SPRINT PNS; Hip/Buttock Pain
Peter is a successful business consultant and entrepreneur who knows how to turn around struggling companies, but when he encountered his own challenges with chronic pain, he was all out of ideas.
“I’ve always loved running and any kind of exercise,” says 74-year-old Peter. “In my 50s, I took on a challenge to run a marathon in every state in the USA.” He did this and ran half marathons, too, for more than 20 years. He also loved climbing, reaching the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro three times. Recalls Peter, “I was healthy. I was fit. That is, until about five years ago.”
Pain in his legs
He was just about to turn 70, and besides the usual aches and pains that come with age, he started to feel an intense burning and aching in his legs. Peter explains, “This got progressively worse to the point where I had to give up running, the love of my life. I would have to sit down halfway if I did even one mile. I was in agony.” He says on a scale of one to 10, his pain was often eight or more.
It got to the point where he couldn’t walk. Even sitting down at his computer for half an hour was excruciating, which made conducting business difficult.
Living a limited life
“My life disappeared,” recalls Peter. “I didn’t want to go out because it was painful. Even a short walk to a nearby bar became unpleasant because by the time I got there, my legs would be aching. Just sitting down on the bar stool became awful. I was just rocking, moving from side to side to try to release the pain.”
Eventually, his physician referred Peter to a specialist at the University of Chicago who tried various injections and medications, but they had no effect.
He became depressed because he couldn’t run or even get out into the fresh air. On top of that, the pain affected his sleep. He could not get more than a few good hours of sleep because every time he turned over, his legs would hurt and start throbbing.
Peter, who has journeyed around the world and has lived in several different places, suddenly found that travel was out of the question. He had taken a trip to Paris and was in agony on the plane. “I couldn’t find a comfortable position and when got off the plane, I was walking like I was 97 years old.”
Finding a solution
Peter started seeing another specialist who ordered x-rays and ultrasounds because his lack of pain resolution was puzzling. “The doctor said, ‘I don’t think what we’re doing is right; I don’t think we’re treating the right thing. Your pain should have been gone, but it’s not.’” The specialist then referred Peter to Dr. Joshua Pan, an anesthesiologist at the University of Chicago.
When Dr. Pan saw Peter’s x-ray and ultrasound results, he observed that there was a bit of arthritis in his hips, but it was minor. The doctor told Peter that he suspected the real cause of his pain was nerve related. “Dr. Pan told me that the nerve that goes down my spine over my hip and down to my legs was inflamed on both sides quite badly,” says Peter. Further, the doctor told him that no number of injections would fix that.
Dr. Pan then gave Peter two options. Option one was to operate and use special waves to create heat and destroy his nerve, a procedure called radiofrequency ablation. Option two was to try a 60-day treatment called peripheral nerve stimulation, or PNS, using the SPRINT® PNS system. Peter chose the SPRINT treatment.
A few weeks later, Dr. Pan treated Peter’s right side. “Within 48 hours of starting the SPRINT treatment, I was feeling relief. After about seven days, my pain was about a three. And within 14 days, I had no pain in my right side at all. Literally nothing. In fact, I told Dr. Pan that I was back to how I felt as a young, healthy guy!”
Peter then had the SPRINT treatment on his left side, which he says reduced his pain to a level two or three but took about three weeks for it to completely go away. “Now both sides are at zero. It’s an absolute dream” says Peter.
Getting his life back
Peter is excited to report that he is sleeping much better and is making plans for his future. Professionally, he will be helping a struggling company turn their operations around, and personally, his calendar is filling back up.
“I’m going to start running in races. I’ll probably start with half marathons and try to get in seven or eight half marathons next year, which includes traveling to Hawaii and Alaska. And my kids and grandkids are in France, so I’ll go there a few times because I can move. I don’t feel inhibited. I can do whatever I want now. “
“SPRINT PNS has given me back my life and I don’t mean that frivolously. I can run again. I can work out again. I can walk anywhere I like. I can sit. I can travel to see my family. What more can I say? The SPRINT PNS System really works, and I would recommend it to anyone.”
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.
