Written by CrashMD staff
Not only is chronic pain a debilitating condition, it can also be difficult to treat. This is because many causes of chronic pain aren’t tied to one specific condition or injury, or the pain isn’t felt in the area where the pain is stemming from. So if a person experienced a back injury due to a car accident, even when the back injury has healed, they could still be experiencing pain symptoms, which could be felt not just in the back but also the arms, hands, legs or feet.
In situations where a patient is experiencing chronic pain and hasn’t been able to find relief with conventional treatment methods, such as physical therapy or pain medications, neuromodulation is a great next option. Also known as neurostimulation, neuromodulation is an innovative pain solution for patients who are dealing with chronic pain symptoms that won’t seem to go away. The overall benefit for neuromodulation is to reduce pain sensations from being sent to and recognized by the brain. It’s proven wildly helpful for helping end chronic pain and providing patients a minimally-invasive way to experience long-term relief.
How Neuromodulation Works
Neuromodulation is a pain management therapy that uses electrical stimulation or medication to alter nerve activity and reduce pain sensations from being sent to the brain. It is a groundbreaking approach for patients who are suffering from chronic pain symptoms and who haven’t been able to find relief. The treatment works by delivering targeted stimulation to specific areas of the nervous system where the pain originates. The device or medication works to block pain signals from reaching the brain, which provides the patient with pain relief.
Neuromodulation is a beneficial option for patients who haven’t found pain relief with more conventional methods, or would like to avoid more invasive methods. This affords patients who don’t want to opt for surgical options, or aren’t a candidate for surgical options, or those who don’t want to take pain medications for extended periods of time, or who cannot take pain medications in general, proven pain relief options.
In additional to helping patients improve their quality of life and reduce their feelings of pain, neuromodulation has the following benefits:
- Direct treatment: neuromodulation therapy helps to target the pain at its source, and nothing else. While oral pain medications affect the whole body, neuromodulation focuses on the specific nerves that are believed to be causing pain.
- Reduction of side effects: by providing targeted relief, patients are able to enjoy pain relief with minimal, if any, side effects. There is always a risk of complications with both surgery and pain medication, which now patients can avoid.
- Improving quality of life: neuromodulation has proven effective for helping patients reduce or eliminate their chronic pain symptoms, helping them to enjoy increased mobility, flexibility and quality of life.
As an added and overall “big picture” benefit, neuromodulation helps patients to finally find pain relief. By effectively treating their pain sensations, which helps to improve their body, neuromodulation also helps patients’ minds and improves their emotional and psychological states. Chronic pain can keep a person from thinking positively, enjoying daily activities, and looking toward the future, especially when there is no helpful treatment in sight. Neuromodulation is the answer!
How Does Neuromodulation Work
There are two ways that neuromodulation is offered: electrical stimulation and delivery of pain medication.
Electrical stimulation operates by sending low-voltage electrical currents to targeted nerves via an implanted device. The device consists of electrodes that are placed in and around the targeted nerve area as well as a pulse generator. The patient is able to control the level of stimulation, which essentially replaces pain sensations with a tingling or buzzing sensation. It is an effective way to keep the brain from feeling pain signals and thereby helping patients to experience constant pain relief. Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is a popular electrical stimulation neuromodulation therapy.
Another option is for the direct delivery of pain medication. By surgically implanting a device that administers pain-relieving medication at regular intervals, a patient is able to experience targeted pain relief (unlike taking oral medications). Known as an intrathecal drug delivery system or intrathecal pain pump, it uses a small pump to deliver pain medication directly into the spinal fluid surrounding the spinal cord. This helps patients experience constant pain relief from a more focused treatment method, and reduces the opportunity for forgetting to take medication. Additionally, it allows for the drug to be administered in much smaller doses since it’s not being metabolized through the other body systems before reaching the target area. This affords patients less side effects from the drug, increased comfort and an improved quality of life. The two most common delivered medications include pain medications, or a muscle relaxant that helps to relieve muscle spasticity.
