Opioid Addiction: Are You a Candidate for Pain Pump Treatment?

Opioid misuse and abuse have ravaged the United States over the last two decades to the point that opioids were responsible for two out of three overdose deaths in 2018, and a staggering 750,000 Americans have died as a result of an opioid overdose since 1999. 

Opioids are a broad class of drugs that include many well-known prescription painkillers such as oxycodone, the synthetic opioid fentanyl, and the illegal drug heroin. 

The Advanced Spine and Pain team has helped countless patients escape the tight grasp of opioid addiction, thanks to innovative treatments and meeting our patients where they are as they seek solutions. 

Dr. Thomas Raley, Dr. Randy Davis, and Dr. Brian Lee, who is board certified in both anesthesiology and pain management, approach each patient struggling with opioid addiction with a combination of vast clinical expertise, specialized training, and nonjudgemental compassion. 

Why are opioids so easy to get addicted to?

Opiates, which are naturally derived from the poppy flower, and opioids, which are at least partially synthetic, prove very effective for pain because they successfully block pain signals that are directed throughout your body from your brain. 

Significant amounts of dopamine are released when you use opioids, and dopamine is the neurotransmitter, or chemical messenger, that heightens your sense of pleasure.

When you develop an addiction, you want that feeling of pleasure more and more, and with opioids, you need to take increasing amounts to get the “high” you desire. Once addicted, a downward health spiral occurs that leads to:

A paradoxical effect of opioid misuse and abuse is that the drugs can actually heighten your sensitivity to pain, even though they are prescribed to offer relief from it. 

Beating an opioid addiction requires a team approach

You’re not alone when you’re treated for opioid addiction here at Advanced Spine and Pain. We face your dependence on opioids together

We exhaustively study your medical history, the cause of your chronic pain, your opioid use trajectory, your current overall health, and health challenges and risks you face as a direct result of opioid use.

Innovation in treating opioid addiction

We offer multiple treatments for opioid addiction, but one of the most innovative and successful has proven to be intrathecal drug delivery implantation, otherwise known as a pain pump. A pump sends pain medications straight to your cerebrospinal fluid, where there are many pain receptors. 

Pain pumps offer significant benefits if you’re struggling with opioid addiction:

Since the pain pump delivers medication in such a targeted way, you no longer handle medication manually, or struggle with when and if you should take them, and your pain is managed in a consistent way that also presents less risk for misuse and abuse.

It’s important to note that we are the only practice in our area that provides this therapy.

The first step of pain pump treatment: A trial run

If our team determines that a pain pump is the best treatment for you, we first work with you to gradually lower your medication dosage by half before you start with the treatment. 

Next, before you can have your pain pump semi-permanently placed, you need to go through a trial phase using it. This ensures that the long-term placement site will be optimal and that the pump method is indeed right for you.

We insert a thin catheter into your spine to access your spinal fluid. An X-ray allows us to move the catheter to the desired location, and this insertion process takes only 30 minutes. 

Microdoses of pain medication are added to your spinal fluid during the next several days via the catheter. If the treatment works well during this period, you’re ready for a pain pump to be placed in the same spot semi-permanently. 

Long-term pain pump placement

Our surgeon places your pain pump and catheter at the site where your trial was successful — usually under your abdomen — and you receive general anesthesia prior to your procedure.

Recovery time averages 6-8 weeks, but you feel relief from your pain right away. 

Pain pump treatment could be your key to recovery from opioid dependence

Learn if you’re a candidate for pain pump treatment, which can be your key to freedom from opioid dependence. Call one of our seven conveniently located offices to schedule an appointment, or book one online.

You Might Also Enjoy...

Is PRP Right for Me?

Imagine if there were a treatment that supercharged your healing from many injuries and conditions that enlisted your body’s own healing capabilities. Believe it or not, it exists! It’s called platelet-rich plasma therapy, or PRP. Learn more here.
Consider These Risks When You Have a Microdiscectomy

Consider These Risks When You Have a Microdiscectomy

A herniated disc can cause severe pain, numbness, and weakness in more places than your spine and impair movement. When conservative treatments fail, microdiscectomy surgery is a viable solution — but it’s not without risks. Learn more here.
Will My Child Outgrow Scoliosis?

Will My Child Outgrow Scoliosis?

Scoliosis, or curvature of the spine, affects 100,000 children every year. Learn about symptoms, how to identify the condition in your child, what treatments are available for scoliosis, and if your child may simply outgrow it here.
Is Working From Home a Pain in Your Neck?

Is Working From Home a Pain in Your Neck?

Scores of people work from home now, but many experience “tech neck” stiffness and pain due to nonstop standing or sitting in front of a computer screen. Learn about tech neck symptoms and how to get relief here.
Why PRP Has Become a Popular Method of Treatment

Why PRP Has Become a Popular Method of Treatment

Chronic pain and inflammation from musculoskeletal injuries and conditions plague millions. Keep reading to learn how a game-changing treatment relieves pain and restores mobility for patients suffering from long-term discomfort.
Am I a Candidate for Epidural Steroid Injections?

Am I a Candidate for Epidural Steroid Injections?

Chronic pain, inflammation, and numbness from conditions like spinal stenosis, sciatica, and more can stop you in your tracks, lowering your quality of life. Learn about the advantages of epidural steroid injections and who they benefit most here.