Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/1464713
TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES IN MEDICINE HAVE RESULTED IN MORE VERSATILE AND MORE EFFECTIVE NEUROMODUL ATION DE VICES THAT CAN AID IN IMPROVED CONTROL OF VARIOUS T YPES OF CHRONIC PAIN. NSPC LE ADS THE WAY ON LONG ISL AND IN MAKING THESE ADVANCES AVAIL ABLE FOR PATIENTS. A R O U N D O N E- F I F T H O F the adult population in the U.S. reports having experienced chronic pain — defined as per- sistent pain lasting longer than expected for normal healing — in the past three months, according to the American Pain Society and the International Association for the Study of Pain. Of those patients, more than a third report that chronic pain frequently affects their ability to work. The overall economic burden of chronic pain in the U.S. is estimated to be around $560 billion annually. T he u se of opioid med icat ion s i s common among chronic pain sufferers. With the opioid epidemic persisting in the U.S., it is no surprise that clinicians and patients are looking to other means of pain control. Brian Snyder, MD, a neurosurgeon at NSPC Brain & Spine Surgery, considers the appropriateness of neuromodulation for chronic pa in sufferers when other treatments fail. Dr. Snyder is a board-certified and fel- lowship-trained neurosurgeon and an expert in neuromodulation. "Neuromodulation is one piece in a very complicated puzzle," Dr. Snyder says. "But without a doubt, neuromodulation has a strong track record of decreasing patients' pain and improving their ability to participate in their activities of daily living [A DLs], not to mention helping them reduce narcotic use and stay out of the emergency room." LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF CHRONIC PAIN Ch ron ic pa i n ca n be demor a l i z i n g to patients, not only impacting them physica l ly but a lso i mpacti ng t hei r mental health, finances, other aspects of physical health and overall quality of life. Living with chronic pain can limit patients physically from being able to work, resulting in missed days of work or permanent disability. Pain can also affect ADLs and affect patients' ability to participate in certain social activities. Something as basic as doing household chores or playing with their children can prove very difficult or even impossible for some people with chronic pain. Chronic pa in ca n of ten negatively impact patients psychologically, resulting in higher rates of mood disorder, such as depression, anxiety or opioid dependence. Additionally, chronic pain sufferers may have difficulty sleeping due to physical NSPC and Brian Snyder, MD: Advances in Neuromodulation for Patients with Chronic Pain BY ROBIN OVERBAY 0 6❱❱❱❱❱ C O V E R F E A T U R E