Led by Timothy Lubenow, MD — a professor in Rush Medical College’s department of anesthesiology — the Chicago-based Rush University Medical Center is the first facility in the United States to offer a new chronic pain treatment.
Here's what you need to know:
1. The Axium Neurostimulator System is an electronic device that treats complex regional pain syndrome. CRPS develops when nerves that are damaged do not heal correctly, leading to chronic pain in a patient's shoulder, feet or hands.
2. The device is implanted during surgery, while a patient is under general anesthesia. The device is activated remotely, and interferes with pain signals by sending electric pulses to the nerves adjacent to the spinal cord.
3. In a clinical trial, 93 percent of patients reported that their pain was reduced by at least half after Axium Neurostimulator System implantation. Seventy percent reported that their pain was reduced by at least 80 percent.
4. Dr. Lubenow was the first physician in the United States to offer the treatment. Dr. Lubenow, who is also the medical director of the Rush Pain Center, has implanted the system in 26 patients this year.