Spinal implant offers new hope to back pain sufferers
A revolutionaryspinal implant has allowed crippled patients to walk again and freed others from a life of constant, debilitating pain.Hunndreds of thousands of people suffer the daily agony of spinal injuryHundreds of thousands more people suffering the agony of spinal injury could now benefit from the new device developed by scientists at London’s Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital.The team has released figures on the first trial of the new spinal cord stimulation, which works by disrupting and thereby dramatically reducing pain signals to the brain.Dr Adnan Al-Kaisy, a pain and electrical nerve stimulation specialist at Guy’s Hospital who led the study, said: “This device has opened up a new frontier in pain management.
“Patients who have been given it have been able to come off painkilling drugs, go back to work and enjoy their lives again. There is nothing else out there that can reduce pain by this much. We are so proud at Guy’s to have been part of its development.”Patients who have been given it have been able to come off painkilling drugs, go back to work and enjoy their lives againThe research has so far been carried out on people suffering severe back and leg pain caused by spinal injury. However, experts say the implant, which is free from side effects, could treat other painful conditions such as migraine and nerve damage.The team, who worked with researchers in Belgium and were funded by the US device company Nevro Corp, tested the implant on 83 patients. At the start of the trial patients gave eight out of 10 as an average pain score, with 10 being the worst. After six months it fell to two.The technique involves implanting wires near the spinal cord, which are linked to a generator. This gives off high frequency electrical impulses, which the patient does not feel.Until now patients with chronic spinal pain had little hope of relief, except painkillers. Charles Holleyman, 62, of Chorley Wood, Hertfordshire, damaged his spine 30 years ago and was in constant pain before he had the implant.He said: “It’s changed my life.”
Source:Lucy Johnston.
“Patients who have been given it have been able to come off painkilling drugs, go back to work and enjoy their lives again. There is nothing else out there that can reduce pain by this much. We are so proud at Guy’s to have been part of its development.”Patients who have been given it have been able to come off painkilling drugs, go back to work and enjoy their lives againThe research has so far been carried out on people suffering severe back and leg pain caused by spinal injury. However, experts say the implant, which is free from side effects, could treat other painful conditions such as migraine and nerve damage.The team, who worked with researchers in Belgium and were funded by the US device company Nevro Corp, tested the implant on 83 patients. At the start of the trial patients gave eight out of 10 as an average pain score, with 10 being the worst. After six months it fell to two.The technique involves implanting wires near the spinal cord, which are linked to a generator. This gives off high frequency electrical impulses, which the patient does not feel.Until now patients with chronic spinal pain had little hope of relief, except painkillers. Charles Holleyman, 62, of Chorley Wood, Hertfordshire, damaged his spine 30 years ago and was in constant pain before he had the implant.He said: “It’s changed my life.”
Source:Lucy Johnston.
No hay comentarios:
Publicar un comentario