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Wingspan Life Resources offers
PA I N M A NA G E M E N T
Rainbow Support Group
Advances in Treatment Are Helping to Ease Chronic Pain
for LGBTQ adults with Developmental Disabilities.
In the United States, more than 50.2 million adults report daily pain that limits their ability to live life to the fullest, according to research published in Pain, the journal of the International Association for the Study of Pain. When it comes to the treatment of chronic pain, spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is nothing new, but innovations in the technology have led to better results for people suffering with otherwise unmanageable pain. “The outcome [of SCS] is that pain is significantly reduced,” says Dr. Louis Saeger of Premier Spine and Pain Clinics. “There are tremendous advances being made with this [treatment]—this whole field is…rapidly evolving.” SCS—a form of neuromodulation that uses an implantable device to transmit electricity directly into the spinal cord, peripheral nerves, or dorsal root nerves to scramble pain signals and relieve chronic pain— was made commercially available by Medtronic in 1968. L a s t Ja n u a r y, t h e t e c h n o l ogy received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for treating diabetic peripheral neuropathy—painful nerve damage caused by diabetes. In the spring, it gained
We provide education, resources, peer support & monthly activities. Now seeking guest speakers and volunteers. Membership is free. Contact Deb Hofbauer, Program Director dhofbauer@wingspanlife.org 651-353-7747
wingspanlife.org
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