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June
19, 2002
Muscle relaxant eliminates spasms for spastic paralysis - Sault Ste. Marie
man touts benefits of ITB Therapy at Marquette General
By JIM LAJOIE
Marquette General Hospital
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Kent
Christie of Sault Ste. Marie proudly wears his Detroit Red Wings’
cap on his deck at his house. Thanks to a muscle relaxant administered
at Marquette General Hospital, Christie, 44, has received much-anticipated
relief from repeated, uncontrollable and intense leg spasms. (Photo by
Rob Roos)
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SAULT STE. MARIE
— On Oct. 12, 1975, justoneweek away from his 18th birthday, Kent
Christie of Sault Ste. Marie was tragically injured in an automobile accident
that changed his life.
Christie severed his spinal cord, lost the use of his legs and has been
confined to a wheel chair ever since.
For years, the 44-year-old Christie has been bothered with repeated, uncontrollable
and intense leg spasms that often pulled him completely out of his chair.
“I didn’t have a lot of pain, but there was discomfort from
the spasms,” Christie said. “It was very frustrating …
it made me very mad.”
The irritable spasms Christie experienced, however, have all but disappeared
following a specialized procedure he received at Marquette General Hospital.
“It’s made a big difference,” Christie said. “I had
heard what this treatment could do for people who had problems with spasms.
I can’t say enough about it.”
Acting on a referral from neurologist Dr. Mouchir Harb at Chippewa Medical
Associates in Sault Ste. Marie, Christie was seen by Marquette neurologist
Dr. Nihal Herath, who has expertise with Intrathecal Baclofen or ITB Therapy.
With ITB Therapy, an implanted, disc-shaped pump and catheter continuously
delivers small doses of a muscle relaxant called baclofen to the area
surrounding the spinal cord.
“Baclofen prevents the transmission of impulses between nerve cells,”
explains Dr. Herath, a partner at Neurology Associates in the Peninsula
Medical Center. “Spasms occur when muscles resist being stretched.
Clinically, baclofen is used to relieve muscle spasticity (tightness or
stiffness of muscle) in limbs by inhibiting nerve cell transmission in
the spinal cord.”
Dr. Herath received specialized fellowship training at the Welsh National
Center for Spinal Injury and Neurological Rehabilitation at the University
of Wales College of Medicine in the United Kingdom.
After examining Christie, Dr. Herath concluded he was an excellent candidate
for ITB Therapy. A trial dose of the medication was highly effective in
relaxing the leg spasms within three hours of administration.
Following the successful trial dose, Marquette General neurosurgeon Dr.
John Sandin implanted a medication pump in Christie’s abdomen.
Dr. Herath refills the pump by injecting a needle through the skin and
into the drug reservoir. The Medtronic pump is refilled at Marquette General
approximately every three months. A lithium battery, which lasts three
to five years before it needs to be replaced, supplies power to the pump.
Christie, Dr. Herath said, has clearly benefited from ITB Therapy.
“His legs were non-functional, and he experienced serious spasms
in his lower extremities,” Dr. Herath said. “This pump delivers
baclofen into the area we want to control.
“It relaxes his legs without affecting the rest of his body. This
makes his legs completely loose … this is the first time in many,
many years when his legs have been completely relaxed. He had some very
uncontrollable spasms that we are now able to manage. He is much happier.”
People with spasticity due to cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, spinal
cord injury, brain injury and stroke are candidates for ITB Therapy
According to Dr. Herath, individuals with any or all of the following
conditions may benefit from the baclofen pump:
· Severe spasms that affect the arms, legs or both
· Spasms which interfere with personal care, diapering, bathing,
or sleep
· Painful spasms
· Minimum age of 4 years, with sufficient body mass
· Adequate strength in the neck and trunk
“This therapy is for those who have exhausted all other options and
who have done well with a trial dose of baclofen,” said Dr. Sandin,
estimating he has surgically implanted 50 or more pumps. “It has
been very difficult for Mr. Christie. This has made a big difference for
him.”
More importantly, being free from spasms has enabled Christie to improve
his quality of life. It’s meant getting a good night’s sleep,
something he admits he hasn’t had in a long, long time. It’s
also afforded him a peace of mind, knowing the spasms can be controlled.
“I feel like I can go outside by myself and not worry about spasms,”
Christie said.
Those who may benefit from ITB therapy are encouraged to talk with their
primary care physicians and ask for a referral to Marquette General. For
more information about the ITB Therapy, call the Upper Michigan Neuroscience
Center at MGHS at 906-225-4840 or
1-800-562-9753, ext. 4840.
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