How Spinal Cord Stimulation Works
Spinal Cord Stimulation (SCS) may be used for the treatment of chronic pain of the trunk and/or limbs when other​ treatments such as medications, physical therapy, and surgery have failed.
Nerves carry pain signals from the body, to the spinal cord, and ultimately to the brain where the sensation of pain is perceived. SCS works by intercepting these signals within the spinal cord by applying a mild electrical current within the spine using a pacemaker-like battery attached to thin wire leads. A remote control allows the patient to adjust the intensity and the pattern of the electrical stimulation to optimize the pain relief.
For more information on spinal cord stimulation, please visit our FAQS page.
Why Wavegate's Ellipse SCS Platform is Unique
Simply put, dose matters. Spinal cord stimulator systems from most manufacturer​s deliver a fixed dose of current, which can be set by the patient, like a setting the volume control on your TV. However, with changes in body position, the spinal cord moves relative to the electrode array. This causes a changing dose with body movement.
Clinical studies such as the EVOKE Trial(1) demonstrate that pain relief is significantly superior if a consistent therapeutic dose is maintained.
Wavegate's Ellipse SCS platform features our patented StimuLuxTM technology which optically tracks the spinal cord and adjusts the electrical current to maintain a consistent dose.
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(1) Mekhail N, et al. Long-term safety and efficacy of closed-loop spinal cord stimulation to treat chronic back and leg pain (Evoke): a double-blind, randomised, controlled trial. Lancet Neurol. 2020 Feb;19(2):123-134. doi: 10.1016/S1474-4422(19)30414-4. Epub 2019 Dec 20. PMID: 31870766.