Neuromodulation Treatment for Chronic Pain

Our Hospital offers an effective treatment for refractory chronic pain, which brings a better quality of life to patients.

Pain is defined as an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with an actual or potential injury. And it is, in turn, the most frequent cause of medical consultation.

But pain can become chronic, that is to say, it can last over time (weeks, months, or even years), and be generated by multiple causes: injuries, infections, pre-existing diseases, etc. Although it is not always curable, there are treatments to soothe it.

Our institution has a multidisciplinary team of specialized professionals who perform treatments for refractory chronic pain: electrical and pharmacological neuromodulation. The specialties of Medical Clinic, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry participate in this team.

About neuromodulation

Dr. Juan Cabanillas of the Neurosurgery Service explains that neuromodulation consists of altering or modulating the information created by pain transmitted by neurons through the central nervous system. “At Hospital Privado we offer this procedure with a non-invasive and reversible approach for the treatment of chronic refractory pain,” comments the doctor.

The main candidates for these procedures are adolescents or adults who have not responded correctly to oral drug treatments. Patients with failed treatments for spinal conditions, traumatic injuries, and oncology patients, among others, also qualify.

A great benefit for the patient

The primary objective of neuromodulation is to reduce pain by at least 50%. Dr. Juan Cabanillas, the neurosurgeon at our institution, explains that “in most patients significant improvements are achieved, which gives them the quality of life and the possibility of returning to their personal activities, improving their mood and restoring the social life they lost when suffering from pain for so many years”.

There are 2 types of neuromodulation:

• Electrical: consists of the application of a magnetic field on nerve structures (medullary or peripheral nerves), which leads to inhibiting the oversaturated pain pathway to the cerebral cortex. This technique is most frequently used in failed treatments of the spine and post-traumatic injuries.
• Pharmacological: this involves the application of opioids to the central nervous system. This technique is advisable for chronic pain in oncological patients.

Both electrical and pharmacological neuromodulation are ambulatory surgical procedures. The former consists of the implantation of electrodes at the level of the posterior cords of the medulla or on a specific peripheral nerve. The second involves the implantation of a catheter over the central nervous system. If you enjoyed this article then visit their page for more interesting articles that has a good point about chronic pain treatment.

In both techniques, the pacemaker or drug reservoir is below the subcutaneous cellular tissue and can be remotely adjusted to find a good balance in the treatment for the patient. This makes it possible to individualize it according to the conditions that arise.

A team of professionals specialized in pain

We have a pain treatment unit that operates in an integrated and continuous manner, with professionals trained in all areas, training abroad, and significant experience in chronic pain, which allows a comprehensive approach to each case.

It is composed of different specialties:

• Medical Clinic, with professionals, specialized in pain treatment, in charge of Dr. José Ignacio Revigliono, Dr. Celeste Heredia, and Dr. Pablo Bertaina.
• Mental Health, in charge of psychiatrist Daniela Lozita.
• Neurosurgery, in charge of doctors Juan Cabanillas, Juan Carlos De Battista, and Javier Calvimonte.

It should be noted that it is also essential to count on the support and capacity of the physical therapy and occupational therapy services that accompany patients during the rehabilitation period for each of the pathologies addressed.