By Austin Horrocks, DO and Stormey Perritt Contributed
Stormi underwent hip replacement surgery and was fitted with a new ball and socket joint. Unfortunately, a complication developed and the cement leaked from the restricted hip area into the surrounding muscles and nerves. In her case, the situation was quite serious. The cement rubbed against nearby nerves, causing friction, severe pain and nerve damage in the local area and lower spine.
She stated that her quality of life was significantly reduced due to the pain and that she was unable to live or complete daily tasks without taking the pain into consideration. She initially came to APC to ask if she could receive a pain pump, or an implant that delivers small amounts of pain medication directly into the spinal fluid. Since she was already on strong medication and her pain was not changing with it, we decided it would not be a good idea to start this treatment.
We wanted to find a treatment that would truly improve her quality of life, since coming to APC was her last resort. She tried several different treatments to deal with the pain without success. The cement and opioid treatments really affected her overall health.
stormi’s story
Stormi has been dealing with pain from her mid-back to throughout her body for more than a decade. Due to the pain, her quality of life and mental and emotional well-being were really affected. She used to be a nurse and because of the role, there was a lot of mobility and she had to give up her passion. She also can no longer do the things she enjoys, like putting on makeup, combing her hair, or having meaningful conversations with her spouse, because the pain bombards her every thought.
When her pain doctor initially referred her to APC, he suggested she ask about pain pumps. She receives injections in her back and buttocks every three months and radiofrequency ablation every six to nine months. She is already taking Strong medication was taken twice a week but it didn’t provide much relief. When she saw Dr. Horrocks, he recommended a pain stimulator, a device that makes electrical contact with the nerve endings in the spinal cord. It won’t necessarily take away the cement outside of the hip area, but it may relieve her pain.
Initially, she was skeptical about the treatment because she was concerned that a potential infection could develop since there was already a large amount of bone cement in the area. But after Dr. Horrocks explained the treatment and possible side effects in detail, addressing some of her concerns, she began to trust him.
She began a seven-day trial using the simulator and found the results were so good that she decided to continue treatment. She said she felt almost no pain for nearly a decade and that her experience was life-changing. Her mobility is still limited and she admits she needs to sit down and use assistive devices to get around; but she says she has found happiness again.
She admits that before using the stimulator, she felt she had no reason to live. She couldn’t hear the birds and her mind wasn’t clear because she was overwhelmed with pain.
Now, she feels like she can move on with her life, “doing good” and bringing good to the world. She also said she had quit strong painkillers. Now, she only takes Tylenol or ibuprofen when needed. She said her spirit and soul were no longer restricted. She is very pleased with the new treatment and the work she has done with Dr. Horrocks.
At APC, she said, she felt heard. She felt they were genuinely interested in finding long-term solutions rather than simply putting a Band-Aid on a wound.
Benefits of choosing APC
Stormi was great to work with because she is a great person and patient and she truly trusted us to find the best solution for her pain.
When patients share their goals, we prioritize listening to them over alleviating their pain or looking for quick solutions. We want to make sure that the quality of life they want to experience is matched by our pain treatment. One of her goals was to get off prescription painkillers, and she was given advice on how to achieve this after the stimulator was implanted. She was able to do this just six weeks after having the stimulator implanted.
When it comes to chronic pain, we see how difficult it is for patients to deal with it on a regular basis. We want to make our patients feel valued and ensure that we take their pain seriously.
We spend a lot of time thinking about what our patients’ goals are and what type of pain they may be experiencing, so we can provide them with solutions that not only work in the short term, but continue to support them long after they recover. Visit us.
