SPRINT PNS for shoulder pain
“It makes me smile to read his journey and what he has been able to accomplish! A walking miracle in every sense of the word!” – Eileen, Frank’s wife
Before SPRINT
Frank and his wife of 27 years, Eileen, retired to Florida until Frank had a stroke in 2017, forcing them to return to the Atlanta area so that Frank could access the care at Shepherd Center, one of the nation’s top pain medicine and rehab facilities.
The stroke paralyzed the right side of Frank’s body. The pain in his shoulder, and later in his forearm and finger, was so severe “it would take his breath away” according to Eileen. Frank compared the pain to being hit in the shoulder by a baseball bat. With physical therapy for his stroke, and as Frank became more ambulatory, the pain worsened. Even the slightest movement—simple tasks like putting on deodorant or a shirt—triggered his pain. But limiting his movement was contributing to atrophy. It was a vicious cycle.
Frank tried many treatments for his chronic pain including patches, high doses of Nucynta (a narcotic pain medication), and nerve block injections, but none of those treatments brought any pain relief.
After SPRINT
Frank had the SPRINT PNS placed in his shoulder for 60 days from December 2017 through January 2018. The shoulder pain he experienced daily was dramatically reduced from 10 on a scale of 0-10 before SPRINT, to between zero and two after SPRINT.
Frank later had a second SPRINT device to treat his finger and forearm pain. Again, the SPRINT system was successful in reducing his pain, as well as the need for pain medication. With less pain and less medication, Frank was able to get back to his rehabilitation. In addition to physical therapy, Frank was able to do strength, endurance and cardio training.
Frank and Eileen now split their time between their home in Georgia and an apartment in Manhattan. Frank works with a trainer in their apartment gym and enjoys walks around their NYC neighborhood, clocking over 7,000 steps on a good day. Frank and Eileen are world travelers. They had put travel on hold following Frank’s stroke but recently went on a 3-week Transatlantic cruise through England and Belgium from New York City.
