SPRINT PNS; Shoulder Pain
Mike grew up in rural Virginia. He farmed most of his life and worked in highway maintenance for the Department of Transportation until retiring in 2015. No stranger to hard work, the years took a toll on his body and eventually, he had to have both shoulders replaced.
A few years ago, Mike had surgery for throat cancer and after the procedure, his shoulder pain came roaring back. “I’m left-handed and the pain was in my left shoulder,” says Mike. “It got so bad, I couldn’t even raise my arm in the air.”
Medication didn’t help
He tried many things for the pain including over-the-counter medications, lidocaine patches, Oxycodone, and even morphine. “All of that stuff wasn’t even a good band-aid,” Mike recalls. Meanwhile, he had trouble sleeping and had to rely on his wife, Shirley, to help him do almost everything, including feeding himself. Mike says one of the hardest things was that he couldn’t do the activities he loved most: fishing and tinkering in the garage.
Finally, in desperation, Mike went to his orthopedist who concluded that the pain wasn’t muscle or joint pain in the shoulder itself, but rather, it was nerve pain. He sent Mike to a nerve specialist, but the specialist wasn’t optimistic he could actually help Mike’s pain. So, he then referred him to a pain management physician.
Mike was skeptical: “I figured pain management meant drugs, and I already knew that wasn’t going to work,” he says. To his surprise, his physician discussed interventional options and introduced him to the SPRINT® Peripheral Nerve Stimulation (PNS) System, asking if he’d be willing to give the 60-day treatment a try. Mike jumped at the chance and within weeks he started treatment with the SPRINT system.
Treatment brought relief
To treat his pain, Mike’s physician used the SPRINT System with Bimodal PNS™, an approach that utilizes two forms of stimulation. Two thin, flexible threadlike wires called MicroLeads were placed in Mike’s shoulder, one targeting his suprascapular nerve, and the other targeting his axillary nerve.
Mike says it took about ten days to start feeling like something was happening with the pain and at three weeks he was able to use his left arm again as a result of the pain relief. “I could finally feed myself and get dressed without Shirley’s help.”
“It took a while for me to get my full motion back after the pain was gone, but now I can lift my arm over my head. It’s been just wonderful. I have not had pain since they took the leads out. None. Zilch.” Mike says SPRINT PNS has been a lifesaver for him and he’s grateful to get back to catching crappies and bream fish at the nearby pond.
As for Shirley, she’s happy to have her husband back and says with a chuckle, “my kids think it’s great I don’t have to wait on him anymore.”
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.
