by the Stivax neurostimulator are able to stimulate a response in the central nervous system.
The use of the Stivax neurostimulator triggers nerve impulses throughout the body and to the vagus nerve in particular. A neural pathway that plays a key role in regulating a wide range of bodily systems, the vagus nerve is integral to the functioning of the heart, lungs, and digestive tract, among others. Pain relief from neurostimulation is derived from the disruption of pain signals communicated throughout the nervous system from these critical nerves.
The Stivax neurostimulator can be used to address a wide range of conditions, including: