SPRINT PNS; Superior Cluneal Nerve Pain
Don has had back problems since he served in the Navy, but it used to be more of an annoyance than anything. It became a real problem for him in 1986 when he bent down to pick up his young son. “The pain went down my right leg and brought me to my knees,” recalls Don.
He was prescribed physical therapy and muscle relaxers and things seemed to get better. Over the years, he would occasionally experience pain in his right low back and upper buttock area, but he just learned to live with it. However, when he retired from the Navy and began working in maintenance for a local school system, his back really began to bother him. He ended up having surgery in 2006, which helped for a while.
Pain returns with a vengeance
A few years ago, though, Don suddenly felt tremendous pain in his left leg in addition to the constant irritation in his right lower back. His wife took him to the hospital, where doctors tried injecting cortisone to ease the inflammation, but it didn’t take the pain away. Desperate, Don asked his wife to contact the neurosurgeon who had performed an unrelated procedure on him earlier to help figure out what was going on. The neurosurgeon determined that he needed another surgery. “They ended up going in and fusing some bones in my spine. They put in spacers and plates, and now I’ve got a whole toolbox in there,” says Don.
Despite the invasive procedure, he continued to have intense pain on both sides of his back, but he was assured by the neurosurgeon that the fusion looked good. Don became frustrated.
Discovering the true source of the pain
Eventually, he visited a doctor at Endeavor Health’s Skokie Hospital Integrated Pain Center who informed him that the pain on his right side was not from his lower back, rather that it was from the area of his sacroiliac joint. The diagnosis was “superior cluneal nerve entrapment,” which causes pain in the nerves near the lower back and buttock area.
The doctor gave Don a steroid injection, which gave him several months of relief. Unfortunately, though, the pain always returned, and by the third injection, it didn’t impact his pain at all.
Unsure what to do next, the doctor referred Don to his Endeavor Health colleague, Dr. Nirav Shah, a board-certified anesthesiologist and pain medicine specialist and SPR consultant. After examining Don, Dr. Shah told him that SPRINT® Peripheral Nerve Stimulation (PNS), a 60-day treatment, was the way to go for his cluneal nerve pain. “We talked about other options like radiofrequency ablation, where they burn the nerves, but Dr. Shah said that based on his experience, the SPRINT System seems to do a better job and have longer-lasting results than ablation,” recalls Don.
“Don had been through other conservative treatments with limited results,” says Dr. Shah. “Given my extensive experience with both SPRINT PNS and the management of challenging-to-treat back pain, I was optimistic the 60-day treatment could provide him with lasting relief.”
Instant relief
Don says he liked that SPRINT PNS was less invasive than surgery or other techniques, and once the lead was inserted, his pain relief was instantaneous. “I was amazed because the pain was gone instantly. The SPRINT PNS lead was taken out 14 months ago and I still feel really good there!” exclaims Don.
An avid golfer, Don had to pause the game during his SPRINT treatment, and he missed it. “Once they took the SPRINT System out, I started playing again and haven’t had any problems on that side. It didn’t solve my swing problems, though,” he jokes. He says he now plays golf twice a week, rides his bicycle and recumbent bike, and has recently started hiking.
Don is happy to report he is pain free on the right side of his lower back. When it comes to SPRINT PNS, Don says he cannot say enough about the device and the people at SPR® Therapeutics. “Everybody was very respectful, professional and caring and the follow up was great. I think they did a bang-up job. And I highly recommend the SPRINT treatment to anybody who is looking for an alternative to major surgery.”
The SPRINT PNS System is indicated for up to 60 days for: (i) Symptomatic relief of chronic, intractable pain, post-surgical and post-traumatic acute pain; (ii) Symptomatic relief of post-traumatic pain; and (iii) Symptomatic relief of post-operative pain. The SPRINT PNS System is not intended to be placed in the region innervated by the cranial and facial nerves.
Each patient’s testimonial is the result of each patient’s unique situation resulting in varying responses, experiences, risks, and outcomes to the SPRINT PNS System. The patient experiences shared on this page are not medical advice and should not be substituted for the independent medical judgment of a trained healthcare professional. Discuss your options and use of the SPRINT PNS System with your medical provider. Physicians should use their best judgment when deciding when to use the SPRINT PNS System. For more information see the SPRINT PNS System IFU.
Most common side effects are skin irritation and erythema. Results may vary. Rx only.
