Jeff
After 32 years driving tractor trailers, Jeff was standing at the back of his truck one day when a 300-pound skid fell on him. In time, his four broken ribs healed without complications. However, his hands later began to feel numb and he was diagnosed with a crushed nerve in his shoulder. While attempting to rehabilitate his hand to reduce the numbness, Jeff experienced chronic pain that traveled down from his shoulder – something he had never felt before his injury. Surgery seemed to resolve that issue, but additional shoulder problems occurred and required more surgeries. Finally, one of Jeff’s hands went completely numb, but the pain remained.
Unable to grip or lift, Jeff had trouble doing his job and living the life he wanted: fishing, playing ball with his grandson, or helping out around the house.
After years of struggling, Jeff met Elias B. Rizk, MD, a peripheral nerve surgeon with Penn State Health. After assessing the situation, Dr. Rizk concluded that one of Jeff’s nerves wasn’t “firing” correctly and suggested StimRouter. As a test, Dr. Rizk stimulated the affected nerve for an hour—and Jeff felt his hand coming back to life. He quickly scheduled the minimally invasive procedure to implant the StimRouter lead, which proved to be quick and easy; Jeff’s implant appointment was at 7 AM, and by 8:30 AM he was enjoying breakfast at a nearby diner.
Since receiving the device, Jeff has experienced a dramatic reduction in his pain and numbness, and the only medication he takes is a low-dose aspirin, as needed. He can again do everyday activities, such as fishing and playing ball with his grandson. Jeff plans to use StimRouter as long as he needs it, since it has made a night-and-day difference in his life.
“The StimRouter makes me feel like a kid in a candy store. It has given me all kinds of hand strength that I had previously lost. Muskie fishing and throwing a ball with my grandson are things that I was fearful of having to give up. I think StimRouter should be applauded, it has allowed me to do both.” — Jeff, StimRouter user
Mike
Mike had always been an outgoing person, traveling around the country for his job and spending time with his family and friends. All of that changed in 2014, when Mike fell from an elevated platform at work. The resulting injuries left him with complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) in his left arm.
Suddenly, Mike was unable to do his job, enjoy time with loved ones, or get a good night’s sleep. For six years, he suffered with CRPS symptoms that no medication, therapy, or other treatment could relieve effectively. Mike couldn’t even hold his grandchild in his arms without experiencing pain. He felt useless, almost as if he had no reason to live.
Facing the possibility of amputation, Mike renewed his search for other options—and found StimRouter. He started using the system in 2020 and could not be happier with the results. He is finally pain-free, no longer takes pain medication, and shares his story in hopes of raising awareness about StimRouter.
Michelle
During a family vacation in 2018, Michelle broke her ankle after jumping off a dock. The injury left her suffering for years with chronic pain. Multiple surgeries didn’t provide lasting relief; the pain only worsened and, ultimately, Michelle was diagnosed with complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS).
Michelle could not walk or bear to have anything touch her leg. Unable to enjoy time with family and friends, she experienced debilitating depression and anxiety. The pain became so extreme that she even traveled overseas in an unsuccessful search for effective treatment.
Losing hope, Michelle began to consider having her leg amputated. Then, pain medicine physician Mansoor Aman, MD, of Aurora Health Center, in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, suggested one last possible solution.
With nothing to lose—and an amputation appointment scheduled—Michelle tried StimRouter. It proved to be the lifeline she had been searching for.
After the minimally invasive surgery to implant the StimRouter lead, Michelle regained control of her life. Today, she can go to the grocery store, cook dinner for her husband, play with her grandchildren, and walk her dogs. Her depression and anxiety have eased, as well.
Nan
As a psychiatrist, Nan had a lot of experience helping people through tough times. When she became a patient, however, she gained even more insight into coping with challenges.
Nan’s difficulty involved chronic pain that developed after she fell and dislocated her right elbow. A surgical procedure seemed to help, but then Nan began to experience severe neuropathy in her arm and hand. A few years later, a second injury—this time to her left hand—meant she did not have full, pain-free use of either arm.
