Spinal Cord Stimulation in Houston Book Visit

Spinal Cord StimulationSpinal cord stimulation evaluation and trial for chronic pain that has outlasted surgery and medication — including failed back surgery syndrome and CRPS. Every patient trials the device before any permanent implant, at Remix Medical in Houston, TX.

Specialty: Pain Management
Type: Procedure
Body location: Epidural space, dorsal columns of the spinal cord, thoracic spine, cervical spine
CPT code: 63650 (percutaneous implantation of neurostimulator electrode array, epidural); 63685 (insertion or replacement of implanted neurostimulator pulse generator); 63661/63662 (removal of electrode array); 63663/63664 (revision); 95970-95972 (electronic analysis and programming)

Also known as: SCS, Neuromodulation, Dorsal Column Stimulation, Spinal Cord Stimulator, Neurostimulator

Spinal Cord Stimulation in Houston, Texas

When pain has outlasted the injury, the surgery, and the medication, the problem is often no longer at the site of the pain. It is in how the nervous system carries and amplifies the signal. Spinal cord stimulation intervenes at that level.

What is Spinal Cord Stimulation?

A spinal cord stimulator is a small implanted device that delivers mild electrical impulses to the dorsal columns of the spinal cord, modulating pain signals before they reach the brain. It consists of thin leads placed in the epidural space and a generator implanted under the skin.

Modern systems are rechargeable, MRI-conditional, and use waveforms that most patients do not perceive at all.

The Trial Comes First

No patient receives a permanent implant without a trial.

During a trial, temporary leads are placed percutaneously and connected to an external generator worn for five to seven days. The patient goes home and lives normally — works, sleeps, walks — while assessing the effect.

A trial is considered successful with at least 50 percent pain reduction and meaningful functional improvement. Only then is permanent implantation discussed.

This structure is the single best feature of the therapy. You find out whether it works for you before committing to it.

Best-Supported Indications

Post-laminectomy syndrome (failed back surgery syndrome) — the strongest evidence base
Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS)
Painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy
Chronic radicular pain not amenable to further surgery
Phantom limb pain
Refractory angina and critical limb ischemia

Honest Expectations

Spinal cord stimulation is a pain management therapy, not a cure. The realistic goal is substantial pain reduction, reduced opioid requirement, and restored function — not the elimination of all pain. Devices require maintenance, leads can migrate, and revision is sometimes necessary.

Psychological evaluation is a standard part of candidacy assessment, and it is not a formality. Untreated depression, unaddressed substance use, and unrealistic expectations all predict poor outcomes.

Evaluation at Remix Medical

Contact Remix Medical to schedule a consultation with a board-certified pain management physician in Houston.

How it's performed

During the trial, the patient lies prone under fluoroscopy and thin electrode leads are advanced percutaneously into the posterior epidural space at the level that corresponds to the pain distribution. The leads exit the skin and connect to an external generator worn for 5 to 7 days. If the trial produces at least 50 percent pain relief and functional improvement, permanent leads and a pulse generator are implanted in a subsequent outpatient procedure and programmed over follow-up visits.

How to prepare

Complete the required psychological evaluation before scheduling. Nothing to eat or drink for 6 hours before the procedure. Arrange a driver. Hold anticoagulants as directed by the prescribing physician. Bring a list of implanted devices, including pacemakers and defibrillators. Plan for the trial period — you will keep a pain diary and avoid showering over the dressing.

What to expect after

During the trial, keep the dressing dry, avoid bending and twisting, and keep a daily pain and function diary — the diary determines whether you proceed. After permanent implantation, avoid bending, lifting over 10 pounds, and raising arms overhead for 6 weeks while the leads anchor. Attend all programming visits. Report fever, wound drainage, escalating pain, new weakness, or loss of bladder or bowel control immediately.

Outcome

In appropriately selected patients who pass a trial, spinal cord stimulation commonly produces sustained pain reduction of 50 percent or more, decreased opioid requirement, and improved function. It is a management therapy rather than a cure, and outcomes are strongest in post-laminectomy syndrome and CRPS.

Learn more

Conditions treated

Post-Laminectomy Syndrome (FBSS)Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS)Phantom Limb Pain Chronic Pain Sciatica

Your physician

Your pain management at Remix Medical.

Every clinician at Remix Medical is board-certified and owns the practice — so the physician in your exam room is the one making decisions about your care.

Raju Mantena, DO
Pain Medicine Physician
Medical Center — South Freeway · Montrose — Upper Kirby · Pearland
Board certifiedAccepting newBook

This page is for general education and is not a substitute for medical advice. Whether a given procedure is appropriate depends on your individual evaluation. Contact a Remix Medical clinician to discuss your care.

Updated July 9, 2026.

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