A grandmother in need of a hip replacement, an all-American high school swimmer with a bad shoulder and a 40-year-old construction worker with nerve pain in his elbow.
These patients have very different injuries, but all three could be helped by peripheral nerve stimulation. The approach uses implanted leads to deliver doses of electricity that interrupt the brain’s ability to feel pain. The odds are low, however, that all three could access the treatment.
Veterans are tough. We’re trained to push through, suck it up and fight back. But living in pain doesn’t have to be a fact of life as we age.
Nearly six in 10 adults are living in pain, according to new data. But balanced pain management could be the key to helping many of them find relief.
As a pain management specialist, I can see how the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted patients’ access to treatments like targeted injections or physical therapy.