HIGH TECH PAIN RELIEF By Jacqueline Makowski
It was exhilarating and heroic work. No other group of people can say they have taken off from and landed on a naval aircraft carrier. United States Naval Flight Officer Tony DeRossett is one of the elite few. Tony served his country traveling at speeds greater than 1,300 miles per hour in the cockpit of the world’s fastest fighter jets. Tony logged more than 3,000 hours of rigorous flights, which over time took a substantial toll on his spine. The continual jarring force of flight maneuvers ultimately compromised the discs and vertebrae in his spine resulting in severe back and neck pain.
“MANY PEOPLE DON’T REALIZE THE STRAIN IT TAKES ON YOUR SPINE WHEN YOU’RE UP THERE, TWISTING AND TURNING DOING YOUR JOB,” TONY SAID. “THE LION SHARE OF MY BACK AND NECK INJURY CAME FROM PULLING G’S.” Tony would routinely catapult from 0 to 150 miles per hour off aircraft carriers at times pulling upwards of 7-Gs or 7 times the force of gravity humans are normally exposed to when on Earth. For perspective, astronauts experience a maximum G-force of approximately 3G’s during a rocket launch. While active duty, Tony received a lumbar spinal fusion for his back pain, as well as a cervical fusion for nerve damage in his neck and arms. The
surgeries allowed him to continue flying for a few years but the pain never completely dissipated. Tony retired from service but continued to work as a defense contractor. Unfortunately, Tony’s pain persisted leading to an early retirement. Tony consulted with Dr. Ronald Collins at Tennessee Valley Pain Consultants and Huntsville Hospital who developed an individualized plan of care. Dr. Collins is an anesthesiology and pain management physician specializing in the minimally-invasive treatment of common spinal, nerve and joint conditions. Dr. Collins diagnosed Tony with Degenerative Joint Disease and offered non-surgical modalities including spinal injections and nerve ablation. The treatments provided relief initially but his pain continued to return. Dr. Collins recommended trialing an innovative therapy called neuromodulation, which controls pain through a small implanted device called a neuro-stimulator. The stimulator acts like a pacemaker for the spine disrupting pain signals traveling between the spinal cord and the brain. “Impulses travel from the device to the spine over thin insulated wires called leads,” Collins said. “The leads deliver mild electrical impulses to an area near the spine interrupting pain signals.” Neuromodulation offers individualized pain relief where patients control the settings to meet their unique needs. “For the appropriate patient, a stimulator can provide long-term therapy for chronic pain conditions and can help reduce the need for oral pain medication,” said Dr. Collins. Dr. Collins coordinated with Dr. Thomas Kraus, (continued on p.32)
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