For both back and leg pain, which lead placement is recommended?

The recommended lead placement for addressing both back and leg pain is at the T8-T9 intervertebral space. This area is significant because it corresponds to specific spinal nerves that innervate regions related to both the back and the legs, providing effective pain relief.

When leads are placed at the T8-T9 level, they target the thoracic region of the spinal cord, which can modulate pain signals traveling to the brain from the areas innervated by those thoracic nerves. This placement is ideally suited for managing pain that can radiate throughout the back and extend into the lower limbs, thereby addressing the dual nature of pain the patient is experiencing.

Placement at other levels, such as T7-T8, T9-T10, or T10-T11, may not provide the same broad coverage or effectiveness for both back and leg pain as the T8-T9 placement does. Each of these levels corresponds to different nerves and potentially limits the area of pain relief, making T8-T9 the optimal choice in this scenario.