Cheyenne Regional Medical Center Pain Management Physicians First in Wyoming to Implant SPRINT Nerve Stimulation System for Pain Treatment

Dr. Natalie Winter, Pain Management Specialist

Cheyenne, WY—Interventional pain management physicians at Cheyenne Regional Medical Center (CRMC) are the first in Wyoming to use the SPRINT Peripheral Nerve Stimulation (PNS) system, a minimally invasive and nonopioid neurostimulation device used to treat acute and chronic pain.

“The brain perceives pain from signals sent up the spinal cord from peripheral nerves. SPRINT is designed to interrupt those pain messages and decrease pain symptoms by delivering tiny electrical pulses to the targeted peripheral nerve,” said Dr. Natalie Winter, interventional pain management specialist with CRMC and Cheyenne Regional Medical Group (CRMG) Medical Specialty Clinic. “Over time, stimulation of a peripheral nerve with SPRINT is believed to change how the brain may perceive and respond to pain.”

Physicians across the nation have prescribed the SPRINT system to treat multiple pain conditions, including post-amputation pain, inoperable knee and shoulder joint pain, chronic neck and low back pain, complex regional pain syndrome, post-traumatic acute pain and post-operative pain following joint replacement and surgical reconstruction.

Dr. William Denk, Pain Management Specialist

“SPRINT is the most highly researched peripheral nerve stimulation system available today,” said Dr. William Denk, interventional pain management specialist with CRMC and CRMG Medical Specialty Clinic. “Multiple studies show that this system has demonstrated significant and sustained improvement in pain and function in most patients for at least a year.”

The SPRINT System works by implanting a thin lead wire called a MicroLead™ that targets a peripheral nerve. The placement does not require surgery or incisions and is typically conducted as an outpatient procedure performed under local anesthesia. The MicroLead is attached to a matchbox-sized external pulse generator that is worn on the body. The generator sends gentle electrical pulses through the MicroLead to the nerve. Patients can adjust the stimulation level using a handheld Bluetooth-enabled remote control. After 60 days, the MicroLead is removed in the physician’s office.

“The SPRINT system fulfills a critical need for a drug-free, surgery-free option for many people in our community and region who suffer from chronic and acute pain,” Dr. Winter said.

For more information about the SPRINT PNS system and its application, contact the CRMG Medical Specialty Clinic at (307) 638-7757.