Jocelyn Idema, DO, performed one of the first implants of Boston Scientific's new Spectra WaveWriter Spinal Cord Stimulator System in Pennsylvania.
Here are five things to know.
1. Dr. Idema is a board certified orthopedic surgeon at Advanced Orthopaedics & Rehabilitation in Washington, Pa., and Pittsburgh.
2. The Spectra WaveWriter System is the only FDA-approved system to provide simultaneous paresthesia-based and sub-perception therapy.
3. The system works by sending low electrical pulses varying in frequency, pulse width and amplitude to the spinal cord to interrupt pain signals. Paresthesia-based therapy provides pain relief with a light tingling sensation while sub-perception therapy does not cause that sensation. The system enables the use of both therapies to target a specific area of pain or to manage multiple areas of pain.
4. Patients use the system's remote control to provide real-time feedback.
5. More than 100 million Americans suffer from chronic pain, which is the leading cause of disability in U.S. adults. Opioid prescriptions have quadrupled in the U.S. since 1999, but the amount of pain reported has not changed. The Spectra WaveWriter System is intended to provide non-opioid relief for chronic pain.
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