New chronic pain treatment

New chronic pain treatment
 

A new procedure being carried out at Tallaght Hospital in Dublin can significantly ease the discomfort for patients who suffer from chronic pain, according to the hospital.

Spinal cord stimulation is carried out with an electrical device that can change some of the pain messages that the body sends to the brain.

The stimulator is a small, battery-powered device that is designed to deliver precise amounts of elecrtricity to the spine. When the stimulator works well, it can dramatically change the feelings in a patient's body.

The stimulator is a small computer the size of a matchbox; it is placed under the skin, usually in the abdomen. An electrode sits near the spinal cord and delivers tiny amounts of electricity to the cord.

An extension lead connects the computer to the electrode. The patient can control the computer with a hand-held controller which they can use to switch the stimulator on and off.

The controller, which is the size of a personal stereo, can be carried around by the patient.

Dr Camillus Power, consultant anaesthetist and Director of the Pain Programme at Tallaght Hospital said the quality of life in people suffering from chronic pain is lower than that of people suffering from a terminal illness and this is a further option that can be offered to patients to help alleviate their pain.

Other pain control methods offered by the programme at Tallaght include meditation, patient controlled epidural analgesia, and a return to work programme that facilitates patients with chronic pain to return to the workplace.

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