Any type of cancer, a group of more than 100 diseases, starts because abnormal cells grow out of control in a certain part of the body.
Cells are the building blocks of your body, which is made up of trillions of living cells. Normal cells grow, divide, and die in an orderly way; instructed to do so by our biological blueprint, DNA.
Cancer occurs when this blueprint is damaged by a chemical or environmental carcinogen, hereditary condition, or other unexplained cause. From this, some cells begin to ignore the body’s instructions to die and continue to grow and form new, abnormal cells.
Unlike normal cells, cancer cells can cluster to form tumors. Depending on their makeup, these cells remain localized in particular parts of the body, or they can mestasize and invade other tissues, harming other cells and consuming the body’s resources in the process.
Information comes courtesy of Cancer.org
Kyphoplasty is a procedure used to treat painful compression fractures in the spine where the vertebrae has collapsed due to physical trauma or long-term conditions including multiple myeloma cancer. The treatment entails placing a needle into the fractured vertebral section of the patient’s spine, using real time X-ray imaging to guide the physician to the correct area. A balloon is then inflated within the spine to expand the vertebral space before placing methylmethacrylate, a type of bone cement, into the area to stabilize it.
An intrathecal pump is a method of inserting medication directly into the subarachnoid or intrathecal space of a patient’s spinal cord, where the cerebrospinal fluid is stored, to quickly and effectively treat chronic pain resulting from conditions including failed back surgery syndrome, cancer pain and chronic pancreatitis. The pump can also alleviate muscle rigidity and spasms arising from Cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, stroke, or damage to the brain and neck. In this procedure, a small pump is surgically placed under the skin of a patient’s abdomen, delivering a pain relieving drug solution through a catheter to the targeted area in the spinal cord. The implantation of an intrathecal pump comprises three stages. The first is a psychological evaluation, which is required by the insurance provider to resolve any psychological contraindications to the procedure beforehand. The second stage is a trial phase where the medication that will be transmitted via the intrathecal pump is injected directly into the patient’s spine. The patient is then admitted to the hospital for a 24 hour observation to monitor any reduced pain or negative side effects. If the trial is successful, a surgical procedure is scheduled to have the intrathecal pump installed, which is the third phase. For more information visit http://www.medtronic.com/patients/chronic-pain/living-with/index.htm
Celiac Plexus Block
The celiac plexus is a group of nerves on the front of the spine at the L1 vertebra (lower body) area that innervate the stomach and are typically associated with mid-upper gastric pain, chronic pancreatitis and other variations of chronic abdominal pain. To perform this procedure, a needle is guided, using fluoroscopic imaging for guidance, down to the front of the spine at L1 where local anesthetic and steroids are then injected in the area. Patients are monitored throughout the process with an EKG, blood pressure cuff and oxygen monitor. For the longer term treatment of pain emitting from celiac plexus nerves, patients with cancer and other types of chronic pain, can have their nerves destroyed with alcohol, phenol or radiofrequency ablation, to remove pain sensations until the nerve fully regenerates.
Chronic Pain Management
Chronic pain refers to any pain lasting in excess of six months. There is no clear cause, as the term applies to any long-term discomfort arising from an initial injury. Chronic pain can occur in virtually any part of the human body and often contributes to other residual health problems including fatigue, decreased appetite, mood swings, and a lack of mobility. These difficulties negatively affect a person’s ability to lead a comfortable lifestyle. Many advances in modern medicine are helping people to manage their chronic pain more effectively to reduce suffering and enhance a patient’s quality of life and functionality. We will fully evaluate your condition and design a holistic, individually tailored plan to help you return to your life.