New tech delivers life-changing relief for back pain sufferers

There's new hope for people suffering from debilitating back pain. New technology is now available on Guam called 'spinal cord stimulation'. It only requires simple implant surgery, and not long after patients can literally walk away, pain free.

Spinal cord stimulation is not a new treatment, but it is new to Guam. Guam Radiology Clinic CEO Dr. Nathaniel Berg, a back pain patient himself, has been trying to bring it here for years. "It took really me getting Dr. Jaffe, who had extreme experience in this, to come out and start the program, because its an extremely complex program and he'll describe it," he explained.

Dr. Todd Jaffe has been involved in spinal cord stimulator implants for thirty years. The device sends low levels of electricity directly into the spinal cord to relieve pain. The implant surgery takes only about 45 minutes to do, noting, "The implant is basically just two wires with eight electrodes on them."

"The concept is by putting this system which includes two wires that go in the spine and create a way of blocking the pain from going to the brain. we are able to prevent people from needing any further surgery. it works for people who are not even surgical candidates or those who may be surgical candidates or can't have surgery for one reason or another."

He continued, "The main reason we brought it out was for patients like Judy Castillo, who had had back surgery, had had tremendous amounts of back pain for years and years. And she was actually going back nearly ten years ago my first patient that I said she definitely needs this technology. But you cant exactly do it by going off-island getting it in and not having somebody here who know the technology."

And Judy says her life has changed dramatically since getting the implant, saying, "I'm sorry, I get a little emotional. That pain I don't know what its like until now what it is like not to have pain. The pain was excruciating. From headaches to body aches. If anyone touched my leg, I would scream."

Her pain has subsided to the point where she needs no painkillers.  Now she's just trying to get used to having no pain, and being able to move her legs again in ways she's hasn't been able to do in a very long time.