New Big Question about my SCS unit

[HawktheSlayer]

Well i have a SCS unit for L5-S1 damage. I have had the unit for a little while now and love it I know that some people have had problems and feel for them and hope that they can find something that will help. But here is my big question and mabey a big problem for me.

I work as a goverment contractor working on military ships. We do testing and installation of new equipment. I have talked to my Dr and he has said that I should be fine continuning to do my job and to stop lifting or anything else that causes pain levels to rise. But my big thing is that with the unit on and helping to reduce the pain if I am doing something that causes the pain level to increase is this going to make my back worse because without the unit on I prob would have felt the pain level increase along time before I would feel it with the unit off.

I ask this because last weekend I turned off the unit to see what was going on and within 3 hrs I was in more pain than i could handle, I have a very high pain tolerance so for me to tell my wife I cant it hurts too bad she wanted to call for an ambulance but I asked her to just get my controler. I turned on the unit and boom I felt better within about 30 min, So I dont know if what i am doing at work is making it worse or if just having the unit for this long has made it just feel like its worse than it was. I have my unit on 24/7 most of the time because after 3 min my leg hurts and goes numb. And the pain feels like its going to kill me.

I was just wondering if anyone else with a SCS unit has tried turning it off and do the things that they use to do and see if the pain feels worse than before?

Thanks for your time and I hope everyone can find something to help.

R/
Adam

[sandee1818]

You raise an interesting thought. When we use pain meds or any type of pain reducer we face the risk of harming ourselves futher because we have essentialy numbed our pain signals.
I had this very thought when the doc wanted me to have my nerves burned. I asked the doc what is going to stop me from hurting my self worse because without the pain signals to tell me to stop I am just going to ingure myself much worse in the long run.
It is a fact that we have to live with knowing that because we have to numb our pain we may also be numbing the pain signals telling us to stop what were doing before we are hurt even more.
I am not familiar personally with the unit but your point is dead on in my opinion.

(Forgive my errors, working from a mobile phone)

[Tuckamore]

Hi Adam,

Thank you for your kind words. You have just made my day. I am very glad to hear that my posts have been helpful. As you know I too have horrid CP. Mine is based in the SI Joint and nothing has been successful in treating it. So I really do feel for everyone here that suffer also.

I think you are making the best decisions you can at this time. I had a great career that paid me very well. I stuck it out as long as I could, probably too long. It was very difficult for me to leave the workforce this June. I didn't make that decision, my body made it for me. Sometimes we don't have the liberty of making the final choice.

I admire you for your determination to continue working. Just be cautious and don't re-injure your spine or compromise it's stability.  I'll be thinking of you. Good Luck, Tuck

[HawktheSlayer]

Hi again,

    I have to say you are very active on the site and it really helps to know that someone even if you dont have the same problem, that you are there to try and help out. I want to say thank you. You have answered with good information on just about all of my posts and when i read others you are there too. So again THANK YOU for trying to help and offer information to everyone that you can. And yes the SCS is a Spinal cord Stimulator. It does help and i am also thankful that mine is doing a good job so far and i have not had any complications.
  
           I am trying to get with my Dr about this but in the mean time since im still working, i know that there will more than likely be things that i do that might make it worse, but till i can find a job that pays as well at this does where i can sit down or work at a bench i will just try and do what i can when i can to make it better for me.I still take the pain meds for the rest of the pain but i do try and make sure that its always for pain and not for anything else. Thats why i do try and turn off the unit and see what is going on with my body. And for anyone that might read this that has nerve pain that is looking at the spinal cord stim for pain reduction that i have read some posts about it going all wrong and even tho that is possable with any surgery that you try it if it is an option, it really can make a big difference in the amout of pain and also the amout of pain pills you have to take.

Again Tuckamore thank you for your support in this time for me its been a tough ride it went from extreme pain to having pain but being able to work again and do things with my kids. And then i have had the really bad day where i feel that i dont want to do it anymore and then at that time i come here or goto another site where ppl listen and give advice that or just write things that make me feel better and that it can be a good life and i should keep going.


R/
Adam

[Tuckamore]

Hi Hawk,

I am sorry that you have such pain without this unit. And just as importantly I am very glad that it is so effective for you. I am not sure what a SCS unit is, I assume it is similar to a TENS. Spine ____ Stimulator?

It makes sense to me that when you are taking something that reduces your pain so drastically and/or masks it that you would not feel the pain of an injury to the degree needed. But I am not a physician and I am just using some reasoning as you have done also.

I do know that when you have an muscle injury physicians will tell you to be careful when taking the muscle relaxants and pain medication because you could do something to injury yourself even more. Pain is your body's way of telling you that you are over doing or using poor body mechanics that can actually increase damage. So I believe you are justified in your concern.

I certainly would discuss this with my physician. He/she will be the best at confirming or easing your concerns. So please be a bit cautious till you can have that conversation. We will be interested to hear what your physician has to say; if you don't mind sharing please let us know the results of your conversation, that's how we all learn. Good luck to you and as always, Take Care, Tuck