Sue Wenrich found that the spinal cord stimulator has totally freed her of the need of pain pills. “I would do it again in an heartbeat,” she says.
When Dr. Eric Finkelstein completed his medical training with a Fellowship in Interventional Spine and Pain Management in Concord, CA, his goal was to join a practice that emphasized a holistic approach for spine patients. Dr. Tony Ton-That was on the same career path when he finished his Residency in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation at Stanford University.
Today they both practice their specialty of Physiatry at Lancaster NeuroScience & Spine Associates, along with fellow Physiatrist Dr. Elliot Sterenfeld, who directs the Center for Spine Care there. All three are skilled at finding the source of pain, injury or disability even when standard diagnostic tests don't reveal specific problems. The difference they make can be dramatic.
They work in concert with the neurosurgeons of Lancaster NeuroScience and Spine Associates. “Making a good diagnosis is critical, “ Neurosurgeon Bill Monacci explains. “Most of our patients do not go on to have surgery. It is the last tool in our arsenal unless the need for it is clear, but far more often, we use non-surgical therapies to alleviate pain and restore mobility,” say Dr. Monacci. Those non-surgical therapies are the domain of the three physiatrists of the group.
Physiatrists provide a wide range of treatments for pain and immobility caused from anything from sore shoulders to spinal cord injuries. Their patients include people with acute and chronic pain, arthritis, tendonitis, any kind of back pain, pinched nerves and work or sports-related injuries.
“Most patients come in with back pain that they’ve had for weeks, months, or years,” said Dr. Sterenfeld. “Many think, ‘I’ve got back pain, there’s nothing I can do, I just have to live with it’,” he said. “But in many cases there’s a lot that we can do that dramatically improves their quality of life. That’s where physiatry comes in.”
Thousands of area patients can attest to Dr. Sterenfeld’s comments and the benefits of the specific treatments they underwent. Among them are Sue Wenrich of Ephrata and Pat Renna of Lancaster.
“No pain and no more pills” with Spinal Cord Stimulation
Sue Wenrich is on her feet all day as a department manager for Wal-mart’s Ephrata store, and she is feeling really good about that. For years she had endured chronic pain that led to constant injections, medication and two back surgeries. Diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in 1984, she felt resigned to a life of dependency on prescription drugs and injection therapies. In the last two years, the pain in her lower back and down her legs had gotten worse. She couldn’t remember what getting a good night’s sleep was like, and felt like her options were exhausted. “I was at the end of my rope,” Sue explained.
A year ago she was referred to Physiatrist Eric Finkelstein and he was able to offer Suzanne an alternative to surgery that wasn’t available previously. He told her that she was a candidate for a medical device called a spinal cord stimulator.
A spinal cord stimulator (SCS) is an implanted medical device. A small generator similar to a pacemaker is embedded in the back; it sends mild electrical impulses via very thin wires or leads to nerves along the spinal cord. Low-level electrical signals are then transmitted through the wire to the spinal cord or to specific nerves to block pain signals from reaching the brain.
The third component of the SCS is a programmable transmitter, a remote control that is similar to other electronic devices like cell phones, ipods and pagers. The transmitter is operated by the patient, who can turn the current on and off, or adjust the intensity and pattern.
“With spinal cord stimulation, our goal is to return our patients to their highest quality of life,” Dr. Finkelstein explained. “It doesn’t mean that they will be able to do everything they once did, but it is a major step toward a more active life.”
Sue Wenrich had her stimulator implanted last April. She says that she experienced gradual relief at first, and now describes the improvement as “98 on a scale of 100 being perfect.”
“Everyone can see that my attitude has changed,” she said. “I would tell anyone with similar circumstances to look into it. It changed my life!” she happily reports.
Pat Renna shows Dr. Tony Ton-That how the acupuncture treatments he gave her have improved her range of shoulder motion, which enables her to keep up with her active life.
“I noticed some benefit from acupuncture immediately”
Pat Renna of East Lampeter, Lancaster County, has worked diligently in the art world and is the former owner of a downtown Lancaster gallery. Her days are the very definition of ‘on-the-go’ and she is thrilled when her mobility is equal to the tasks at hand. When she began experiencing debilitating pain that caused limited right shoulder motion, she weighed her pain relief options carefully. She had previously undergone surgery on both shoulders, but when agonizing aching returned and her range of motion was increasingly limited she explored non-surgical options before considering another procedure. She had heard of patients who were having success with acupuncture and she consulted with Dr. Tony Ton-That of Lancaster NeuroScience & Spine Associates.
“I noticed some benefit immediately,” she reported, “enough to be somewhat elated.” She had continued to do the exercises that her physical therapist had taught her, and she credits her success to the combination of physical therapy along with the acupuncture. “I went from round-the-clock pain medication to absolutely nothing. My shoulder has gotten stronger, I’ve gained range of motion, and it was painless. Acupuncture gave me my life back, not just my work!” she summed up.
Pat Renna is among millions in the country who have found acupuncture to be an effective alternative to pain medication or surgery to relieve their suffering from arthritis, bursitis, an injury, or chronic pain. Dr. Ton-That, physiatrist, medical acupuncturist and pain management specialist, estimates that acupuncture is effective more than 70% of the time. He typically will see a patient once a week for four weeks, then together they evaluate the effectiveness. He often uses electrical stimulation and infrared heat to promote pain relief once the acupuncture needles are in place.
“I can target acupuncture for pain management,” he says. It has been specifically effective for patients with osteoarthritis of the knee, and for shoulder pain due to bursitis or rotator cuff syndrome.