There are a few ways that make neuromodulation an effective treatment option for patients who are suffering from chronic pain. These include:
- Interfering with pain signals: by utilizing electrical impulses, pain management specialists are able to help patients replace their pain sensations with a mild tingling sensation. This is most often utilized with a spinal cord stimulator, and has been helpful in treating chronic pain, and specifically chronic back pain.
- Changing brain and nerve activity: neuromodulation techniques are effective for reducing symptoms associated with medical conditions, including tremors, seizures or muscle tightness, as well as regulating abnormal brain activity.
- Influencing nerve communication: neuromodulation treatments have proven effective for affecting how nerves communicate with each other, which can help reduce pain and regulate brain activity patterns.
Regardless of the specific type of neuromodulation, patients who have opted for neuromodulation therapies have found profound relief from their chronic pain symptoms, all without having to deal with invasive surgical treatments. The best way to determine if you could benefit from neuromodulation treatment is to partner with a trained pain management specialist who can recommend the best option for you, your pain symptoms, and your ideal lifestyle goals.
Conditions Treated by Neuromodulation
Neuromodulation is an effective treatment option for patients who are suffering from a wide range of conditions, including chronic pain and abnormal or irregular nerve function. The following ailments are most successfully addressed by neuromodulation include:
- Chronic pain: neuromodulation is an effective option for helping patients who are suffering from chronic pain finally find pain relief, especially after other methods have proven futile.
- Movement disorders: certain conditions like Parkinson’s disease and dystonia (involuntary muscle contractions) benefit from neuromodulation because it helps to regulate abnormal electrical brain activity
- Spinal cord injuries: neuromodulation can help with spinal cord injuries, which generally leave patients with feelings of muscle stiffness or spasticity
- Epilepsy: patients are able to experience less frequent and less severe seizures with the help of neuromodulation therapy
- Bladder and bowel issues: neuromodulation is helpful for patients who suffer from urinary and fecal incontinence because it regulates the nerves that control those functions
Neuromodulation therapy offers patients a proven option that is more effective than taking pain medications, and helps to prevent the need for surgery. Neuromodulation offers patients:
- Minimally invasive treatment options, which help to provide a more comfortable experience with minimal downtime and risks
- Precise pain targeting, so the affected area is the only area that is treated
- Customizable settings, which allows for the patient and provider to alter the frequency, duration and strength of the electrical stimulation
- Improved treatment accuracy that helps to more effectively target and treat the affected nerves
Also, studies have shown that neuromodulation therapies offer patients a cost-effective way to manage their pain. If a provider recommends neuromodulation as part of the early treatment plan (after physical therapy and pain medications have been utilized), it has shown to be a cost-effective way to manage pain. This is because the patient will avoid emergency room visits, hospitalizations, and doctors’ office visits. If a patient is able to find long-term relief through neuromodulation, they save themselves the risks and expense of surgical options, as well as reducing their need for long-term pain medication and risk of dependency and/or overuse.
Overall, neuromodulation therapy is an innovative way to help patients suffering from chronic pain symptoms to finally find relief. If you are suffering from chronic pain and conventional therapies haven’t helped you find comfort, neuromodulation therapies could be the next best option. They are a minimally-invasive option that helps prevent more invasive options down the line, as well as allow the patient to experience targeted pain relief, minimizing any negative side effects for their overall health and wellbeing. The best way to determine if you’re a candidate for neuromodulation is to partner with a trained pain management specialist who can accurately diagnose your pain symptoms and determine if neuromodulation will help you.
The CrashMD team is highly trained in all neuromodulation therapies and have successfully helped their family of patients find relief from their chronic pain symptoms. In addition to helping provide immediate pain relief, patients are also able to improve their quality of life and enjoy their pre-car accident level of exercise and mobility. Please schedule an appointment if you’d like to learn more about neuromodulation and if it is an attractive option for you and your lifestyle goals.
