Often, chronic pain becomes too severe to handle through natural remedies, physical therapy, or prescribed medication alone. In these cases, a more direct approach may be warranted. At your local pain clinic in Orange County, we may recommend a proactive treatment involving a pain pump. This describes a process of pumping medication to your spinal cord directly through a catheter that is surgically placed in your bones. So, what is a pain pump and how does it work?
What Is a Pain Pump and How Does it Work?
Do you want answers to the question, “What is a pain pump, and how does it work?” Then you’ve come to the right place. Make sure you are informed about the pain pump process before you commit to a treatment that works for you.
The Pain Pump System
One reason why a pain pump may be a recommended treatment for advanced types of pain is due to the complex nature of the spine. The spaces between each vertebra in the spinal cord are filled with spinal fluid, commonly called the subarachnoid space. This spinal fluid protects your bones, nerves, muscles, brain, and organs while keeping everything lubricated so it can run smoothly.
Using a miniature piece of metal, the doctors can insert a round pump into the subarachnoid space near the center of pain. Theny they attach a catheter to a pump that rests inside the body. Medication is placed through the pump and inserted directly into the body. This method offers more powerful and immediate results to help effectively relieve pain.
Why Get a Pain Pump?
Pain pumps are recommended for folks who have too much chronic pain to be managed with simple medications. The process of taking medication by mouth requires a longer period of time, in which some of the potency of the drug will have been lost by the time it gets to the intended area. A pump, while only using 1/300 of the amount of medication you take orally, delivers strong and potent medicine right into the spine.
A pain doctor may recommend this avenue of treatment for those who are dealing with chronic pain that may have been caused by:
- arachnoiditis
- failed back surgery
- cancer
- pancreatitis
- physical injury
- or other types of trauma
Who is a Good Candidate for a Pain Pump?
Also called intrathecal drug delivery, pain pumps can be a lifesaver. They provide immense relief for those whose pain is so great that they cannot perform their everyday functions. A discussion with your pain doctor can let you know whether or not you are a great candidate for a pain pump. If so, it can be inserted in one simple procedure.
Most candidates are patients who:
- Have had no success with more traditional types of treatment or therapy
- Already rely on pain medication to ease their chronic pain
- Are not allergic to any medications that will be administered through the pump
- Have tried other types of surgical treatments and still have resulting pain
- Are over the age of 18 and are in good general health otherwise
Get in touch with your pain doctor today. You can learn more about how pain pumps work and see if you are a good candidate for intrathecal drug delivery.
CRPM is Here to Help
Tired of dealing with unstoppable chronic pain in your upper, middle, or lower back? Then it might be time for a more progressive intervention. With a pain pump in Orange County, you can get strong and effective medicine delivered directly to the problem area without having to wait for the effects to settle in. You can take a better approach to your pain and get ahead of the chronic symptoms when you get in touch with our experts today. Schedule your first appointment now and start putting your life back into your own hands!
