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following article, is an excerpt from Medtronic's Web-Site about how the Neurostimulation device works. (http://www.medtronic.com/neur o/paintherapies/pain_treatment _ladder/neurostimulation/neuro _neurostimulation.html).

How Neurostimulation Controls Pain
Neurostimulation delivers low voltage electrical stimulation to the spinal cord or targeted peripheral nerve to block the sensation of pain. One theory, the Gate Control Theory of pain developed by researchers Ronald Melzack and Patrick Wall, proposes that neurostimulation activates the body's pain inhibitory system. According to this theory, there is a gate in the spinal cord that controls the flow of noxious pain signals to the brain. The theory suggests that the body can inhibit these pain signals or "close the gate" by activating certain non-noxious nerve fibers in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord. The neurostimulation system, implanted in the epidural space, stimulates these pain-inhibiting nerve fibers, masking the sensation of pain with a tingling sensation (paresthesia).1,2

1Melzack R, Wall PD. Pain mechanisms: A new theory. Science. 1965; 150(699):971-9.
2Shealy CN, Mortimer JT, Reswick JB. Electrical inhibition of pain by stimulation of the dorsal columns: Preliminary clinical report. Anesth Analg. 1967; 46(4):489-91.

As soon as she came out of the Doctor's procedure room, from having the trial neurostimulator attached, she had the BIGGEST smile on her face! One that I had not seen for several years. Just that soon, and she was not experiencing any pain! Well, for three (3) days, she was acting like a different person. When she went back to have the trial device removed, her pain immediately returned. The next step, was the actual implant procedure. For two (2) weeks, she had to live with pain once again.

On the day my wife's surgery was scheduled, she could hardly wait to get to the hospital! The procedure itself, took just a little over four (4) hours, and she would be admitted for observation overnight. After she arrived in her room, still a little under the anesthesia, I could tell that she was OK! She had that same smile on her face! The Representative from Medtronic went over the procedure with me and explained how the device would work.

My wife had the procedure on Jul 12, 2007. To this day, she has been virtually pain free. There are times when she has slight pain, but she can adjust the neurostimulator to her comfort level. Occasionally, she has to return to the Pain Management office for "tune-ups" just to fine tune the device for optimal performance. It takes approximately 15 minutes, the Medtronic Representative uses a hand-held device simular to a palm pilot to make the changes, and that is it.

We can never thank Medtronic enough for this method of managing her pain! It has made all the difference in the quality of life that my wife has now. She can do almost anything she wishes now, with moderation, and she even is able to enjoy working in her flower garden again. Something she had not been able to do for the last two (2) years.

Pleaseif you or someone you know is suffering from pain, please visit Medtronic at this Web address: http://www.medtronic.com.

Learn more about this author, John S Willard Jr.
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