SPRINT PNS; Low Back Pain
Thirteen years ago, as Tammy and a relative were attempting to move a washing machine up some stairs, they lost their grip, and the machine began to fall. Tammy was able to stop it from going down the stairs but, unfortunately, she also caught the full force of the machine’s weight, hurting her low back.
Shortly after, Tammy, a grandmother of nine, began to limp and the pain became constant. She visited a chiropractor and other clinicians over the years, including pain management specialists, but no one could ever determine the source of her pain. “They found some arthritis here and there, but no one could ever pinpoint what was really causing the limp,” recalls Tammy.
Her pain worsened when she and her husband, Jay, moved into a new home a few years ago. “I helped move into this house. It was very hard, and I could only walk for 10 minutes at a time without sitting down at that point,” says Tammy. Even standing up to do the dishes was getting nearly impossible.
No way to find comfort
Tammy had difficulty finding a comfortable position to stand, so she was sitting a lot. She says the pain became so bad that she began taking prescription painkillers. And because the pain kept her awake, she would sometimes combine them with a sleeping medication at night. She was careful to take them only as needed, though, because she did not want to become addicted.
One day, Tammy was standing on a hill above a creek. When she squatted to pick something up, she was unable to stand up because her muscles had weakened. “As I tried to get up, my body lurched, and I flipped and fell down the creek bank. I ended up needing a lot of help getting back up the hill.”
Things continued to worsen from there. “About a month later, the pain was unbearable. I went into a severe depression and even considered ending my life,” recalls Tammy. “I couldn’t walk. I wasn’t able to get out of the house on my own, so I couldn’t even go with my husband to a festival in our town.” She felt awful because on many days she couldn’t walk to the bathroom on her own. Her husband had to help her much of the time.
Wheelchair bound
Tammy eventually visited her doctor to discuss her depression. “I told my doctor, ‘If I could just get out of the house, other than going to Walmart, I would appreciate my life a little more.’” Tammy’s doctor then prescribed physical therapy and from there, she was fitted with a wheelchair.
While the wheelchair helped open up Tammy’s world a bit, eventually, even sitting in the wheelchair began to hurt. Tammy says she began feeling hopeless, but she mustered the will to see a new doctor who suggested Tammy try seeing a pain management specialist again.
Tammy was doubtful that would help because she had already tried everything, including nerve ablations and nerve blocks, but they never provided any lasting relief. Despite her skepticism, she made an appointment with a new pain physician.
One last try
At first, Tammy met with aphysician’s assistant (PA) and, figuring she had nothing to lose, she decided to lay her cards on the table. “I told him, ‘I’m not enjoying my intimate life. I’m not enjoying life with my grandchildren. I’m not able to be physically active. I used to ride eight miles a day on a bike. I used to run. I’m not broken, so I don’t really understand why this is happening.’”
She asked if there was anything else they could try. According to Tammy, the PA mentioned the possibility of trying the SPRINT® Peripheral Nerve Stimulation (PNS) System, a 60-day treatment. The PA explained he would discuss it with Tammy’s pain physician, who agreed she may be a good candidate for the PNS treatment.
Tammy recalls that, when she first heard about SPRINT PNS, she was skeptical. “I remember thinking, ‘This isn’t going to work. They’re going to take it out in 60 days and then I’m going to feel terrible again,’” says Tammy. “But at that moment, I decided that if I could get just enough pain relief to be able to walk around my house, or even to the mailbox, that would be my goal. If I could get two months of relief out of it, that would be wonderful.”
One of Tammy’s biggest hopes, however, was to feel well enough to walk down the aisle at her daughter’s wedding in a few months.
Relief begins and life returns
Once the SPRINT leads were implanted, Tammy says she began to feel pain relief within a week. “I walked to the mailbox and back, and then sat down and cried. I was so happy.”
A few days later, she was able to walk from the car to the store pushing a cart due to her pain relief. She says it was the first time she had walked in public in a long time.
The biggest pain relief victory was yet to come, though. “I was able to walk down the aisle at my daughter’s wedding!” exclaims Tammy, holding back tears. “Later, my grandson asked the DJ if they would play my husband’s and my wedding song. They put it on, and I stood up and danced with my husband. I held him tight and didn’t make it all the way through the song, but it’s the first time I had danced in almost 10 years.”
Today, Tammy no longer uses the wheelchair due to her pain relief and says her ability to walk, along with a diet to manage her diabetes, has helped her to lose 50 pounds. She still has some pain and limitations but is grateful to be able get around the house and do the dishes when needed. Because her pain is less intense, her sleep has improved and so has her intimate life with her husband. “People don’t see that as a critical thing, but it is, and we are closer than ever.
“SPRINT PNS has been life-changing and has very possibly saved my life. I went from hopeless to living again thanks to this treatment,” she says with a huge smile.
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.
