Health: Treatment Gets Rid Of Unbearable Pain For Local Woman
By Stephanie Stahl
WYNNEWOOD, Pa. (CBS) -- Good vibrations for pain relief. A growing number of people are turning to an alternative kind of treatment to get rid of pain. 3 On Your Side Health Reporter Stephanie Stahl show you how it's working.
A double mastectomy may have gotten rid of Myriam Gastard's breast cancer, but it left her with chronic pain, that was so bad she didn't want to live.
"I was really absolutely miserable to the point like last year, ya know I wanted to go," said Myriam. The Montgomery County Neuroscientist had something called post mastectomy pain syndrome. Her salvation has been a spinal cord stimulator.
Dr. Rishin Patel, with Lankenau Medical Center, says the stimulator is surgically implanted. Then it's wires are snaked up the spine. It delivers a vibrating electrical current.
"What we're trying to do is to replace the painful sensations with more pleasant ones," said Dr. Patel. He says the brain gets tricked. Instead of feeling pain, it's distracted by the vibrations.
RELATED LINKS: Dr. Patel's Office Information | Lankenau Medical Center
Myriam says she feels a slight vibration in her back, but not pain. She has a scar showing where the stimulator is in her lower back. A remote control, that adjusts the electrical intensity, is clipped to her pants.
"If the patient would like to turn the intensity up; for example, it they're going jogging, they can do so. If they're sleeping, and they want the intensity a little lower they can do so. It's all done remote through a remote control through the skin," said Dr. Patel. He says spinal stimulation is most commonly used for people who have chronic back pain. But it can be used for many kinds of pain caused by nerve damage.
For Myriam, who's back to working out, boxing, she says it's been a life saver.
"Every day is wonderful. I love, love, love it. I'm back," said Myriam.
The stimulator won't work for everyone, and it's not clear why. So before it's surgically implanted, it can be tested externally. It's considered an important alternative for patients who take narcotic medications for pain.
