It has been a while since I have posted. Happy 2018 Spring Equinox. Time for new beginnings!
I recently went to a spinal cord stimulator conference for women, hosted by Nevro. The amount of learning, nurturing and sharing that occurred in one weekend with a group of very competent physicians was beyond my expectations. Initially, I went in wondering what would be special about a conference with all women.
It felt great to be able to swap ideas and be open about our mistakes and weaknesses. It was eye-opening to learn how medicine used to be. There were older physicians who told stories of the days when she was told that a female isn’t fit for residency — after she was accepted into residency. Despite modern day inequalities, we have come along way. Women also share “female problems” – balancing home life, expectations at work, etc.
What are spinal cord stimulators? They are designed for patients with chronic pain, and are minimally invasive devices which send mild electronic stimulation to your spinal cord. This changes how the pain signal goes to your brain.
There is a tiny battery that gets implanted into your buttock. These can be used to prevent back surgery or after back surgery has failed. They can be used for back and leg pain, post-herpetic neuralgia pain, pelvic pain, abdominal pain and other nerve pains. The first step is a trial, so it’s very non-committal. If the trial works, we can proceed to an implant.
My hope is that my patients can recover from chronic pains before we get to this point. If chronic pain becomes unbearable, there are solutions. Never lose hope! Believing you can heal is the first step.
