There are
over 100 million Americans dealing with chronic pain today. They are searching
for answers. They are holding onto hope that they will find a way to get
better. They are trying to get to a doctor that will have an answer. They are
being put on countless medications that typically are not working, put through
numerous procedures because doctors don’t know what else to do. And then when
all else fails, they are told they need either a Spinal Cord Stimulator or a
Pain Pump. Then if those options fail, the doctors want to refer them on to
somebody else because they are out of options and the patient feels like they
are left, in effect, holding the bag.
What will
it take for the patient to get access to effective treatment options without
being denied access to what they really need?
The
unfortunate facts are that the majority of chronic pain patients and cancer
patients do not get sufficient relief from their pain medications. Therefore,
the doctors continue to prescribe a cocktail of various medications hoping that
it will do the trick. The patients then end up paying the ultimate price with
side effects caused by the medications. Don’t get me wrong, I am not, in any way,
stating that Pain Management doctors should not be prescribing medications. What
I am stating is that they do not get to the area in the body that is
responsible for sending out the pain signals, and this is why they are not
effective. The insurance companies are willing to pay for prescription after
prescription, and yet they do not want to reimburse for a treatment that is
non-drug related.
I just
received an update from a leading pharmaceutical company with a press release
about a new drug that they received approval from the US Patent Office. This is
for a new proprietary drug for neuropathic pain and fibromyalgia. This means
they are able to start double-blind studies and placebo studies on the
medication. The interesting part of the
write-up is when they mention, “The market for such
a medication worldwide runs into many billions of dollars.” This is prior to
their comment about the drug’s ‘lack of serious side effects’, but yet there is
no further comment as to any side effects discovered to date.
It’s
great that they are looking at putting other options on the market for doctors
to prescribe to their patients. But what about making other treatment options
that are currently available accessible to patients? Will this happen?
Spinal
Cord Stimulators are heavily pushed by pain management doctors and neurologists
for chronic pain. I have spoken with several physicians off the record about
the implantation and use of the Spinal Cord Stimulators. During these conversations, I’ve been told
that some doctors utilize them more than others because they can make more
money, and it is easier than doing multiple blocks and going down the long treatment
road with a chronic pain patient. Again, it comes down to reimbursement, unfortunately,
and a push by Durable Medical Equipment (DME) companies. The general cost for a Spinal Cord Stimulator,
unit, surgery, etc., can be close to $100,000 depending on the manufacturer,
area, hospital, and other variables.
What
about Calmare Therapy? The Calmare device uses a biophysical rather than a
biochemical approach. A ‘no-pain’ message is transmitted to the nerves via
disposable surface electrodes applied to the skin in the region of the patient’s
pain. The perception of pain is cancelled when the no-pain message replaces
that of pain, by using the same pathway through the surface electrodes in a
non-invasive way. Maximum benefit is achieved through follow-up treatments. The
patient may be able to go for extended periods of time between subsequent
treatments while experiencing significant pain control and relief.
This
particular treatment option has been around for several years. Calmare tried
for quite some time to get name recognition and focused primarily on social
media, word of mouth, etc. Insurance companies have refused to reimburse for
their treatments even though they have been found to be effective. Why? One
reason could be that they are not tied into the large DME companies and
conglomerates. It is an interesting way
of looking at it. Calmare did get a helping hand on June 30, 2014 when a Judge
in New York ruled in favor of Calmare, instructing Allstate Insurance Company
to reimburse for personal injury claims that involved the use of Calmare
Therapy. Calmare also got some great publicity from the daytime TV show ‘Doctors’
when they spoke about a ‘brand new treatment option for chronic pain and CRPS’
on an episode in the month of June, 2014. Keep in mind their therapy has been
around for several years, but because a New York University decided to utilize
it, it is now considered new. Generally
the cost for this treatment is around $2,500 for 10 treatments.
Ketamine
Infusions are talked about widely with CRPS patients. There definitely is some baggage
that comes along with the treatments, but they are mostly effective. Patients
have to undergo a screening process, meet certain guidelines, and then of
course there is the financial burden. I believe it is approximately $50,000-$60,000
for the initial infusions, hospital stay, and then the first follow-up
infusions at six months. Insurance will not reimburse for this. They have gone
to court to in some states to try to get reimbursement, but it is very
difficult. More and more patients are looking at this avenue because they are
unaware of Calmare and the other options available. Ketamine infusions do come
with some side effects, and I would urge anyone thinking of this option to
please do their research first.
Last,
but absolutely not least on the list is clinical hypnosis. I know many people
are going to start reaching for their mouse to click away, but please keep
reading. I am referring very specifically to a specialist in hypnosis that has
a strong background with chronic pain patients, CRPS, fibromyalgia, cancer
pain, phantom limb pain, PTSD, etc. You should first determine whether they
have a certification in ‘Pain Management’.
A good program will include hypnosis, biofeedback, light/sound therapy
and other modalities. I personally was diagnosed with Complex Regional Pain
Syndrome (CRPS), and the final treatment that got me into remission was working
with someone that had a history with chronic pain patients using a combination
of hypnosis, biofeedback and other modalities. He was credentialed in Pain Management
and many other areas as well. A one week commitment is what it takes. Hypnosis runs
about the same as Calmare therapy in price, but can fluctuate depending on the
area of the U.S. that you are being treated. This is a drug-free treatment to
get your pain under control or get into full remission. At this time, it is not
well-publicized as it is not backed by pharmaceutical companies or DME companies.
Insurance companies generally do not reimburse for this treatment either, but
people have been able to run it through flexible spending plans.
If
you are searching for answers for chronic pain, please take the time to
consider some of the non-invasive treatment options in this article. You have
an opportunity to retake control your life and regain what you’ve lost.
