Valley Health System is offering a short-term peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS) treatment for patients experiencing chronic pain whose discomfort has not been resolved using traditional therapies and pain management. Treatment is provided using the Sprint Peripheral Nerve Stimulation System made by SPR Pain Relief.
Peripheral nerve stimulation is offered through The Valley Pain Management Center. The center treats conditions such as arthritis, back and neck conditions, muscle and joint pain, post-traumatic injury, recovery from surgery, osteoporosis, sciatica, and pain from work-related injuries.
PNS involves implanting the temporary Sprint Peripheral Nerve Stimulation System, which stimulates injured or chronically irritated nerves using low currents of electricity. During this minimally invasive procedure, performed under local anesthesia, the PNS system is implanted into the muscle along the affected nerve identified to be causing the pain.
“This treatment is beneficial for a wide range of pain pathologies,” said Dr. Uzma Parvez, director of the Pain Management Center for Valley Medical Group. “It has been very well-tolerated and has shown long-term benefits to patients.”
The system is connected through a thin wire attached to a small battery pack in a waterproof dressing. The battery pack is adhesive and can be detached and reattached. The system remains for 60 days and is then removed. During the course of 60 days, the electric current emitted from the system alters the nerve to reduce pain signaling, which may reduce the sense of pain.
Other treatment modalities, including pain management therapies and medication, will be recommended before a patient may be eligible for PNS.
“The nerve is essentially rehabilitated as the pain signals are modulated using electrical currents,” said Dr. Philip Lin, pain management specialist. “Patients have shown improved quality of life after the implant has been removed.”
