Intrathecal Pain Pump Treatment Clinic in Ann Arbor, MI

If you have been battling chronic pain without success, our team at Michigan Pain Specialists may recommend an intrathecal pain pump. This advanced treatment involves a small, surgically implanted device that delivers targeted pain medication directly to the intrathecal space—the fluid-filled area surrounding your spinal cord. Because the medication goes straight to the pain receptors in your spine rather than traveling through your digestive system and bloodstream, it is incredibly effective.

The system consists of two main parts: a small pump implanted under the skin of your abdomen and a thin, flexible catheter that carries the medication to your spine. The pump is programmed to release the medication slowly and continuously over time.

By bypassing the systemic route, this therapy requires only a tiny fraction of the oral medication dose. Our team uses this state-of-the-art technology to provide our patients with profound, highly localized pain relief, significantly improving their daily functionality and overall quality of life.

At Michigan Pain Specialists, our board-certified doctors carefully evaluate every patient to determine if this advanced therapy is the right choice. An intrathecal pain pump is not typically a first-line treatment. Instead, we highly recommend it for individuals who are suffering from severe, intractable pain that has not responded well to conservative treatments like physical therapy, steroid injections, or oral medications.

You may be an excellent candidate for a pain pump at our Ann Arbor clinic if you meet the following criteria:

● You experience chronic back pain, nerve pain, or severe pain resulting from cancer.
● You have undergone spine surgery but still suffer from failed back surgery syndrome.
● Oral pain medications do not provide adequate relief or cause intolerable side effects.
● You successfully passed an initial psychological evaluation and a temporary pain pump trial.
● You do not have any active infections or medical conditions that would complicate the minor surgical implant.

Our team will meticulously review your medical history to ensure this therapy aligns perfectly with your long-term goals.

When our patients choose an intrathecal pain pump, one of the most exciting aspects is how rapidly they experience relief. At Michigan Pain Specialists, our team actually requires you to undergo a brief, temporary trial period before we permanently implant the device. During this trial, we inject a small amount of the medication directly into your spinal fluid.

Because the medication goes straight to the spinal receptors, you will typically notice a significant reduction in your pain within just a few hours. This rapid response allows us to confirm that the therapy works for your specific condition. Once you undergo the permanent implant procedure at our Ann Arbor clinic, the continuous delivery of medication ensures that your relief is sustained.

While your surgical incision will take a few weeks to heal completely, the pain-relieving effects of the pump itself are immediate and continuous. Our team will work closely with you to fine-tune the programming, ensuring you experience optimal, lasting comfort.

Safety is always our board-certified doctors, Dr. Louis Bojrab, MD, FIPP, Dr. John Chatas, MD, FIPP, and Dr. Edward Washabaugh, MD, FIPP, absolute highest priority at Michigan Pain Specialists. While any surgical procedure carries some inherent risks, intrathecal pain pump treatment is widely considered highly safe and exceptionally effective when performed by experienced, board-certified pain management specialists.

In fact, because the pump delivers medication directly to the spine, it requires a much lower dose than oral pills. This drastically reduces the systemic side effects typically associated with high-dose narcotics, such as extreme drowsiness, severe constipation, and the risk of chemical dependency. Before moving forward with the permanent implant, our team requires a successful temporary trial to guarantee the treatment is both safe and effective for your unique physiology.

The surgical implantation is a straightforward outpatient procedure performed in our sterile, state-of-the-art facility. If you are struggling with chronic pain and want to explore a safer, more effective alternative to high-dose oral medications, we encourage you to consult with our dedicated team in Ann Arbor today.

For more information, contact us or request an appointment online. We are conveniently located at 710 Avis Dr #200, Ann Arbor, MI 48108. We serve patients from Ann Arbor MI, Saline MI, Ypsilanti MI, Dexter MI, and surrounding areas.