Dangers of Spinal Implants. False Hope and a Cautionary Tale

The cautionary tale of spinal implants for pain.  As readers of my book, Radical Resilience know, I used the sad story of a pro Baseball player,  Bodie, who had catastrophic results with a spinal stimulator for back pain which almost cost him his life.

Again, we don’t want to throw out traditional medical solutions, but when it comes to you and your loved ones, consider safe alternatives (or nothing!) first.

The story of spinal implants is a tale of hope, technology, and the limits of medicine. Designed to provide relief from chronic pain by sending electrical impulses to block pain signals from reaching the brain, these devices have been hailed as a game-changer in the fight against opioid addiction. By 2020, the FDA reported 50,000 spinal cord stimulators being implanted annually, yet a darker side of the narrative emerged: 108,000 reports of injuries, nearly 500 deaths, and a growing sense that the solution might not be as simple as it seems.

Researchers dove deeper into the numbers, analyzing 7,500 patients suffering from chronic pain. The results were sobering. Those with spinal implants did not reduce their reliance on opioids or other pain treatments any more than those who stuck with conventional approaches. Even more troubling, one in five patients required additional surgeries due to complications with the device.

Critics argue that measuring success by medication use alone misses the bigger picture. The placebo effect is powerful, and the psychological investment of patients undergoing an invasive procedure is not easily discounted. Yet, for many, the hoped-for relief remains elusive. Spinal implants may help some patients with nerve pain, but for conditions like arthritis, they offer little.

The FDA recommends caution—patients should try the device externally before committing to surgery. The promise of a life free from pain, it turns out, is a goal that remains frustratingly out of reach for many. But the search for better answers continues.