New Advancements in Chronic Pain Management

One in three Americans suffer from chronic pain and more than 100 million people are partially or totally disabled by pain.¹ Chronic pain is defined as pain that has not gone away or recurs frequently.²

It is the number-one cause of adult disability in the United States.³ The annual national economic cost of chronic pain in the United States is an estimated $560 to $635 billion.⁴

Treatment Options
Treatment options for chronic pain vary from conservative options such as over-the-counter medications and physical therapy to more aggressive options such as prescription drugs or even surgery. Spinal cord stimulation or SCS is another option. SCS is a reversible therapy that has helped thousands of people find relief from chronic pain. SCS sends electrical impulses that trigger nerve fibers along the spinal cord, masking the pain message traveling to the brain. When this happens, the painful sensation is replaced with a soothing, tingling sensation.

SCS may be prescribed for chronic intractable pain of the trunk and/or limbs, including unilateral or bilateral pain associated with the following: failed back surgery syndrome, intractable low back pain and leg pain. Many people with failed back surgeries have had success with the SCS. It is most commonly used to treat low back and lower extremity pain. Thousands of patients with severe chronic painful conditions have received relief with spinal cord stimulation.

Precision Spectra^™ SCS System
The Precision Spectra^™ SCS System is the world’s first and only SCS system with 32 contacts and 32 dedicated power sources.

Treating pain can be complex and pain patterns can change over time, which is why the Precision Spectra^™ System is designed to provide more pain relief to a wide range of patients who suffer from chronic pain. Up until now, SCS systems have offered a maximum of 16 stimulating contacts and two lead ports. By doubling the number of contacts and lead ports, the Precision Spectra^™ System offers more coverage of the spinal cord and increased flexibility to adapt to broader and/or changing pain patterns. In addition, with four ports, physicians have more choices to treat their patients’ pain at the time of implant and in the future.

For more information about SCS, please visit www.ControlYourPain.com.

References
1. Institute of Medicine (http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=13172)
2. www.chronicpain.org
3. American Chronic Pain Association (http://www.theacpa.org/uploads/documents/Partners%20for%20Understanding%20Pain%20Electronic%20Press%20Kit1.pdf)
4. Institute of Medicine (http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=13172&page=1)