Spinal Cord Stimulators: Early interventions show high success rate

As a follow up to yesterday's post, I would like to share an example-- how early interventions to treat pain at the source make good sense.

Thoracic placement of spinal cord stimulator
image source: wikimedia

Spinal cord stimulators are medical devices that have been in existence since the late 1960s-early 1970s.

When a patient has chronic back pain, a device like this can be surgically implanted ..the actual device sits in the abdomen, while the electrodes are placed in the epidural space of the spine. Once activated, the device sends electrical impulses that scramble the pain signal, and in doing so, muffle the pain sensation for that patient. The device is programmable, so that it the signals it emits can be adjusted after implantation as needed by the patient's health care team.

A recent study at Regina General Hospital in Saskatchewan regarding these devices yielded some interesting results. Krishna Kumar, MD and his group studied 443 patients who were using these devices. Seventy five percent of patients who waited 2 years or less for stimulator implants had a 75 % success rate. Those who received implants 20 years or more after onset of chronic pain showed a mere

15% success rate.

Keep in mind that not every candidate with chronic back pain is a good candidate for this device. Other issues, such as specific diagnoses, insurance coverage, psychological issues, and other underlying health conditions may prevent patients from being considered for the procedure. But when a patient is a good candidate for this treatment, and the timing is right, the odds of success are good. And, as the study suggests, sooner is better than later.

Sources: wikimedia, americannewsreport.com,wikipedia

Comments

Living with Chronic pain hits the big screen!

Been to the movies lately? Jennifer Aniston is on the big screen in a recent release titled "Cake." Her character, Claire is a victim of chronic pain...she belongs to a support group, where all of the members are coming to terms with the suicide of one of their members. Of course, she also takes pain medication and addiction is another of her problems...and of course there's more! I guess I am writing this post just to bring readers' attention to the fact that Hollywood has become aware of the crisis that is chronic pain. This movie is a testament to that. People that don't have to live with this kind of pain don't fully understand the whole story. Maybe this movie will shed some light on the issues. Here is the official trailer for the movie: Sources: prweb;NorthJersey.com;YouTube

The Multimodal Approach to Pain Management

OK..so if you've been following this blog you will notice that there are a good number of ideas to help manage chronic pain. You might ask yourself, "Which one of these ideas is best for me ?" I would suggest that you might try any number of these things, depending on your level of ability/disability, health care team recommendations, and your personal interests. There are a number of reasons for doing this: 1) The patient is in control..with few exceptions, it is your decision what to try/not try and how many different things you want to experiment with at any time. 2) Non drug pain management ideas do not have any of the drug interactions or side effects that medications have. You may have to set limits or modify activity according to personal circumstances, but usually it does not hurt to try any of them. 3)You usually do not need a prescription for most of the ideas I have described. There are a few exceptions, such as physical therapy. There ...

Sciatica: A common pain in the butt!

Sciatica pain results from pressure or damage to the sciatic nerve. This nerve originates in the spine and runs down through the buttocks and the back of the leg...so if you've ever literally had a pain in the butt, it is possible that sciatica is the problem. The cause of the pressure can be from a number of sources...for instance, compression in the spinal cord due to disc injury or a tumor. The sciatica pain sensation can vary widely..it can present as a numbness or tingling, dull ache, burning, and in severe cases the pain can make movement quite difficult. Over time, it is possible for sciatica to resolve on its own. If it does not, it is important to seek medical help to determine the root cause of the pain. The usual first course of remedies for sciatica include ice application to the affected area for the first 48-72 hours, followed by heat. Over the counter pain medications such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen are also appropriate. ...

Everyday pain management ideas

Search This Blog