Looking for an alternative to opioids for his patients with post-stroke shoulder pain, Michael Saulino, MD, Clinical Director, Neuromodulation Services at MossRehab, became the first physician in the Philadelphia area, and in the Northeast, to use the SPRINT endura™ Peripheral Nerve Stimulation (PNS) System, which was recently cleared by the FDA for the treatment of acute and chronic pain.
The SPRINT PNS System does not require surgery, incisions or anesthesia, and is the only peripheral nerve stimulator that provides therapy for up to 60 days prior to its removal. A thin wire, or “lead”, is placed through the skin using a small needle to send mild stimulation pulses to a nerve in order to disrupt pain signals.
Dr. Saulino has used the SPRINT endura System with one electrode to treat several patients with post-stroke shoulder pain. So far, half of the patients treated have been able to completely eliminate their pain medications completely and the other half greatly reduced their use. On average, patients reported more than 50 percent pain relief.
Based on these results, Dr. Saulino will now also be offering this treatment option to a broader patient population, including some with low back pain. For low back pain, Dr. Saulino will use SPRINT extensa™, the first and only dual-lead percutaneous nerve stimulator PNS device, also recently cleared by the FDA. In studies, the SPRINT System has demonstrated significant and sustained pain relief for low back pain, post-stroke shoulder pain and post-amputation pain.
“Prescription opioids can provide effective, non-invasive relief, but they often come with significant, negative side effects in addition to becoming less effective over time,” said Dr. Saulino. “Conventional methods of neurostimulation are often only offered as a last resort because surgery is required to implant the devices. Because SPRINT PNS devices do not require surgery and are used for up to 60 days, with relief continuing after the device is removed, it can be introduced earlier in the care continuum.”
The SPRINT System works by delivering small electrical impulses through tiny 0.3mm electrodes intended to activate nerves to reduce pain. The coiled leads are designed to stay in place during muscle movement while simultaneously providing a barrier to prevent infection at the exit site.
“We’re really excited for the opportunity to help patients achieve pain relief without narcotics,” said Dr. Saulino. “People who once suffered from severe, life-altering pain can now sleep, walk and work again.”
Watch Dr. Saulino discuss an earlier version of the device: