INTRATHECAL PUMPS

NWMR specializes in Intrathecal Baclofen Therapy (ITB) for the management of severe spasticity. Spasticity is characterized by an altered skeletal muscle performance in muscle tone involving hypertonia (an unusual tightness of the muscles).Spasticity typically results from stroke, multiple sclerosis, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury and trauma.

At NWMR we also specialize in intrathecal pump implants for the treatment of chronic pain associated with low back pain, sciatica, neuropath, other conditions, and acute cancer related pain. Chronic pain is often recognized as pain that persists beyond six months and does not respond to medication or standard surgery.

Intrathecal pumps consist of a “hockey puck” size titanium pump that is implanted under the skin, in the abdomen, with a catheter into the intrathecal space in the spinal column and works by delivering small doses of medication directly to the spinal fluid. An Intrathecal pump is only implanted after more conservative therapies have failed and surgery is ruled out. We implant the programmable pump that delivers medication according to the rate determined. By delivering the medications in this manner it minimizes the side effects often associated with the higher dosages commonly found in oral medications of the same type.

If you have been scheduled for an implant, please see our Surgery
Instructions section for things you need to know before your
procedure.

If you have recently had a pump placed, please see our Intrathecal
Baclofen Pump Implant Instructions.

ITP Indications, Safety and Warnings