The world of chronic pain is one that tends to lack subtlety. When a patient-a Marine no less-describes hisday-to-day as,”Any contact with water, regardless of temperature, felt like daggers. I couldn't sleep because my leg felt like it was being crushed in a vise and every step I took felt like a hammer hitting my leg,” you know you are dealing with acruelly heightened state of existence.
And when that same person describes his pain relief after implantation of«Ƶ's (spinalcord stimulation)as allowing him the opportunity to have the moments raising his two-year-old daughterthat he thought he’d,“lost forever,” the stakes are clearly illuminated.Not just for this patient,but for the approximately 20% of all Americans wholive withdebilitating chronicpain.
But, while life-altering improvements can occur when «Ƶ’sneuromodulation devicesare activated, these dramatic changes are far from the end of the story. Asrecently highlighted inevent, «Ƶ is focused on remaining a leader in medical technology, continuallybuilding on a visionthat will enhance patient care.
A vital component of that vision is improving experiences for both patient and physician.
We’re on it. We are building a neuromodulation platform that offersongoingimprovement designed tocontinuallyupgradeproductsfor our patients– past, present, and future. The focus is onenhancingpatientcarewithout having to replace implanted devices.
New Labeling MeansNewOpportunities
«Ƶ which expands MRI compatibility with the leads used on theProclaimղXR Spinal Cord Stimulation System. These electrically insulated wires transmit electrical impulses to the nerves targeted by the neuromodulation device. This announcement may sound like some minor tech improvement but it’sactually apretty bigdeal.
Because pain patients and physicians know all-too-well the important role that high-quality imaging afforded by MRIs plays in their world, this opens new possibilities for improving diagnostic quality as well as patient comfort. In addition to clearing the path for more frequent MRIs,complex scans over 30 minutes willbe faster due toreduced downtime betweenscans.
Just ask Dr. Pankaj Mehta, Medical Director, Chief Medical Officer and Director of Research at Pain Specialists ofAmerica. Dr. Mehta is an interventional pain specialist who treats back, neck and head pain, while also running a research department that evaluates new therapies. The team partners with companies, like «Ƶ, to determine what are the best new software designs and waveforms to treat people with intractable, chronic pain.
Getting a Clear Look at a Complex Problem
“I’m excited about this MRI compatibility announcement,” said Dr. Mehta. “Being able to get consistent MRI images is very important, especially in our practice. Seventy percent of our patients are active military or veterans and that population, as well as those patients entering their sixth decade, are more likely to have multiple pain generators, making MRI’s a regular part of clinical care.
“These people, rather than having a single source of pain that we can focus all our efforts on, are dealing with a far more complex situation. Patients with back pain often also have neck pain, headaches or arthritis and vets can have PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), so it can be difficult toseparate outwhat is going on. In addition, decisions have to be made as to what order we treat these pain generators and how treatment of one condition may impact another.”
Prior to this new FDA labelling, physicians wishing to use «Ƶ’s proprietaryܰٶٸ™¯ԴDZDzwererestrictedintheirleadplacementswithregard toMRIwhen usingthe Proclaim XR SCS. Thislimitedthe quality of the diagnostic images that could be taken ofpatientsusing the device. “It’s highly imperative that if you have therapy going on, that your device be MRI-compatible to have high-quality images,” said Dr. Mehta.
“Especially when treating people with multiple pain generators, we want to have current images to make the best therapeutic decisions,” said Dr. Mehta. “This new labeling allows for that.”
Getting Time on One’s Side
Another subtle, but extremely important, change in the labeling benefits the patient even more directly. Patients with the Proclaim XR SCS device needonlywait 30 minutes between scan cycles of 30 minutes, allowing them to safely receive an MRI scan in a fraction of the time previously required.“It allows clinicians to get to the source of a particular issue in less time andwithout fear of compromising safety or creating complications,” said Dr. Timothy Deer, president and chief executive officer at The Spine and NerveCenters of the Virginias.
According to Dr. Mehta,shorterdowntimesbetween scanswill greatly improve the experience for patients, some even more than others. “When pain patients are getting scanned, they can become anxious because the radiologists are taking multiple films to get the best quality ones, which takes time. Many patients can’t be still for long periods of time,may beon anxiety meds or facing some other challenge. For veterans with PTSD, asked to be in loud, confined spaces, the longer they spendat the MRI facility, the worse it is for them.
“It’s a wonderful benefit to the patient to not have to spend hoursat the MRI facility. Many times, because of someone’s PTSD or anxiety, I have moved patients to a lower image-quality CT scan just because it was faster and, therefore, less likely to cause trauma. They can havea CTexperience with MRI-quality images. For those looking at, perhaps, several additional scans, this calming news is even more important.”
As valuable as these new advantages are to both patients and physicians in the present, they will continue tohelp outin the future, as care continues. “You get the excellent «Ƶ neuromodulation waveform which helps control present pain, but also gives us the ability to keep evaluating other pain generators as the degenerative cascade of the spine goes on in their lives, said Dr. Mehta. “I think it’s a huge win for the patients in my practice.”
FewerPains.More Gains.
Those suffering from chronic pain live very different lives than most. They tend to better understand that their moments of relief can mean more to them than the most joyful times can bring to others. Activating a Proclaim system can dramatically start their journey onto a new, better path.
But it’s the subtlechangesthatilluminatethatpath:
- Higher quality diagnostics to help optimize the treatment plan and remove roadblocks to better health.
- Less-daunting MRI facility experiences which may be associated with physical and emotional trauma.
- Ever-improving care algorithms that make patient life easier while leaving the device intact.
- Knowing a team is always working to improve that device platform to make their lives easier, physically and emotionally.
Continuing onthe path, confident that others are ahead, working to improve the journey.
Individual experiences, symptoms, situations and results may vary.
The placement of a neurostimulation system requires surgery, which exposes patients to certain risks. Complications such as infection, swelling, bruising and possibly the loss of strength or use in an affected limb or muscle group (e.g.paralysis) are possible. Additional risks such as undesirable changes in stimulation may occur over time. Be sure to talk to your doctor about the possible risks associated withneurostimulation.
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