Funny enough, spinal cord stimulation for treating chronic pain is something my Dad has been working on/researching. Unfortunately I don't know the completely status of it or what product's have been out, I do however know that it does work (I worked for my Dad for a summer internship and witnessed it first-hand), and that you need to be careful when diving into them. The side-effects vary depending on the type of stimulation (AC or DC) as well the frequency used, but they can result in nerve damage.
Specifically, it's known (At least, it was known among the group I worked with, and I saw this result happen) that extended use of the DC block will damage the nerve (On higher frequencies - IIRC 40hz was the highest we tested). AC doesn't have that issue, but AC has the issue that it actually sends a fairly large signal back up the nerve when it's turned on (So you feel a sharp pain when you turn it on). I couldn't tell you how bad it is since I've never felt it, but obviously it's still useable if Ex. you just turn it on to go to sleep at night.
Now, something unfortunate I feel obligated to tell you is that not to long ago my Dad traveled to go give a talk at a conference relating to a company that's been marketing a pain-relief type stimulator with no side-effects. From what my Dad saw, the block was mostly from nerve damage being created from the stimulation (I apologize, I don't remember all the specific details). Bottom line, I'd research any company you're considering getting a stimulator from.
Note: I'm more knowledgeable then the average person, but I'm no biomedical engineer. Definitely look into this stuff yourself and get other opinions. I do know it's definitely worth looking into.
Specifically, it's known (At least, it was known among the group I worked with, and I saw this result happen) that extended use of the DC block will damage the nerve (On higher frequencies - IIRC 40hz was the highest we tested). AC doesn't have that issue, but AC has the issue that it actually sends a fairly large signal back up the nerve when it's turned on (So you feel a sharp pain when you turn it on). I couldn't tell you how bad it is since I've never felt it, but obviously it's still useable if Ex. you just turn it on to go to sleep at night.
Now, something unfortunate I feel obligated to tell you is that not to long ago my Dad traveled to go give a talk at a conference relating to a company that's been marketing a pain-relief type stimulator with no side-effects. From what my Dad saw, the block was mostly from nerve damage being created from the stimulation (I apologize, I don't remember all the specific details). Bottom line, I'd research any company you're considering getting a stimulator from.
Note: I'm more knowledgeable then the average person, but I'm no biomedical engineer. Definitely look into this stuff yourself and get other opinions. I do know it's definitely worth looking into.