Problem with my nevro

Hi Angi,

I too have a Nevro spinal stimulator implanted (Model HF10), it's been in for almost two years.

Some of the things you are mentioning are a little unusual, at least in my experience. I'll offer a couple of suggestions:

(1) If you are disciplined and recharge your stimulator every day, it should only take between 5 minutes and 15 minutes. The range depends on what power level you have it on (1 through 7) during the previous day - higher power levels draw the battery down more and need more re-charging time, while lower levels need less time to re-charge. If your stimulator is re-charging within 6-7 minutes you must have it on a very low power level (1 or 2). So the quick re-charging time is normal if you are okay with the pain relief you get at those low levels but most people don't get relief at those levels, so the reason you probably aren't getting relief (but you ARE getting quick re-charge times) is because you don't have the stimulator "turned up high enough," in terms of power levels.

(2) The fact that you say the higher power levels (6 or 7) cause you discomfort is not uncommon. Nevro calls that "over-stimulation," because the electrical charge is so high it is irritating the nerves it is designed only to confuse and mask pain signals, not to be up so high that it starts causing pain itself.

But that does not mean you should necessarily turn it down (and live with it down permanently), to levels that have no impact on you. Either you have to find a happy medium power level (what happens at power level 4 or 5?), or more likely, you need to have your tech program your stimulator with new programs. They have hundreds of different changes they can make to your stimulator, and you shouldn't live with either pain or ineffectiveness.

For example, if you notice that the higher power level helps your "organic" pain but causes new pain in other areas, the tech can change the "cycling time" on your program. That means the electrical charge to your body might be "on" for 20 seconds and then off for, say a minute, then repeats the 20 seconds on/60 seconds off cycle again and again. The time "off" may be long enough to prevent your stimulator from over-stimulating your nerves (the cause of your pain at high levels). Or he can change the ratio to 20 seconds on/120 seconds off. You will have to experiment with the "off" time, because too little time in the off setting and the pain arrives, too much time in the off setting and you get no effective pain relief.

Talk to your Nevro tech to get more different programs and keep a pain log. Keep track of whether your organic pain is reduced, and/or if your over-stimulation pain goes away or not.

Good luck!!!

hi, it definately sounds as though theres a fault, the wires may have moved if feeling spasms, or even the battery pack thats placed inside you. have you changed the batteries in your remote?

ive had very similiar problems & would get pins & needles & would get a full on electric shock it felt like all way from back into tip of toes, my wires had totally moved out of place & my battery pack situated in my bottom kept moving & turning positions all the time, ive just recently had to have revision surgery due to this as i was not having any effect at all due to the wires not in position & currently still not having affect as yet as the settings are not correct for me but unable to have them changed at current due to the covid situation. id speak to your pain consultant & ask for a scan, i had to nag & push for scan as the consultant didnt seem to believe me at first & said it was extremely unlikely the wires could have moved but when scanned showed that the wires was all coiled & sitting in my base of spine so was fully out of position.