Spinal Cord Stimulation (SCS): Relief tailored for your pain

Boston Scientific’s proven SCS therapy can be personalized to deliver the lasting relief you need — where and when you need it.

Our Spinal Cord Stimulation (SCS) is:
• Safe
• Drug-free
• FDA-approved
• Clinically proven to provide long-term relief from chronic pain

How does SCS work?

You feel pain when nerves send pain signals through your spinal cord to your brain.

Your Spinal Cord Stimulation (SCS) System is designed to interrupt these signals so you don’t perceive them as pain.

Stimulator

A small device called a spinal cord stimulator is implanted under the skin. 

Leads
Thin, flexible “leads” are connected to the spinal cord stimulator and placed near specific nerves in the back. 

Pulses
The spinal cord stimulator sends mild pulses through the leads to the nerves. 

Pain
The pulses interrupt the pain signals on the way to the brain.

See how SCS works

Watch our animated SCS guide.

Who should get a Spinal Cord Stimulator?

SCS therapy is used to treat different kinds of chronic pain – pain lasting six months or more. This can include pain in the back, legs, and feet, or a combination of different pain areas.

Boston Scientific SCS Systems are indicated for people with the following pain conditions:

  • Failed Back Surgery Syndrome (FBSS)
  • Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS)
  • Radicular Pain Syndrome
  • And more

(See complete indications and contraindications here.) A pain management specialist can tell you if SCS therapy may be right for you.

Why Choose Boston Scientific Spinal Cord Stimulation

WaveWriter Alpha™ Spinal Cord Stimulator (SCS) System


The right therapy, right where you need it



Winner Best Overall Medical Device Solution

Choose tingling or non-tingling stimulation, or a combination of both.

Multiple therapy options for personalized relief

There are different kinds of SCS therapies. 

Some therapies replace your pain with a tingling sensation. Others use a type of stimulation you don't feel at all.

With the WaveWriter Alpha SCS System, you can choose the therapy that works best for you — or use both at the same time.

Boston Scientific SCS Systems deliver multiple therapies simultaneously and have been clinically proven to provide greater relief from chronic pain.1

Rapid and profound relief with FAST therapy

The WaveWriter Alpha SCS System features Boston Scientific’s unique, non-tingling FAST therapy. While other SCS Systems use therapies that can take days to “wash in”, FAST therapy is designed to provide immediate relief. In a recent clinical study, patients using FAST therapy went from an average pain score of 6.5 to an average of 1.3 in a matter of minutes.2

And, because FAST therapy uses less energy than other forms of non-tingling therapy, it may help to reduce the amount of charging you have to do or to extend the life of a non-rechargeable system.3

Watch real patients describe going from pain to relief in minutes.

The right option now, and for the future

FULL BODY MRI**:

The WaveWriter Alpha SCS System allows for conditional full body MRI scans.

BATTERY OPTIONS: 

Spinal cord stimulators are powered by batteries that are either rechargeable or non-rechargeable. Your doctor will help you choose which one is best for you. The WaveWriter Alpha SCS System offers both rechargeable and non-rechargeable stimulators, so you can choose the battery that fits your therapy needs.

With four WaveWriter Alpha stimulators to chose from, your doctor will help you decide which one best suits your lifestyle needs.

Get back to everyday activities

Effectively managing your pain can help you get back to enjoying many of the little things in life you’ve missed. In a clinical study, patients using the Boston Scientific SCS therapy offered in the WaveWriter Alpha SCS System reported a greater improvement in their ability to do everyday activities than patients reported in other studies using non-Boston Scientific SCS Systems.4,5,6

The WaveWriter Alpha SCS System’s non-tingling therapy options can be used while driving or sleeping.

Try your relief first

Before committing to SCS, find out if it will work for you by taking it for a “test drive” with a temporary trial system.

Real success stories

Talk to a real patient living with SCS therapy

Connect with real people living with pain and hear about their experience finding lasting relief by using a Boston Scientific solution.

Top 5 questions about SCS

Hear answers to the questions we get asked most often about SCS.

Learn about SCS with the mySCS™ app

 A free app designed to help patients during their SCS trial. You'll find helpful articles and resources on SCS for wherever you are on your journey.

Wondering if SCS may be right for you?

Take this quick quiz and find out. ⟶