In the wake of the Opioid Epidemic, medical professionals have sought alternative methods for treating pain, particularly chronic pain. The method proposed by the researcher Kip Ludwig is called injectrode. Current studies show that the surgical treatment of inserting a liquid silicone gel into a pain sufferer’s spine around the pain site can interrupt the transmission of pain to the brain and scientists hope that the softer material will adjust to the body’s movements better than the metal implants currently being used.. While it has been effective, this method is both very invasive and expensive. Health care insurance companies are unwilling to pay for the method since opioids are less costly. They often require patients to try opioids, then only approve the use of injectrode once opioids have been proven to be ineffective. By the time injectrode is approved patients may already be addicted to opioids. Ludwig and his team are using trials that have a lower cost and that is less invasive in the hopes that it will become a preferred method of treating pain over opioids. Initial studies using pigs and smaller nerve stimulators have been initially successful. Ludwig is also hoping to use the treatment for other medical problems, such as obesity by interrupting the signal from the stomach to the brain.
For more details about injectrode, visit Could an Injected Electrode Control Your Pain without Drugs?