Senior Olympic Race Walker Beats Back Pain with Spinal Cord Stimulator

Spinal Cord Stimulator Helps Senior Athlete Get Back on Her Feet

Kay was a competitive race walker for the Senior Games for 20 years, starting when she was 62 years old. When this energetic and optimistic athlete turned 82 years “young” (as she likes to say), she started suffering from debilitating lower back pain that abruptly ended her racing days. Suddenly, her mobility was severely limited and her lifestyle changed from active to sedentary.

Instead of accepting the pain and diminished quality of life, Kay scheduled an appointment at the Center for Pain Management. Her treatment team diagnosed her with spondylosis (osteoarthritis of the spine) and recommended a spinal cord stimulator to control her pain, which she rated as a 10+. Her decision to undergo this pain treatment procedure was a true game-changer for Kay.

Quick Recovery and Lasting Results

Kay agreed to the spinal cord stimulator implant. The outpatient procedure went smoothly, and Kay recovered quickly. In fact, she reported that her pain level decreased from a 10+ to a 3 by the time she got home. While Kay did not participate in any additional races, her mobility and quality of life improved dramatically, thanks to the spinal cord stimulator implant. She restarted her active lifestyle but switched from competitive race walking to low-impact water walking three days a week.