SPRINT® PNS; Low Back Pain
As a busy pastor in rural Pennsylvania, Beth Holz never knows what kind of day she is going to have. “When you wake up in the morning, you have an idea of what you need to accomplish, but one phone call can change all of that,” explains Beth. One thing she could always count on over the last decade or so, though, was back pain.
“I, somehow, am prone to herniated disc. I have had two lower-back herniated discs; the first one was in 2011 and then another in 2017,” says Beth. She tried everything she could think of to alleviate the pain: chiropractic, physical therapy, heating pads, ice. She even had two back surgeries.
Living, but with limitations
While the second surgery, which moved the disc off her sciatic nerve, helped her pain somewhat, she still had a burning, achy sensation and had to be careful not to overdo it. “If my husband and I went to the grocery store, for example, after all that walking, by the time we got home I’d have to stretch out on the couch for a little bit or just be completely down and out,” Beth explains.
With her busy job, Beth knew she needed to do something more for the pain, so she sought help from Interventional Pain Specialist Dr. Rajat Mathur at WellSpan Health. “We started with medication,” says Beth. “I was on Gabapentin, or as we say in my house, ‘yo Gabba Gaba medicine,’ which helped dull the pain a bit, but you have to build up your tolerance because it makes you tired.
“I also had ablation on both sides, which is basically burning the nerve in your back. We did that twice because it grows back,” says Beth. “We also tried an epidural, and it would help for maybe a month, six weeks or so, but nothing lasting.”
Preparing for big changes
Last spring, Beth found out she was moving to a new parish over the summer, and she planned on helping both of her children move to their respective colleges in the fall. She was worried about what those activities would do to her back, so she reached out to Dr. Mathur.
“I just had a frank conversation with him. I said, ‘I have a good four months of stuff coming up, what do you recommend?’” Dr. Mathur told Beth about the SPRINT® PNS system and explained the procedure. “Then his office sent me a bunch of videos on the system that covered how it worked, how to change the bandage, what to expect. And so, my husband and I sat down, and we watched the videos, which explained everything beautifully,” she says.
Right side first
Dr. Mathur used SPRINT on Beth’s right side first and she felt relief within the first week — just in time for their move into their new home. “I couldn't have moved without SPRINT because you're bending over, going up and down stairs … I’m sure I would have unpacked my kitchen eventually, but instead of taking weeks, it took two days,” says Beth. “I wore that device for two months and my right side has had awesome, awesome results. I almost didn’t want them to remove the leads.”
Beth received the treatment on her left side six weeks ago. “My left side is a little bit more tender than my right side was, but I’m still feeling good,” she says. And she’s thrilled to now be able to do things that once caused her worry. “I have more energy, and with being empty nesters, my husband has Fridays off, so we plan little day trips. I can go on them without wondering, ‘how long am I going to be on my feet or what will I be standing on?’”
Sermons without pain
She says a huge difference for her was on Sunday mornings at church. “I'm literally on my feet from 8:30 to 11:30, and no matter how comfortable my shoes were, my back was just not a happy camper. Now it’s no problem.” And she recounts how she no longer has to take a pillow to support her back when she sits in meetings. “Just being able to do those things without pain has been a complete game changer.”
Today, she is off the gabapentin, and eagerly she tells everyone she knows about the pain relief she’s experienced with SPRINT. “I sing its praises all the time,” says Beth. “I can’t say enough good things about the device and about the company. If I ever have questions or concerns, our rep, Kayla, has been right there to help. I’m so grateful.”