He Told Me There Was Nothing Else That Could Be Done

One patient's spinal cord stimulation story — and why surgery should never be your only option

For six years, the pain got worse every year.

She tried NSAIDs. She saw a spine physician three times. She had the X-ray, then the MRI. And when she came back for the results, she was told something that thousands of people with chronic back pain hear every year:

There is nothing else that can be done — unless you want surgery.

She wasn't ready for that. So she went looking herself, read about a procedure described as minimally invasive, and went back to ask about it. In her words, it wasn't really minimally invasive at all. "They still use rods and metal plates," she said. "They just make it through a smaller incision."

She was, as she put it, desperate to try something else.

She did eventually get a pain management referral. The wait was three weeks.

Why she called it her "Hail Mary"

This patient is a nurse. She knows what local anesthesia is. She knows the difference between a procedure that's genuinely minimally invasive and one that's marketed that way. And she describes spinal cord stimulation as her last resort before surgery — her Hail Mary.

Her results, in her own words:

"The stabbing pain, like a knife — that's gone away with the trial."

"I like being able to stand up straight."

She's taller now. She walks upright. And she didn't have her spine fused to get there.

Asked what she'd say to someone considering it, her answer was two-part and characteristically nurse-like: go to a physician who knows what they're doing — and then try it.

What is spinal cord stimulation?

Spinal cord stimulation — sometimes called neurostimulation, or a "pacemaker for pain" — uses tailored electrical fields to interrupt pain signals as they travel up the spinal cord to the brain.

Small wires with electrodes are positioned in the epidural space. Those wires connect to a small, pacemaker-like device called an IPG, implanted under the skin in the flank or buttock and recharged from outside the body.

It's important to be precise about what it does and doesn't do: stimulation does not eliminate the source of your pain. It interferes with the pain signals reaching your brain. It doesn't fuse bone. It doesn't remove disc. It doesn't permanently reshape your anatomy. And unlike a fusion, it can be removed.

The part that makes it different: you test drive it first

Here is the feature no spine surgery can offer you.

Before anything permanent is implanted, we perform a trial. Temporary leads are placed — no incision — brought out through the skin and taped in place. You wear an external generator and go live your normal life for 5 to 7 days. You find out, in your own body, on your own couch, at your own job, whether it works.

The benchmark we use is a 50% or greater reduction in pain. Hit it, and we talk about a permanent device. Miss it, and the leads are simply pulled out. You are exactly where you started.

You cannot un-fuse a spine.

The other thing that shouldn't be normal: waiting

When this patient thanked Dr. Dombrowski for seeing her so quickly, his answer was short.

"Everyone deserves care."

That is not a slogan here — it's how the practice is built. At The Washington Pain Center, appointments are scheduled within 24 to 48 hours. Same-day appointments are available, and where insurance permits, the procedure is performed during that same visit. Our phones are answered by a person. And you are seen by a physician — Dr. Dombrowski — never a physician assistant or a nurse practitioner.

Spine surgery is the right answer for some patients, and good surgeons do excellent work. But it should never be presented to you as the only thing that can be done. And you should never have to sit in pain for three weeks to hear a second opinion.

Frequently asked questions

Is spinal cord stimulation surgery? The trial isn't — the leads go in through a needle, with no incision, under local anesthesia. The permanent implant is a minor outpatient procedure to place the IPG under the skin. Neither involves fusing bone or removing disc.

Does it hurt? Our patient's description: "I got really good local anesthesia. The only thing I really felt was pressure."Pressure, not pain.

How long is the trial? Typically 5 to 7 days, after which the temporary leads are simply removed.

Am I a candidate? Spinal cord stimulation is often considered for chronic back and leg pain, nerve pain, and pain that has persisted despite medications, injections, or physical therapy — including in patients who've already had back surgery. The only way to know is an evaluation.

What if it doesn't work? Then you don't get one. That's the entire point of the trial, and it's why we do it before anything permanent happens.

Ready to find out if there's a third option?

You've been told surgery or nothing. There is a lot of room between those two.

Call The Washington Pain Center at (202) 883-8001 — or request an appointment online. Same-day appointments available.

📍 3301 New Mexico Avenue NW, Suite 346, Washington, DC 20016