Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What is chronic pain?
A. You may have chronic pain if your pain has lasted over six months
and is not relieved by medical and/or surgical care. Chronic pain
may result from a previous injury long since healed. Or it may be
from an ongoing condition, such as back and/or leg pain.
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Q. How is pain registered in the brain?
A. When you feel pain, it is really a reaction to signals that are
transmitted from the site of pain. These signals are sent from the
pain source, through the nerves in the spinal cord, to your brain,
where you perceive them as pain.
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Q. What is neuropathic and nociceptive pain?
A. Neuropathic pain is caused by damage to nerve tissue. It is often
felt as a burning or stabbing pain. One example of neuropathic pain
is a pinched nerve.
Nociceptive pain is caused by an injury or disease outside the nervous
system. It is often an ongoing dull ache or pressure, rather than the
sharper, trauma-like pain more characteristic of neuropathic pain.
One example of nociceptive pain is cancer pain.
Talk with your doctor for more information, or contact Medtronic Patient
Services at 1-800-510-6735.
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Q. What are Medtronic Pain Therapies and how
do they work?
A. Medtronic Pain Therapies, which include intrathecal drug delivery
and neurostimulation, are proven, effective treatment alternatives
when other pain treatments provide unsatisfactory relief. Results may
vary depending on patient. Intrathecal drug delivery and neurostimulation
work directly on the spinal cord, which is the highway for pain signals.
These therapies are thought to work by interfering with pain signals
before they reach the brain. They can offer good to excellent pain
relief, and improve your ability to go about daily activities. If you
are interested in Medtronic Pain Therapies, talk to your doctor about
a screening test to help determine whether you are an appropriate candidate.
To locate a physician who specializes in pain therapies, click
here.
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Q. How will my doctor know if I am a candidate
for Medtronic Pain Therapies?
A. Your doctor can do a screening test to help predict whether Medtronic
Pain Therapies will relieve your pain. Many doctors believe that a
50% reduction in pain indicates a positive screening test.
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Q. Will my insurance company pay for Medtronic
Pain Therapies?
A. The system is approved by Medicare and many insurance carriers will
pay for Medtronic Pain Therapies. However, as with many therapies,
your doctor will have to get approval from your insurance company before
you can receive treatment. Consult your doctor or insurance carrier
for more specific information.
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Q. What is neurostimulation and how does it
work?
A. Neurostimulation is the stimulation of the spinal cord by tiny electrical
impulses. An implanted lead (a flexible insulated wire), which is powered
by an implanted battery or by a receiver, is placed near your spinal
cord. This lead and an implanted neurostimulator send electrical impulses
that block the pain messages to your brain.
Some patients describe the feeling of neurostimulation as "tingling." You
can also think of neurostimulation as the rubbing of your "funny bone" after
you've bumped it. Rubbing masks the feeling of pain just as the tingling
produced by the neurostimulation system masks the feeling of pain.
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Q. What does neurostimulation feel like?
A. The sensation felt from neurostimulation varies from person to person,
but most people report a tingling sensation in the area of their
pain. Ideally, stimulation will provide a pleasant tingling sensation
in the areas where you usually feel pain. However, neurostimulation
does not mask sharp pain from a new injury.
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Q. What is intrathecal drug delivery?
A. Intrathecal drug delivery is designed to reduce pain by delivering
pain medication to the intrathecal space surrounding in the spinal
cord. Because this therapy delivers pain medication directly to the
receptors in the spinal cord, smaller doses of medication are required
to gain relief.
The system consists of a pump and catheter, both of which are surgically
placed under the skin. The pump is implanted in the abdominal area,
just above or below the belt line. A thin, flexible tube, called a
catheter, connects to the pump and is tunneled under the skin to the
site where medication is to be delivered. The pump releases the medication
at a set rate, and the medication flows from the pump, through the
catheter to the site of delivery in the intrathecal space.
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Q. How does intrathecal drug delivery work?
A. Intrathecal drug delivery is a proven, effective treatment alternative
when other pain treatments do not provide satisfactory relief. Results
may vary depending on patient. Intrathecal drug delivery works directly
on the spinal cord, which is the highway for pain signals. The therapy
is thought to work by interfering with pain signals before they reach
the brain. It can offer good to excellent pain relief and improve
your ability to go about daily activities. If you are interested
in intrathecal drug delivery, talk to your doctor about a screening
test to help determine whether you are an appropriate candidate.
Return to Top
Q. How will my doctor know if I am a candidate
for intrathecal drug delivery?
A. Your doctor can do a screening test to help predict whether Medtronic
Pain Therapy will relieve your pain. Many doctors believe that a 50%
reduction in pain indicates a positive screening test.
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Q. Will my insurance company pay for intrathecal
drug delivery?
A. The system is approved by Medicare and many insurance carriers will
pay for Medtronic Pain Therapy. However, as with many therapies, your
doctor will have to get approval from your insurance company before
you can receive treatment. Consult your doctor or insurance carrier
for more specific information.
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