‘Pacemaker for pain’ helps former cheerleader reclaim active life

LELAND, NC (WWAY) — A cheerleading injury left one young athlete struggling with debilitating pain for years. But after finally receiving a diagnosis and finding a treatment that worked, she says she has regained the active lifestyle she once thought she had lost.

Six years ago, Shae Eichele-Gawry says even walking was nearly impossible because of the pain.

“It was 15 out of 10 every single day. I couldn’t even put pants on. I couldn’t walk without severe pain,” said Eichele-Gawry.

The competitive cheerleader was injured while practicing a cheer stunt.

“I fell from a stunt; a cheer stunt called a rewind. And when I fell, I had severely injured my left leg, from below the knee down,” said Eichele-Gawry.

Eichele-Gawry underwent reconstructive surgery, but experienced severe pain throughout her recovery. She was eventually diagnosed with complex regional pain syndrome, or CRPS.

“Complex regional pain syndrome describes a condition where severe pain comes out of proportion to the patient’s injury or surgery,” said Dr. Alan Burton, chief medical officer of Abbott’s neuromodulation division.

Burton says one treatment option for people living with CRPS is Abbott’s dorsal root ganglion (DRG) stimulation system.

The technology works similarly to a pacemaker, delivering small electrical pulses to targeted nerves along the spine to help interrupt pain signals before they reach the brain.

“The proclaimed system then dampens out that unusual electrical signal and just puts a little bit of a blanket over it, so it no longer is troubling to the patient,” said Burton.

For Eichele-Gawry, the difference was almost immediate after completing a trial of the treatment.

“I woke up, and I was near pain-free. I remember crying and just not even believing that it was true.”

The relief allowed her to return to an active lifestyle and pursue a new passion: bodybuilding. She has since become an award-winning bodybuilder.

“Now I’m able to, I train really hard in the gym, five days a week. I’m able to walk, actually, a mile now, which is crazy. I couldn’t walk three minutes before without intense pain.”

For more information about complex regional pain syndrome and DRG stimulation therapy, visit Abbott’s website at aboutyourpain.com.