Earlier this week I posted an article on spinal cord stimulators. Here is an article about someone using something very similar, it sounds great.
Updated: Monday, 21 Sep 2009, 11:17 PM EDT
Published : Monday, 21 Sep 2009, 11:17 PM EDT
- DAVID MARTIN | FOX 35 News
SANFORD, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) – The man was unstoppable.
“I was a super-active guy; spent all my time outside surfing, training for triathlons, swimming, kayaking,” remembers Zac Cover.
But in 2006, that all ended. A teenager lost control of his car and struck covers while he was biking.
“Swerved across two lanes. I was in the bike lane headed south and he hit me head on… broke my bike into seven pieces, and I was sprawled across the road,” Cover recalls.
Zac was taken by helicopter to the ER.
“I had broken all the ribs on my left side. My left lung had collapsed. My leg was split open from my knee to the ankle on my right side. Bones were exposed. My wrist was broken in four places,” Cover says.
Six weeks in the hospital and seven operations later, Zac’s dream of becoming an IronMan faded fast.
“I was on so much pain medication, that being at doctors appointments and having conversations, I would fall asleep. Doctors said I was taking enough medication to kill a horse,” Cover says.
Desperate, Zac tried something last year that promised to put him back on track – a minimally-invasive surgery that implanted a tiny battery-operated medical device, like a pacemaker, in his lower back. A thinly-wired paddle was woven up through damaged nerves to ultimately stimulate his spinal cord.
“I would describe it as pacing the nerves of the spine. Like you would for an irregular heartbeat, we’re going to pace the nerves that actually control pain,” says Dr. Tim Deer of the Center for Pain Relief.
The electrical pulses interrupt the pain signals as they travel to the brain. So, today, when Zac turns on his neurostimulator via remote control, he gets instant relief.
“Mine’s on all the time. I can adjust it, I can turn it off. And I have 9 different programs that I use. I can change them to give me different sensations. Some are strong, some are light. It feels like a massage from the inside-out,” Cover says, demonstrating.
He has lived with the neurostimulator for 14 months now and says it has reduced his overall pain by at least 60 percent.
There is no longer a need for heavy medication either. Just ibuprofen, daily. “As close to normal as I was before,” Cover says with a smile. Which has him getting back to being an IronMan in the making. All of it, he says, because of the world’s smallest rechargeable neurostimulator.
The makers of the device, St. Jude Medical, say it has some potential limitations. For example, the electrodes could move a bit inside the epidural space causing a reduction in pain relief. Changes in tissue could also reduce relief and the equipment could simply fail, though all of these can be corrected.
Approximately 60,000 people around the world are using these kinds of devices. The procedure and equipment cost about $25,000. And the great news, isurance usually covers the expenses.
This is a very encouraging report. It’s good to know that there are real benefits to having such major surgery.
MONDAY, Sept. 21 (HealthDay News) — In the long term, patients who receive surgical treatment for scoliosis are no more likely to develop low back pain or have an impaired quality of life than the general population, according to two studies in the Sept. 15 issue of Spine.
In one study, Kazushi Takayama, M.D., of the Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine in Japan, and colleagues studied 32 patients who received surgical treatment between 1976 and 1989. After a mean follow-up of 21.1 years, they found that 15 percent of patients had occasional or frequent low back pain, a rate similar to that of the general population.
In a second study of the same group of patients, Takayama and colleagues found that most patients (84.4 percent) had been able to work at their profession without serious difficulty, that half of the female patients had delivered babies after surgery, and that quality-of-life scores among those with idiopathic or congenital scoliosis were similar to those of age-matched healthy controls.
“Numbers of children had by patients with idiopathic scoliosis and congenital scoliosis were also equivalent to that for the normal population, these patients experienced no problems during pregnancy or delivery, and their rate of cesarean section was nearly equivalent to that in the normal population,” the authors of the second study write.
I’m all for non surgery research, this sounds like a good alternative don’t you think?
Despite the economic downturn impeding growth in most European healthcare markets, the guidelines passed by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) in 2008, forecasts an ’electric’ future for spinal chord stimulators (SCS) in the United Kingdom. NICE recommends the use of SCS for patients experiencing chronic neuropathic pain for longer than six months in spite of using alternative pain management therapies. This recommendation paves the way for better patient access to SCS therapy. The National Health Service (NHS) in England and Wales is directed to provide funds and resources for NICE-approved technologies, typically within three months of the publication date.
New analysis from Frost & Sullivan (medicaldevices.frost.com), Western European Pain Management Devices Markets, finds that the market earned revenues of over $801.2 million in 2008 and estimates this to reach $1,379.1 million in 2015.
