DENVER, Colo. (Ivanhoe Newswire) – A growing crisis is gripping our nation – millions of Americans are living in severe pain and turning to prescription painkillers for pain relief. The CDC reports 20 percent of U.S. adults experience chronic pain. Of those with chronic pain, up to 30 percent misuse opioids – that means millions are living in a vicious cycle of pain and addiction. An implant may help relieve their pain without drugs.
Malia Baird’s addiction to alcohol started when she was 23 and continued for two decades.
“I was actually on my way to an alcohol class that was mandated, and I decided that I would stop at the liquor store and get ready for that meeting,” she tells Ivanhoe.
She never made it. Malia blacked out behind the wheel.
“By the time I woke up, I had had four or five major surgeries,” Malia remembers.
Basically, everything below her waist was broken. The pain was overwhelming, and she was addicted to narcotics. Neurosurgeon Giancarlo Barolat, MD at Presbyterian/St. Luke’s Medical Center in Denver, introduced a neurostimulator to relieve Malia’s pain. He placed electrodes between her spinal cord and vertebrae. A battery pack was placed under the skin, near her buttocks. This device stops the majority of the pain signals.
Dr. Barolat explains, “We’re able to, either interrupt or change that signal so that when it reaches the brain, is not perceived as pain.”
The electrodes are controlled by a remote control that patients manage. A study published in the Journal of Pain found that neurostimulation was effective in reducing opioid use by nearly 60 percent.
Malia uses her stimulator every day, and is now completely drug and alcohol-free.
Dr. Barolat says anyone who has had pain that lasts for more than six months and has not responded to various treatments is a good candidate for a neurostimulator. The pacemaker does contain a lithium battery and needs to be replaced about every 12 years. The procedure to do that is outpatient and takes about 20 minutes.
Contributors to this news report include: Marsha Lewis, Producer; Matt Goldschmidt, Videographer; Roque Correa, Editor.
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Source:
MEDICAL BREAKTHROUGHS
RESEARCH SUMMARY
TOPIC: PILL-LESS PAIN RELIEF: NEUROSTIMULATORS REPLACING OPIOIDS
REPORT: MB #5308
BACKGROUND: Neurostimulators have become a promising alternative to opioids for pill-less pain relief, providing a new approach to managing chronic pain. Unlike opioids, which are medications taken from the poppy plant and binded to specific receptors in the brain and spinal cord to reduce the perception of pain, neurostimulators use electrical pulses to monitor the activity of nerves and alter pain signals. This method not only reduces the risk of opioid addiction but also offers targeted and personalized pain management for individuals suffering from conditions like chronic back pain, neuropathy, or complex regional pain syndrome.
DIAGNOSING: Neurostimulators are used in the treatment of various illnesses and offers a unique solution to manage symptoms and improve overall well-being. One notable method in which they do so is through the use of neuromodulation for chronic pain conditions. Implantable neurostimulators, such as spinal cord stimulators or peripheral nerve stimulators, can be tailored to an individual’s specific pain patterns, providing relief and improving functionality. Also, neurostimulation has shown promise in treating neurological disorders like Parkinson’s disease and epilepsy. Opioids, on the other hand, are a class of medications traditionally used to treat pain by binding to specific receptors in the brain and spinal cord known as opioid receptors. Opioids are commonly prescribed for various conditions, including acute and chronic pain, post-surgical recovery, and cancer-related pain. While they are effective in managing pain, the use of opioids comes with potential risks, including the risk of dependence, tolerance, and addiction.
NEW TECHNOLOGY: Duke University offers three highly effective and low-risk peripheral nerve stimulation devices as part of its pain management options. Among these, the SPRINT system is the least permanent, providing pain relief for up to and sometimes beyond two years. This lightweight device, worn on the skin, consists of a small transmitter and battery. Despite its temporary nature, the SPRINT system offers notable advantages. However, it comes with a limitation – it cannot be submerged, so activities like swimming or bathing are restricted during the 60 days of device wear. On the other hand, the Bioness StimRouter system, similar to SPRINT, is a permanent solution that can be safely submerged in water. Both systems are implanted in an outpatient clinic through short, minimally invasive procedures that utilize only local anesthesia. These innovative technologies display the versatility and accessibility of peripheral nerve stimulation, providing individual solutions for different pain types and locations.
(Source: https://www.dukehealth.org/blog/could-peripheral-nerve-stimulation-eliminate-your-chronic-pain)
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THIS REPORT, PLEASE CONTACT:
Stephanie Sullivan
Stephanie.sullivan@HealthONEcares.com
If this story or any other Ivanhoe story has impacted your life or prompted you or someone you know to seek or change treatments, please let us know by contacting Marjorie Bekaert Thomas at mthomas@ivanhoe.com
