Intrathecal Drug Delivery System Specialist

For pain that is non-responsive to conservative therapies, one option might be progression to an intrathecal drug delivery system. This treatment is also good for other conditions such as pain related to cancer or muscle spasticity caused by traumatic brain or spinal cord injuries. If it is decided by our physicians that you might be a candidate for this type of therapy a trial process will be done first. During this trial a single injection of medication will be placed into your intrathecal space. From there you will be the judge on how much better you feel and how well your pain or spasticity could be controlled with this therapy. If this is a therapy that it is decided you could benefit from then you will move on to implantation. With this system a small catheter is threaded into your intrathecal space, which is where your spinal cord and nerve roots lie. With this catheter we can infuse specific medications into this fluid that bathes the spinal cord. The other end of this catheter is attached to a small reservoir that is implanted under the skin. This allows for continuous infusion of medications so that you are constantly receiving the medication therapy that you need to control your pain. The medications and the rate of medication you are receiving are then titrated to offer the best possible pain/spasticity control. The reservoir will need to be refilled periodically, usually around every three months. The goal of this therapy is to alleviate patient’s pain and spasticity in a safe and effective way while returning to them an improved quality of life.