Chronic pain affected nearly every aspect of Nan’s life. She even worried about being able to care for her psychiatry patients, since simple tasks like using a computer and writing prescriptions were hard for her. Nan wondered if she would ever find an effective treatment that did not involve long-term use of pain medications.
Nan’s search for help finally led her to Michael Schaefer, MD, a physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist at University Hospitals, in Cleveland, Ohio. Dr. Schaefer recommended StimRouter, and the results were dramatic: a reduction in pain of about 75%!
Today, Nan has returned to engaging fully with her family, her favorite activities, and her patients. In fact, her pain journey has given Nan greater empathy for people going through difficult times.
Nan has also shared her story with University Hospitals. Read the full article here.
Nadege
“I first suffered a stroke in 2012 that affected my right side and then a few years later, I had one that affected my left side. Ever since then, my left shoulder has been in horrible pain and I suffer headaches and back pain. I was doing Botox®, getting injections every two weeks for the pain, as well as constantly taking painkillers.
“One day, my pain management doctor introduced me to StimRouter. He was very kind in explaining the product to me, but I was scared initially. I even left his clinic saying ‘No’ to the procedure, but then I thought to myself, “Take a chance, you have to try it,” so I turned around and went back in the door and said, Please schedule me.”
“I had pain in both my shoulders, but we decided to try StimRouter for my left shoulder, because the pain was really bad. I received my StimRouter implant in August and I was very happy to get it done. At the beginning when I put it on, it was strong but then after the settings were adjusted, it was perfect!
“I still take painkillers, but they are for my headaches, back pain and my right shoulder. I have no complaints about my left shoulder. My daughter puts the StimRouter on my arm for me and she said it’s easy—she took pictures when I got home from my initial procedure, so she knows exactly how to put it on.
“When I have it on, my pain is gone and sometimes I feel a small, comfortable vibration. I usually wear it for 4 to 5 hours, then I have a break for a few hours and only put it back on if my pain goes above a 2. Overall, I would recommend StimRouter to anybody with chronic pain. My doctor and I are even discussing it for my other shoulder. You have to be willing to try. If it helped me, it can help someone else.”
Walter
“After my stroke, I had left-side paralysis and an untouchable shoulder due to pain. I was in rehabilitation for about five weeks. I was able to start walking with a cane, but my shoulder was so painful, that I couldn’t do much rehab with it. I tried taking pain medication, but it didn’t help. It just didn’t work for my pain.
“One day I was introduced to the StimRouter and I started to get excited; I was excited about the thought of exercising my arm without pain.
“Without hesitation, I went for it. The procedure was completely painless for me and didn’t take long; the prep time seemed more intense than the actual surgery.
“Two weeks after the implant, I went back and they removed the single stitch left from the procedure over the implant site.
“I will say ever since I’ve had the StimRouter, my pain has been reduced significantly. I’m getting some good return from it— to the point I can now exercise my arm! Before StimRouter, I couldn’t put my arm up over my head, because the pain was too intense. Now, I can get it over my head.
“I even noticed I have some carryover pain relief when I’m not wearing my StimRouter. I have been working with my occupational therapist at putting both of my hands up over my head at the same time.
“I’m sure I will find more things I can do now that my pain is reduced, so I’ll have to try them and find out — even things like getting something off a high shelf with my left hand or pulling my arm up by itself.
Joe
“I had my stroke 14 years ago and suffered from post-stroke chronic shoulder pain. I tried anything to help with the pain. After 7 years of PT/OT rehabilitation, I said, ‘This is it—this is the best I’m ever going to get’ so I stopped. I had to just suck it up when it came to the pain.”
“I tried everything you can think of though — I had a sling to stop my shoulder from moving, but that was useless. I tried pain med after pain med, but nothing succeeded. All of it was to no avail.
“One day, my stroke doctor sent me to a pain management doctor who introduced me to StimRouter. I had to laugh at first; I thought nothing can take this pain away. But I had tried everything else, so I said let’s give it a shot.
“Once the StimRouter was implanted, everything was pretty much OK with my pain. I can say the stimulator is working very well for me. It was programmed by the doctor two weeks after the implant, and after a day of using the StimRouter system with my remote control, my pain started to go away.
