Managing Back Pain Without Surgery

Marlene “Kay” Roesener’s pain from arthritis made her a perfect candidate for a spinal cord stimulator. She sought treatment with Dr. Joshua R. Wellington at IU Health’s Advanced Pain Therapies Clinic.

Marlene “Kay” Roesener had once enjoyed sitting on the bleachers watching her grandchildren’s ball games, sailing on the open water, gardening and golfing. But over time, every day pleasures became painful tasks. She was diagnosed with scoliosis and Parkinson’s disease and developed arthritis in her back.

“We like to go to Florida but even walking in the sand was difficult. Swinging a gulf club was painful,” said Roesener, 75, who is married to Ed Roesener. “Back surgery wasn’t really an option because the arthritis had caused deterioration of my bones.”

When she first sought treatment with Dr. Joshua R. Wellington at IU Health’s Advanced Pain Therapies Clinic, she described the discomfort at a level “8” on a scale of 1-10.

“I had a family history of arthritis and the pain was so severe that I wasn’t enjoying the things I love to do,” said Roesener. “Now I tell people, there are options to help control that pain and it doesn’t have to be pain meds or major surgery. I feel so much better.”

Spinal cord stimulation became a viable option and Roesener was an ideal candidate. Essentially spinal cord stimulation therapy uses electrical pulses to block pain signals before they reach the brain. It involves passing special insulated wires, called leads, into the spine and attaching them to a small electrical stimulation device implanted in the lower back.

The cutting edge procedure is a two-step process. The first step involves placing trial electrodes into the epidural space of the spine. This allows the pain signals to be blocked with electricity. The trial typically lasts about a week and allows the patient to feel the level of pain relief, gain functional improvement and assess the overall changes in quality of life. If the trial is a success then the temporary electrodes (leads) are removed, and permanent electrodes and a battery are implanted soon after, just under the skin in the small of the back.  

“The trial placement of the leads is not a surgery. It’s a try it before you buy it type of procedure. It’s one of the few types of procedures in medicine that you can try out to see how it works, “ said Dr. Wellington, who teaches the procedure to physicians across the country. “You can’t do that with back surgery.”

Once the success of the trial is determined, the permanent electrodes along with a battery pack are placed just under the skin in the small of the back.

More about the procedure:

Who is the right candidate for spinal cord stimulation: Patients with chronic back and leg pain who have had failed back surgeries or who want to avoid surgery and continued pain medication. Patients undergo psychological evaluations and trial procedures before the final implantation of the device.

How long does the procedure take to complete: 

The procedure is typically performed in a hospital or clinic outpatient setting with a local anesthetic used to numb the skin around the lower back area. The trial usually takes about 30 minutes and the implant takes about 1-2 hours.

How long do the implanted electrodes last? 

Other than replacing the batteries in the simulation device (about every 10 years), the electrodes can last a lifetime.  Patients schedule annual check ups to evaluate the success of the procedure and pain levels.

— T.J. Banes, tfender1@iuhealth.org

Transplant Patient: Waiting For The Call

Diagnosed with Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) Kristeen Lynn Reeves is spending her days focusing on her three daughters and two grandsons – not venturing far from home, she waits for the call telling her she has a kidney donor.

A picture of a toe-headed toddler includes the words: “I never thought I’d need a kidney donor.” Next to that weathered snapshot is a more recent picture of a woman – now in her 40s. It reads: “Yes, here I am needing a kidney donor.”

As a child, Kristeen Lynn Reeves never imagined she would be diagnosed with Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD). It’s a chronic, genetic disease that causes cysts to grow on the kidney – eventually leading to kidney failure. Reeves was diagnosed in December of 2012.

“To my knowledge, no one in the family had PKD,” said Reeves. Her father died at the age of 36, diagnosed with melanoma and her mother died of a stroke at the age of 50. “Looking back I wonder if my mother had PKD because she had similar symptoms,” said Reeves, who was diagnosed after experiencing severe back pain.

Under the care of IU Health nephrologist Dr. Timothy E. Tabor and surgeon, Dr. William C. Goggins, Reeves began the process last August of preparing for a kidney transplant. “I’m trying to avoid dialysis. That’s one of my fears,” said Reeves, who was recently hospitalized to level out her potassium and calcium levels. 

Born in Connecticut and raised in Long Island, NY. Reeves moved to Indiana in 1989. She said until she became ill she was very social. At one point in her life she assisted with special needs students and eventually made a career in real estate brokerage.

These days, her illness has slowed her down. She doesn’t shop with friends like she’d like to and a Disney vacation has been put on hold. She and her husband, Mark are parents to three daughters – the youngest graduates from high school this year. She also has two grandsons that she enjoys spending time with.

“I have days I get depressed because I can’t do the things I want to do,” said Reeves. “I know I need to be patient while I wait for a kidney donor but it’s hard.” Her daughter set up a page for her on Facebook and her husband is working toward accomplishing health goals in hopes of being a donor, but otherwise, Reeves said she is hoping for a miracle.

“At times you forget the way things used to be. I always hosted big family dinners and was the one that others depended on – now I depend on them,” said Reeves. “I’m just waiting for a phone call, hoping for a donor so I can enjoy watching my grandkids grow up.”

— By T.J. Banes, Associate Senior Journalist at IU Health.
   Reach Banes via email at
 T.J. Banes or on Twitter @tjbanes.