Intrathecal Pain Pumps
An Intrathecal Pump is a device that helps manage chronic pain more effectively. It’s like a small pump surgically placed under your skin, usually in your abdomen. This pump delivers pain-relieving medication directly to the area around your spinal cord through a tiny tube.
Who Can Benefit?
People with chronic pain, especially when other treatments like pills haven’t worked well enough. The pump allows for a more targeted and efficient delivery of medication, reducing the overall amount needed and minimizing side effects. It’s like having a personalized pain relief system that can make a big difference for those dealing with ongoing and persistent pain.
Intrathecal drug delivery (“pain pump”) is more commonly used for cancer-related pain and delivers the drug directly to the central nervous system (CNS). The intrathecal catheter is typically placed below L1, and depending on the location of interest, the radio-opaque catheter tip is advanced under direct visualization via fluoroscopy to a specific spinal level. It is best to place the catheter at the most optimal anatomical location to cover the patient’s pain.
It is common to place the catheter higher in the intrathecal space than is necessary, as the catheter can always be adjusted without unnecessary dural puncture. The system uses a small pump that is surgically placed by your physician under the skin of your abdomen and delivers medication through a catheter to the area around your spinal cord. A pain pump may be a treatment option if all other traditional methods have failed to relieve your long-term symptoms.
Who Can Benefit From Intrathecal Pumps?
Intrathecal pumps may be used for patients who suffer from an array of severe chronic pain conditions including post-laminectomy pain syndrome (persistent pain after back surgery) and cancer pain. Intrathecal pumps may also be used to treat spasticity associated with multiple sclerosis. Before the intrathecal pump implant, our physicians will perform a trial to assess if the pain pump will be effective for the patient. The drug being delivered intrathecally is typically an opioid used alone, or an opioid combined with a local anesthetic. As the medication is reaching the spinal cord directly, a smaller dose is generally needed for the pain pump than an oral medication would need.
Treatment Offered By Kansas Pain Management
Kansas Pain Management offers a comprehensive pain treatment plan that is tailored to each patient’s specific needs. The first step is a thorough evaluation, which includes a medical history, physical examination, and diagnostic testing, if necessary.
Treatment options may include medications, physical therapy, injections, or surgery, depending on the underlying cause of the pain.
Kansas Pain Management also offers a range of minimally invasive procedures to help alleviate pain and restore function. With board-certified and fellowship-trained physicians, Kansas Pain Management is committed to providing the highest quality care for patients suffering from pain. You can book an appointment with us at Overland Park, Lawrence, Leavenworth/Lansing, Roeland Park, etc. We also serve nearby locations like Ottawa, Missouri, Topeka, Belton, Manhattan, Lee’s Summit, Johnson County & Kansas areas.