Multiple myeloma is a cancer that forms in plasma cells. As a type of white blood cell, plasma cells are responsible for creating antibodies that attack germs and fight off infections. Multiple myeloma infiltrates healthy bone marrow to generate cancerous cells, crowd healthy blood cells and cause a number of health problems. This condition can cause bone pain in the spine or chest, nausea, fatigue, frequent infections and mental fogginess.
In its advanced stages, multiple myeloma can thin and break bones, and according to The Myeloma Beacon, at least 70 percent of multiple myeloma patients suffer from bone disease and pain, including vertebral compression fractures. The team at The Pain Center of Arizona understands patients with spinal fractures may experience significant back pain, decreased sensation or poor urinary control, and that the condition can be debilitating.
Vertebroplasty is a bone stabilization procedure that can provide pain relief from spinal fractures, and studies have found multiple myeloma patients have benefited from this minimally invasive spine surgery. In fact, a group of Italian researchers completed a study 106 myeloma patients who’d undergone vertebroplasty from 2002 to 2009 and found that pain went from a 9 on a scale of 1 to 10, to 1 after surgery.
Researchers also discovered the following results:
- Disability decreased significantly after surgery for multiple myeloma patients.
- “On a scale of 0 percent (no disability) to 100 percent (bed bound), the median pretreatment disability level was 82 percent. After surgery, the median disability level decreased to 7 percent, with 26 percent of patients reporting no disability.” – The Myeloma Beacon
- All of the patients were taking pain-relieving medications prior to surgery, but after the procedure, 51 percent of patients reported no longer needing medications others were able to lower the medication dose.
- Before vertebroplasty, 76 percent of patients required an orthopedic brace to assist with back pain. After vertebroplasty, only 14 percent of patients needed the brace.
If you’re living with multiple myeloma, contact the pain management specialists at The Pain Center of Arizona to determine whether or not you’d benefit from vertebroplasty or kyphoplasty.
If you suffer from chronic pain due to any condition or injury, find hope at The Pain Center of Arizona! Our dedicated team of board certified pain management physicians will work with you to treat your pain, increase your functionality and quality of life, and get you back into life! We have locations across Arizona, including Phoenix, Anthem, Surprise, Mesa, Gilbert, Deer Valley, Paradise Valley, Scottsdale, and now Prescott and Tucson! We take multiple insurance plans; click here to see if we take yours! To make an appointment and take the first step toward getting back into life, call us today at 1-888-PAINCENTER. We hope to see you soon!
The advice and information contained in this article is for educational purposes only, and is not intended to replace or counter a physician’s advice or judgment. Please always consult your physician before taking any advice learned here or in any other educational medical material.