Jerry 's Pain Management

[Guest guest]

This is an old article about an implanted device that Jerry uses

to manage his pain. I googled him because I saw him last week on " The

View, " and he was telling about this device. He showed the device that

he uses to control it, and it was about the size of a remote control.

He also said that he had lost 70-something pounds. I read in another

article that he had previously been on prednisone, and that had caused

weight gain and the bloated appearance that he had a few years ago.

I don't guess this device would work for RA or even for neuropathy, but

I thought that it was an interesting concept. Sue

Cutting-edge relief eases Jerry ' pain

Posted September 2, 2002 in ALS News

August 30, 2002 By Rita Rubin, USA TODAY

Jerry is one of about 110,000 Americans receiving pain relief

with the electrical stimulation devices made by Medtronic, a

Minneapolis-based company.

' fully implanted device, which is about the size of a heart

pacemaker, delivers low-voltage stimulation to his spinal cord. The

comedian says he suffered chronic pain, the result of numerous

pratfalls, for nearly 40 years until receiving the nerve stimulation

device in April.

The $12,000 device, usually placed under the skin of the abdomen,

contains a special battery to create electrical impulses. Patients may

briefly stay in the hospital after surgery to implant the device and

the connecting wires that carry the electrical impulses to the spinal

cord. It also can be removed if patients no longer want it.

Alternatively, patients can chose to wear a battery source outside the

body, eliminating the need for a surgical procedure to replace it when

it wears out.

Patients can adjust the level of stimulation delivered by the device,

within the limits set by their doctor, or turn it on or off. Medtronic

spokesman Bob Hanvik says carries his programmer " on a keychain

with a rabbit's foot for good luck. "