Health Headlines: A spinal stimulator can help to ease chronic back pain KPLC

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Lake Charles, LA (KPLC) More than 16 million American adult suffer from backaches that are chronic. It’s a sharp, pulsing pain that isn’t effectively relieved with medications and physical therapy. However, there is some hope of relief.

James Moharter, who was 64, has spent 17 years suffering from pain that was excruciating “We were struck from behind, and then thrown into another vehicle five cars were rolled, and then the other five cars rolled.”

He’s been through three back operations that didn’t provide relief. He was also on medication for pain all day, which included morphine Oxcodone and Fentanyl.

“People were putting notes on me since they were at home and didn’t know how to wake me.”

James said to his doctors that they wanted to find a different method to ease the discomfort. Therefore, the doctors at Duke recommended the use of a spinal stimulator.

It looks like it is a pacemaker connected by two wires. The wires are inserted into the epidural area and send electrical impulses to the spinal cord.

The device is placed by surgeons within the lower back or buttocks, which is targeted at the nerves responsible for processing pain. The patient controls the intensity of the signal by using an electronic remote.

Moharter claims he doesn’t need any medications at all right now, “I have a wireless charger that I need to rest my hip against every two weeks to charge my batteries by a tiny amount.”

For the first time since he started Moharter has announced he’ll be going camping.

“Couldn’t have done this before. We’re trying to bring back the things that I believed I would never ever do again.”

Before doctors can permanently place the stimulation device in the patient, they have undergo an initial five-to-seven-day test using the device. The stimulators are removed in the event of an infection or mechanical issue.

American Chiropractors Directory and News