“In addition to the NICE guidelines that are set to support the growth of SCS, the advanced features of the rechargeable SCS are expected to drive long-term growth in the European pain management devices market,” says Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Lizelle Wentzel. “Although rechargeable SCS is expensive, it reduces repetitive invasive surgery, has advanced features and will have diverse pain applications in the future.”
SCS used for the management of migraine will become a popular trend boosting the growth of this market. It is estimated that 19 per cent of Europe’s population suffers from chronic pain. In the United Kingdom alone, there are 2,000 new cases of failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS) annually. SCS works by sending electric pulses to electrodes situated near the spinal cord. The electric pulses inhibit the pain messages sent to the brain and manage the continuous pain the patient is otherwise likely to experience.
The Western European pain management devices market is expected to grow exponentially in the long term. Pain management technologies offer several advantages such as the ability to apply pain medication locally compared to systemic administration. Technologies such as SCS are capable of treating chronic pain without using pharmaceuticals and, in the long term, such devices will be more cost effective with lower risks of side effects such as addiction to pharmaceuticals. Pain management devices that enable chronic pain sufferers to be mobile will also drive this market as SCS and fully implanted pumps have the advantage of patient mobility. Such trends will sustain long-term market growth.
However, there is low awareness about alternative treatment of pain, with knowledge about pain management varying across Western Europe. With different countries more receptive towards new technologies and also more informed, awareness – both among end users and patients – in this field is still the key challenge for manufacturers in this space.
“Devices used as an alternative to pharmaceuticals in the treatment of chronic pain are unknown to several end-users and, in certain geographical regions, medical professionals are less open to alternative technologies,” explains Wentzel. “Future growth will depend on increased awareness among the main stakeholders in this market.”
Pain management devices companies should collaborate with pharmaceutical companies on marketing efforts as the latter continue to dominate 90 per cent of the total pain management market.
“Awareness on the use of devices in combination with pharmaceuticals are crucial for market expansion,” concludes Wentzel. “With pharmaceutical companies placing huge effort into marketing and relationships with KOLs, this strategy will benefit both parties in the long run.”
If you are interested in a virtual brochure, which provides a brief synopsis of the research and a table of contents, then send an email to Katja Feick, Corporate Communications, at katja.feick[.]frost.com, with your full name, company name, title, telephone number, company email address, company website, city, state and country. Upon receipt of the above information, a brochure will be sent to you by email.
Western European Pain Management Devices Markets is part of the Medical Devices Growth Partnership Services program, which also includes research in the following markets: European IV Therapy and Enteral Nutrition Devices Market, Western-European Markets for Custom Procedure Trays, Navigating the European Medical Devices Market during Economic Downturn, European Mobility Aids Market, Western European Markets for Compression Therapy, Western European Wound Closure Market, European Medical Devices Company Profiles, and Western European Cardiac Rhythm Management Market. All research services included in subscriptions provide detailed market opportunities and industry trends that have been evaluated following extensive interviews with market participants.
Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, enables clients to accelerate growth and achieve best in class positions in growth, innovation and leadership. The company’s Growth Partnership Service provides the CEO and the CEO’s Growth Team with disciplined research and best practice models to drive the generation, evaluation, and implementation of powerful growth strategies. Frost & Sullivan leverages over 45 years of experience in partnering with Global 1000 companies, emerging businesses and the investment community from more than 35 offices on six continents.
Review of Oprah Winfrey’s pain management article
Talk show legend Oprah Winfrey has a few pain management tips on her website written by Margaret A. Caudill-Slosberg, MD. Here is the direct link.
Chronic pain is a very serious health concern that affects more than 50 million Americans. Chronic pain is defined as pain that persists a month or more beyond what is considered normal for recovery from an injury or illness, or that goes on for months or years because of a chronic condition.
Just a few of the diseases associated with chronic pain include: arthritis, nerve damage, cancer, fibromyalgia, diabetic neuropathy, carpal tunnel syndrome, sciatica, shingles, phantom limb pain and coronary artery disease. Sometimes pain persists for reasons that are not clear. This sort of pain is related to a “broken” pain system and does not respond well to medications normally used for acute pain.
Depending upon its severity, chronic pain can cause all kinds of devastation if the person suffering has no confidence that she/he can control or manage it. The first principle of controlling pain is to seek medical advice regarding the cause. When the cause has been determined, or when the more serious causes like cancer or infection have been eliminated from the list of possible culprits, you can begin to deal with the realities of your particular problem. Reflecting on your responses to the following questions will help you and your health care provider determine the cause:
- When did it start?
- How long has it been?
- What makes it better?
