20
Home and Occupational Environments
Patient activities and environmental precautions.
Patients should take reasonable care to avoid devices
that generate strong EMI, which may cause the
neurostimulation system to unintentionally turn on or
off. Patients should also avoid any activities that would
be potentially unsafe if their symptoms were to return
unexpectedly. These activities include but are not
limited to climbing ladders and operating potentially
dangerous machinery, power tools, and vehicles.
Sudden loss of stimulation may cause patients to fall
or lose control of equipment or vehicles, injure others,
or bring injury upon themselves.
Activities requiring excessive twisting or stretching.
Patients should avoid activities that may put undue
stress on the implanted components of the
neurostimulation system. Activities that include
sudden, excessive or repetitive bending, twisting, or
stretching can cause component fracture or
dislodgement. Component fracture or dislodgement
may result in loss of stimulation, intermittent
stimulation, stimulation at the fracture site, and
additional surgery to replace or reposition the
component.
Component manipulation by patient. Patients
should avoid manipulating the implanted system
components (e.g., the neurostimulator, the burr hole
site). This can result in component damage, lead
dislodgement, skin erosion, or stimulation at the
