SPRINT® PNS; Back Pain
Molly is no stranger to pain. For several years she struggled with pain and from the challenges that can come from being overweight. She also developed spinal disc problems while assisting her grandmother, which led to back surgery. Then came the last straw: A car accident that triggered a second disc to rupture in her lower back. She was in agony.
“I was in constant pain following that car accident,” says Molly. “I completed ten rounds of physical therapy and tried taking prescription narcotic pain medications to help, but they made me sick, so I tried to just live with the pain.”
Molly, a young mother, was certain she didn’t want another back surgery. “I had scarring from the prior one and it’s just really tough on my body. I was trying everything I could to avoid that.” However, living with the pain was becoming too much and was overwhelming Molly’s life. “Everything hurt and it affected my relationships. I was constantly arguing with my family or annoyed. I didn’t have patience because of the pain. I just wondered, ‘why won’t this stop?’”
A new option
While seeing her pain physician, Molly learned about the SPRINT® Peripheral Nerve Stimulation (PNS) System and was intrigued. She liked that it was a temporary treatment and she hoped that SPRINT PNS could help her avoid a permanently implanted device. “I felt this was going to be my last chance, or I would have to face another surgery with the permanent implant,” she recalls.
Once Molly’s SPRINT leads were placed, she felt a real difference within 48 hours. “It was phenomenal relief. It totally changed how I felt, and I have not had any slowing down in pain relief since,” says Molly. “My quality of life is outstanding now. I can walk better and I’m not afraid that my legs will give out. I’d say it’s a 95 percent improvement over how I used to feel.”
Since her SPRINT treatment, Molly has been able to do more, including taking walks and carrying in groceries — even taking a vacation with her family. “I was able to sit on the beach with my nephew and play and dig in the sand, it was an amazing change. This is the best thing that ever happened to me, and I haven’t even taken any over-the-counter pain medications for my back since the treatment,” she proudly recalls. “Every part of my daily life is improved.”