One in five Americans experiences chronic pain and more than 7% of adults report high-impact pain that interferes with their ability to lead normal lives. If you find yourself among these numbers, you know that dealing with severe chronic pain casts a wide net over your mental and physical wellness, making finding relief a top priority.
Dr. Anjum Bux and our team here at Bux Pain Management have the same priority, which is why we’ve dedicated our practice to helping our patients lead pain-free lives. As part of our extensive suite of pain management options, we provide intrathecal pumps for those patients who are struggling with severe and debilitating pain.
Read on to explore whether intrathecal pump therapy might be the best solution for your severe pain.
Going straight to the source
Intrathecal pump therapy is a technique in which we deliver pain medications into your spinal fluid using a surgically-implanted pump and catheter.
There are several reasons why this approach to pain management is so effective, but topping the list is by delivering the pain medications straight to the source of your pain, we’re able to use far less medication to greater effect.
With typical painkillers (in pill format), these medications must first get through your digestive tract, which can dilute their ability to fight pain. This often means that people need to take more medications than are technically necessary, which can come with some very serious side effects, including dependency and addiction. Not to mention, many people struggle with gastrointestinal distress because of pain-relieving medications.
With the intrathecal pump, you avoid many of these challenges and experience the pain relief you so desperately need. In fact, most patients need only 1/300 of the pain medications they were normally taking since the pump delivers the pain-relieving drugs into the area where pain signaling is most active.
Candidate for an intrathecal pump
An intrathecal pump is a good pain-management solution for those who are experiencing severe and intractable pain, such as:
- Cancer pain
- Post-surgical pain
- Neuropathic pain
- Chronic neck or back pain
- Spinal cord injuries
- Complex regional pain syndrome
This list is by no means comprehensive, but it gives an idea about the many conditions in which an intrathecal pump can play a valuable role.
Getting in intrathecal pump
If we decide that an intrathecal pump may offer you the best relief, we implant the pump and catheter during a simple in-office, outpatient procedure. Rest assured, we make you perfectly comfortable through IV sedation.
Once the pump is in place, we can start delivering controlled doses of your pain medication right away, allowing you to get back to the business of living your best life.
If you’d like to learn more about the role of an intrathecal pump in managing severe chronic pain, contact one of our locations in Cynthiana. Lexington, or Danville, Kentucky, to set up a consultation.
