How does a pain pump work?
A pain pump involves implanting a very small pump in a strategic location in your abdomen. The pump has a tiny catheter attached to it that delivers low doses of medication, like baclofen (a muscle relaxant), directly to the space around your spinal cord.
This medication mixes in with cerebrospinal fluid that flows through the area around your spinal cord, which literally bathes your entire spinal column with pain-relieving medication. Your pain pump is programmed by your doctor to gradually release medication from its reservoir over a period of time.
Once the reservoir is empty, your practitioner simply refills it by inserting a needle through your skin. Pain pumps can eliminate the need for taking oral medications and are ideal if you haven’t found the right solution for resolving your pain.
Am I a candidate for a pain pump?
You might be a candidate for a pain pump — also known as intrathecal drug delivery — from Regency Pain & Therapy Institute if you:
- Suffer from muscle spasticity
- Find that oral medications aren’t helpful
- Haven’t had relief from conservative treatments
- Can’t be treated through surgical means
- Have previously had a failed surgery, like failed back surgery syndrome
Your practitioner at Regency Pain & Therapy Institute is likely going to give you a trial injection dose of the pain pump medication, including low-dose baclofen, just to ensure the medication is going to work for you. Once you and your doctor decide that a pain pump is the way to go, they schedule you for an implant procedure.
What is the process of getting a pain pump?
Placing a pain pump is performed under general anesthesia. Your surgeon makes a small incision in the middle of your back to expose targeted vertebrae. They carefully place the catheter in just the right spot and secure it in place with sutures.
The next step involves passing the catheter underneath your skin and around to your abdomen. Your pain pump, which is about the size of a hockey puck, gets implanted in your torso, just below your waistline, so you won’t be able to see the incision.
You should be able to go home the same day as your pain pump procedure. But before you’re discharged, your dedicated practitioner from Regency Pain & Therapy Institute counsels you on what to expect while you recover over the following days and how to care for your incisions. Your pain pump becomes effective immediately.
Get relief from chronic pain by booking your pain pump consultation at Regency Pain & Therapy Institute right away. Call your nearest office to book today.
