There are two dorsal root ganglia at each vertebra in your spine. Ganglia are clusters of nerves situated just outside the spinal cord, where they receive numerous sensory nerves carrying information from a specific part of your body to your brain.

By targeting a DRG with an electrical impulse, the pain messages for all the nerves using that ganglion are stopped from reaching your brain. This provides pain relief to a broad area of your body.

By targeting the appropriate DRG, the doctors at Spinal Diagnostics can effectively relieve pain starting in your back, arms, legs, chest, and abdomen. DRG stimulation is also FDA-approved to relieve the intense pain caused by complex regional pain syndrome.

Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is extremely hard to treat. CRPS shows up after an injury when pain and hypersensitivity continue long after the original injury has healed.

CRPS primarily affects a limb, often starting as an injury to a hand or foot that spreads to the arm or leg. With such widespread pain, treatments that target specific nerves aren’t very effective.

However, the pain is limited to a specific body area. Treating the DRG stops all the sensory signals from that area, making it an exceptionally effective treatment for CRPS.

Your doctor at Spinal Diagnostics determines if you might be a good candidate for DRG stimulation after reviewing your medical history and performing a thorough physical exam. If you qualify, the first step is to undergo a trial period.

Your doctor places a temporary version of the lead wire next to the targeted DRG that you wear it for 5-10 days to see if the electrical stimulation sent from the lead into the DRG relieves your pain. If it doesn’t work well, it’s easily removed. If it does work, the wire is implanted so that you can achieve long-term pain relief.

To learn if you’re a good candidate for DRG stimulation, schedule an appointment online or call Spinal Diagnostics.