Chronic pain continues to be a serious problem affecting the lives of many people worldwide and accounting for 86% of healthcare costs in the US. While there are various conventional medications to help ease the pain, most of them are ineffective, and patients are dissatisfied. If you’re looking for a permanent solution, consider intrathecal pain therapy, it’s a safe and effective alternative.
Intrathecal drug delivery, also known as the “pain pump,” is a treatment strategy that helps ease chronic pain by using medications to block pain signals from reaching the brain. Read on to learn more about this therapy:
What Is Intrathecal Pain Therapy?
Intrathecal pain therapy is a treatment where pain medication is delivered to the spinal cord. It involves implanting a small pain pump under the abdomen or buttocks’ skin. The pump supplies pain medication to pain receptors near the spine. This stops pain signals from getting to your brain, easing chronic pain.
While other medications must travel through your system before reaching your spine, intrathecal pain therapy medication is delivered directly to your spinal cord, making it more effective.
Why Is Intrathecal Pain Therapy Used?
Intrathecal pain therapy is an effective option for managing chronic pain. It uses a small pump or catheter to supply pain medication straight to your central nervous system.
The medicine bypasses your digestive system and interrupts pain signals to your brain. This makes it more effective than injections or oral pain medications that take longer to reach your spine. You experience fast and effective chronic pain relief.
With intrathecal therapy, pain medications are administered even in smaller doses. This increases the success of the treatment and reduces side effects. You’ll no longer need to take daily pills to manage chronic pain.
What Conditions Can Intrathecal Pain Therapy Treat?
Intrathecal pain therapy is a suitable option for managing severe chronic pain. Studies show that the therapy helps treat various conditions, including:
- Chronic abdominal pain
- Arachnoiditis
- Chronic neck and back pain
- CRPS (complex regional pain syndrome)
- Failed neck and back surgery
- Sciatica
- Cancer pain
- Multiple sclerosis
- Spinal cord injury
- Spasticity
- Stump pain
How Does Intrathecal Pain Therapy Procedure Occur?
Intrathecal pain therapy treatment starts with a trial procedure. It’s the best way to determine if you are suitable for a permanent pain pump.
The trial procedure often entails implanting a temporary spinal catheter using a needle. You stay at the hospital for several days as doctors track the effectiveness of the injection.
If the catheter helps reduce pain, you qualify for a permanent pain pump. Your doctor recommends the permanent pump implant, which gets done after a few weeks.
The intrathecal pump implantation procedure often lasts for one or two hours. You receive general sedation or anesthesia to sleep during the process. Then a doctor makes a small surgical incision to insert the pump under your buttocks or abdomen’s skin.
Once implanted, the specialist programs the pump to supply medication slowly. They use a wireless remote controller. They can also program it to deliver the medicine in different amounts at different times of the day. The variation depends on your needs.
What to Expect After Intrathecal Therapy Procedure?
Intrathecal therapy is safe and offers excellent benefits when used as directed. Some of the benefits to expect after the procedure include the following:
- Effective chronic pain relief
- Fewer side effects compared to oral medications
- Reduced use of pain management drugs or pills
- Improved quality of life
- Excellent yet long-lasting results
Schedule an Appointment Today
Intrathecal pain therapy is a safe and effective procedure when done right. The goal is to deliver pain medication to your spine to block pain signals from reaching the brain. You get excellent pain relief and enjoy life again.
At Precision Spine Care, we strive to help patients manage chronic pain. We leverage our vast industry experience and use quality yet reliable intrathecal pain pump systems to offer desired pain management results. Our procedure is safe, effective, and tailored to meet your needs. Please fill out the form below to contact our doctors.
