TECHNOLOGY: Possible Solution to Opioid Crisis in DRG Stimulation

Photo via Ainsworth Institute of Pain Management

Possible Solution to Opioid Crisis in DRG Stimulation
written by Kaitlyn Carlson

DRG Stimulation works through an implant beneath the skin of a patient suffering from chronic pain. Small electrical impulses are sent from the implant to the specific areas affected by pain to provide immediate relief. It is also able, under certain circumstances, to block pain before it spikes.

This is a huge feat in medical applications of technology. It is widely known that in the United States there is currently a state of emergency in regards to opioid use and an unprecedented number of overdoses each day across the nation. This addiction and subsequent deaths are avoidable by cutting off the source of the drug: prescription opioids. Opioids certainly help many people everyday but with every person prescribed the pills there is a heightened chance of misuse; and, subsequent addiction.

Previously, this was unavoidable as prescription opioids were the only hope for a pain free life for many people. DRG stimulation, however, provides an alternative solution without risking addiction for patients suffering from chronic pain. This technology is new and developing but results thus far provide hope for a future where prescription opioids will no longer be necessary. Of course, that is if Big Pharma doesn't get in the way.

Kaitlyn Carlson