- What makes it worse?
- What have you done to alleviate it thus far?
- Describe the quality of the pain: burning, aching, sharp, or throbbing can be very helpful in making a diagnosis.
- Acknowledging the emotional response is also helpful. Are you fearful, anxious, or angry?
I applaud Oprah for having the tips on her site. As stated in the article, there are over 50 million people in America alone that suffer from chronic pain. In my series entitled pain management: Does is mean giving up hope of being pain free? I explain a few tips I did to help my pain management, which included buying aids, and making a flare up box.
I hope that Oprah and her expert team will expand on the subject, and look into different pain treatments like TENS machines, and maybe even look at the controversial idea of legalising marijuana for pain relief.
This is part 4 in a series about chronic pain and depression. In previous parts we looked at using antidepressants and psychotherapy to help with chronic pain depression, in this part will explore herbal remedies for depression and chronic pain.
Herbal antidepressants
For people who don’t like taking conventional medicine, there are a few herbal alternatives that are said to help depression and pain symptoms. I would also like to stress that before trying any of these alternatives please talk to both your doctor, and a herbal specialist to ensure that you can take them with your current medication.
St Johns Wort
This herb has been proven by medical studies to help with mild depression.
No one is sure why it works exactly, as there are a number of chemical that may be active ingredients. As with conventional medicine, it takes a few weeks to build up into the system and work.
Side Effects
Possible side effects are dry mouth, dizziness, gut symptoms, increased sensitivity to sunlight, and tiredness.
Possible risks
St John’s Wort sometimes reacts with other drugs. So:
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You should not take it if you are taking warfarin, cyclosporin, oral contraceptives, anticonvulsants, digoxin, theophylline, or certain anti-HIV drugs. This is because it may reduce the effect of these drugs.
- You should not take it at the same time as taking an SSRI antidepressant (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) or a triptan drugs used for migraine (such as sumatriptan). This is because it has an additive effect to these drugs which can cause problems.
Also, you should not take St John’s Wort if you are pregnant or breastfeeding as it has not been proved to be safe in these situations.
SAM-E
SAM-e (S-adenosyl-L-methionine) is a synthetic version of an amino acid that is naturally produced in the liver. It is reported to help with depression and osteoarthritis by raising the levels of amino acid in the body. It is also been said that the results start to work in a couple of weeks which is a lot quicker than traditional antidepressants.
Side Effects
A few people taking high doses have reported mild gastrointestinal upsets (such as stomach pain, diarrhoea, nausea and flatulence), anxiety, insomnia, hyperactive muscle movement, and hypomania.
It is also not recommended that you take this while pregnant or if you suffer from Bipolar.
5HTP
5-Hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) is an amino acid that is the intermediate step between tryptophan and the important brain chemical serotonin, a strong neurotransmitter in the brain. It specifically targets symptoms caused by low serotonin levels such as depression and fibromyalglia. 5HTP has also been successful as a weight loss aid by suppressing the appetite.
Side effects
As there have been no official study into side effects, and there seems to be little when taking in small doses, but large doses (100mg+)may have the following effect: Nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, nightmares, and decreased sex drive, constipation, gas, drowsiness.
Potential risks
There is also a potentially fatal condition called serotonin syndrome that may occur if you have too much serotonin in your body. Signs of this condition include: Euphoria, drowsiness, sustained rapid eye movement, overreaction of the reflexes, rapid muscle contraction and relaxation in the ankle causing abnormal movements of the foot, clumsiness, restlessness, feeling drunk and dizzy, muscle contraction and relaxation in the jaw, sweating, intoxication, muscle twitching, rigidity, high body temperature.
It is not recommended that you take this if you suffer from:
Cardiovascular Diseases (post-stroke, high blood pressure, post-heart attack); Extremely Elderly Persons; those with Parkinsons; Disease, Cancer or Autoimmune Diseases (Scleroderma, Arthritis, Rheumatoid, Lupus, Multiple Sclerosis); Lung Diseases; Chronic Alcoholism; Liver diseases (hepatitis or cirrhosis); parasitic infection; AIDS; Anorexia Nervosa; Low protein Diets; Allergies (severe); Myalgia (persistent pain and weakness of the muscles); Peripheral Neuropathy (pain weakness of the muscles); Rash or Flushing; Edema; Nausea; Diarrhoea; Sickle cell anemia; hemophilia; Pregnancy.
**Please note**
While doing the research I found conflicting reports about what 5HTP is good for. Some resources say to not take autoimmune diseases, while others think it’s a good idea.
It’s important to research and I would like to stress again that you must talk to your doctor before you start any new pain or depression treatment.
