What is Spinal Cord Stimulator Pre-Surgical Psychological Evaluation?
Spinal cord stimulation is a treatment for chronic pain. A small spinal cord stimulator (SCS) device is implanted below the skin and attached to your nerve system. When you experience chronic pain, the SCS device will mask the signal before it reaches your brain, relieving discomfort. Candidates for spinal cord stimulator implantation are typically referred for psychological assessment as part of the screening process to evaluate the likelihood of successful outcomes. The goal is to avoid adverse mental and physical health risks. These evaluations may uncover other areas that cause or exacerbate chronic pain and help patients prepare for their procedures.
Who Should Receive Spinal Cord Stimulator Pre-Surgical Psychological Evaluation?
If you've chosen to move forward with SCS placement and use medical insurance coverage to offset the cost of care, a pre-surgical psychological evaluation will likely be required by your insurance providers. Your doctors and insurance providers use the pre-surgical psychological evaluation to guide your care and ensure success. Additionally, past psychological concerns will not necessarily mean you are not a candidate for SCS treatment. Every patient is different, and we will assess your situation individually.
What is the process?
If you are ready to move forward, call our office and we will go over everything with you. You will need to fill out some forms (under forms section) and meet with our Clinical Psychologist. Once everything has been completed, we will send you and your surgeon a copy of our evaluation. If you would like to follow-up after your surgery, you are more than welcome to and we find that those patients that do, often do even better with their device.