Medtronic neurostimulator devices can offer hope for chronic pain sufferers. The innovative pain control devices could change the lives of patients afflicted with daily chronic pain as a result of physical injury, trauma, and/or illness. These devices are not appropriate for every patient or pain condition. However, for those who are deemed prime candidates, Medtronic neurostimulator devices can provide life-altering pain therapy.

A neurostimulator is a surgically implanted device that is shaped like a discus and is the size of a fist. It relays varying degrees of stimulation to the epidural space near a patient’s spine through a series of medical wires, known as leads. The leads are made of titanium and the stimulation produces a vibration or buzzing sensation in the area of the affected individual’s chronic pain. These electrical signals serve as a source of stimulation for damaged muscle and nerve tissues that plague chronic pain sufferers. The stimulation generated by the device mimic the stimulation that should be occurring naturally within the tissues, yet cannot do so as a result of injury or disease.

Neurostimulation also provides pain relief by interrupting pain signals before they arrive at the brain and can be processed. The neurostimulator sends out mild electrical signals that reach the brain before the pain signals can arrive. Therefore, chronic sufferers experience a tingling sensation and therapeutic benefit as opposed to prolonged trauma. Furthermore, each patient who has an implanted device can adjust the intensity, frequency, bandwidth, and location of stimulation using a handheld remote. For example, the patient can manipulate optimal levels of stimulation throughout the day or while engaging in certain activities, such as standing, sitting, sleeping, or adjusting one’s body into a prone position.

As the pain management industry continues to expand exponentially, Medtronic neurostimulator devices can offer hope for chronic pain sufferers. Medtronic offers a variety of neurostimulation systems with various features designed for individual needs, as well as different chronic pain symptoms and conditions. If an individual is deemed a good candidate for the pain management system, the patient and their doctor can collaborate and determine which products might provide the best possible pain treatment options for that candidate. For example, RestoreSensor is a Medtronic-produced device, as well as the world’s first neurostimulator, to automatically adjust the amount of stimulation transmitted when a patient changes their position.

Here are the four principal components that make up a complete Medtronic neurostimulation system and are required to operate, as well as control, the implant device:

Neurostimulator–This is the unit that is used to generate the stimulation. It is usually implanted under the skin in either the upper region of the buttock or within a patient’s abdomen.

Leads–These components are thin, medically enhanced, and insulated wires that deliver the stimulation to the epidural space near the spine and block pain signals transmitted to the brain.

Physician’s Programmer–This is a computer device that is carried by Medtronic reprogrammers and/or is located at a physician’s office that enables a doctor or reprogrammer to reconfigure the system and adjust its settings.

Client’s Programmer–This is a handheld remote a patient is provided for at-home use to customize their stimulation within the settings the doctor or reprogrammer has selected and programmed into the implant unit.

The neurostimulation implant device itself is quiet and discrete. It may be detected as a small bulge or pouch under the skin, but is not typically visible through a person’s clothes. The surgical procedure involved in implanting the device is extensive and has risks associated with it. However, the benefits obtained via neurostimulation will likely outweigh the possible side effects.

For the record, the author of this article, writer and editor Leigh Haugh, is a long time chronic pain sufferer and neurostimulator device recipient, as the result of a serious work-related accident and injuries sustained in March of 2001. She is living proof that Medtronic neurostimulator devices can offer hope for chronic pain sufferers. Here is a video to give readers an overview of the potential benefits associated with Medtronic devices.

Opinion and Editorial by Leigh Haugh

Sources:
Author’s Personal Experience With Medtronic Neurostimulator Device
Medtronic Official Website
Medtronic on Twitter
Medtronic on Facebook
Medtronic on YouTube
American Chronic Pain Association Official Website