“I would keep it on for about two hours, and then I wouldn’t need it for the rest of the day, because the pain relief carried over. I was really impressed with how fast it worked.
“Before StimRouter, I would say my pain went off the scale— above a ten for sure— because my pain was really bad. Sometimes it hurt to breathe. Now, with the help of StimRouter, my pain is only a 2 or 3 at most.
“I wear my system all day, but I only turn it on every 6 to 8 hours, depending on what I’m doing that day. The patches stay on well, but come off just as easily. When it’s on, it feels like a massage chair on your arm.
“The StimRouter works well for me; I feel very lucky. I can lift my arm enough to put on deodorant now and I’ve picked up some new hobbies. It’s a process and I still have goals like being able to ride my bike, but I would recommend StimRouter to people in pain without a doubt in my mind.
Julie
“My wife Julie suffered a stroke that affected the entire right side of her body — from the top of her head all the way to her feet. She lost her ability to speak and lacks mobility in her right leg and arm. Her arm was a constant grinding, like rubbing two rocks together on the inside of your arm; if she could speak, she would tell you it’s way worse than that. You couldn’t even touch her skin because of the pain.
“We tried everything, from morphine to hydrocodone, e-stim patches and just about everything you could think. The pain medicine was horrible; it did more harm to her than the actual stroke. The only solution was to keep her arm in a sling, keep it up and try to do physical therapy.
“One day, Julie’s physical therapist introduced us to StimRouter. When we heard about it, we were extremely hopeful and excited, but reserved because we had been let down by all the other options.
“She’s a stroke survivor. Anything she can grasp onto at this point to make her life better means the world.
“After Julie got the StimRouter, she was overjoyed with how much more she could use her arm and how well it worked to relieve her pain when it was on. Her pain is diminished significantly and she is using a lot less pain medication.
“I can tell you her physical therapy sessions are way better now. She’s able to do things she wasn’t able to do before. The StimRouter motivated her to work harder on her arm and try to get better.
“Prior to getting the implant, she didn’t have that motivation; it was a downward slope, slowly falling into the abyss with no way out. This product is her way out, it gives her that hope: as long as I have the device on, I will be OK.
“StimRouter gave her a second wind. Before this, we were talking about amputation, really seriously debating it. It’s a long road no matter what, but at least now, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel.
“She has one job and that’s to get better and I’m all for it! For other people in Julie’s situation who are considering StimRouter, I’d say definitely try it, definitely give it a chance, don’t give up, you don’t know what the future is going to hold. Give it a go, go all the way, you have nothing to lose.
Lucina
“After my stroke, my shoulder pain became so bad that the physical therapist couldn’t even touch my shoulder without me screaming in pain. I couldn’t move my arm, it hurt so much. That made for a very short rehab session with my therapist. I knew I had to do something, because not moving was not an option and I refused to live my life in constant pain.
“My doctor, an expert physician in treating chronic pain, presented me with a number of options and I chose the Bioness StimRouter because it was minimally invasive and addressed my pain at the source.
“Two weeks after the StimRouter procedure, the small surgical incisions were healed. I was given the External Pulse Generator that sticks to the skin over my implant, to deliver the necessary energy to the small lead that stimulates the nerve to reduce my shoulder pain. It was amazing. When the doctor turned it on, the pain went away and now all I feel is a slight tingling from my shoulder.
“Now, I can move my arm, lift it, and do exercises with the help of my therapist and the pain is totally gone. With the small patient controller, I call it my remote control, that I wear around my neck, I can turn the StimRouter up or down to control my pain. I use it every day.
“If I were able to talk to other people with post-stroke shoulder pain, I would say, “Go for it. At least try it. You’ve got nothing to lose.”
Felicia
A retired police officer, Felicia was injured on the job during a motorcycle pursuit that ended in her breaking her wrist and suffering nerve damage. For months, she tried different therapies, but nothing worked until she tried the StimRouter and now she’s never looked back on her decision.
To hear more about Felicia’s story, listen to the conversation she had with two other StimRouter patients.
