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Spinal Cord Stimulator (SCS) system device support

Recovering from your procedure

Old man smiling with doctor

Recovering from an SCS procedure

Once you have your Boston Scientific SCS System, you’ll begin your next chapter of life with Boston Scientific on your side. You may feel eager to get back to activities that may now be less painful. Still, recovering from any procedure takes time. Find general tips below, but be sure to follow your doctor’s recommendations for getting back to your normal activities based on your situation.


General guidelines

After your procedure, it’s important to limit some activities as you heal. During the first two weeks, do not:

  • Lift objects of more than five pounds
  • Do rigorous physical activity, like twisting, bending or climbing
  • Raise your arms above your head if you had new leads implanted
  • Pull or jiggle the leads

When to call your doctor

Your healthcare team will give you specifics about when you should call them. In general, call your doctor if you:

  • Have pain around the implant for longer than two weeks
  • Notice a lot of redness around the wound areas, so your doctor can check for infection (in rare cases, there can be a reaction to the implant)
  • Plan to make lifestyle changes due to having better pain control

Resources and Support

We’re here to help

Our patient services team is here to support you throughout your SCS journey.

Available 6 am to 5 pm PT, Monday through Friday