Research from Nura Pain Clinics Shows Targeted Drug Delivery May Be a Safe and Effective Alternative to Long-Term Opioid Use for Pain Relief

The study also found high satisfaction with TDD for pain relief in patients with complex chronic pain

EDINA, Minn., Feb. 26, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Nura Pain Clinics, a subsidiary of the Capitol Pain family of practices and the Twin Cities' foremost multidisciplinary pain management clinic, announces the results of a recent study on patient satisfaction using spinal targeted drug delivery (TDD) for pain relief, indicating it may be a safer, more effective alternative to long-term opioid use. The study was published in Neuromodulation, the preeminent journal in the area of neuromodulation, providing readers with state of the art clinical, translational and basic science research in the field. 

The independent study investigated which components of TDD therapy lead to the best outcomes and highest patient satisfaction. Nura researchers analyzed survey data from 560 active TDD patients, focusing on factors like medication dosage, pain relief, diagnosis, catheter tip location, side effects, mental clarity, physical functioning, and health care use. The data demonstrated:

• Good to excellent pain relief (63.8%)
• High satisfaction with TDD (80.7%)
• Improvement in physical functioning (75.0%)
• Better quality of life (89.7%)
• An impressive 78.5% of respondents reported complete discontinuation or substantial reductions in systemic opioid use

"The results of this study confirm that intrathecal drug delivery can be a safe and effective alternative to long-term use of opioids for patients with refractory chronic pain who have exhausted other interventions," said Dr. David Schultz, lead author and chief medical officer of Nura Pain Clinics.

TDD therapy, administered through a pain pump, is a safe, proven and effective way to manage chronic pain, cancer pain or severe spasticity with fewer side effects and a high degree of clinician control as compared to oral medication.

"Our findings indicate that patients who received higher-dose intrathecal medication admixtures experienced better pain relief and higher satisfaction -- without any increase in side effects, mental impairment, or therapy complications," said Dr. Schultz.

The team at Nura is at the forefront of innovation to provide comprehensive care through the seamless coordination of medication management, physical therapy and behavior therapy within a single medical practice. Nura's multidisciplinary approach is a critical advantage for patients who otherwise may receive fragmented pain management by multiple providers at multiple locations. For more complex chronic pain problems, Nura offers a full range of implantable pain control options, including spinal cord stimulation and targeted spinal drug delivery devices. This approach allows providers to focus on pinpointing and treating the source of pain while reducing the need for opioids.

The full study is available in Neuromodulation. For more information on Nura Pain Clinics and its focus on pain management, visit nuraclinics.com.

About Nura Pain Clinics
Nura (formally MAPS Medical Pain Clinics) was founded in 1995 by David Schultz, MD, a pioneer in interventional pain management. In his work as a practicing anesthesiologist in the 1990s, Dr. Schultz realized the need to treat chronic pain patients with a more comprehensive approach and went on to establish the region's first multidisciplinary pain management clinic, coordinating high tech interventional procedures with in-house physical therapy and psychology services. Nura is nationally recognized as a center of excellence for implantable pain control and one of the leading research centers in the U.S. for trials and implants of neuromodulation devices. Nura's mission is to improve the lives of people living with the most complex chronic pain through exceptional care.

About Capitol Pain Institute
Capitol Pain Institute (CPI) is a leading interventional pain management platform with clinics and ambulatory surgical centers across the United States. CPI offers a customized and multi-disciplinary approach to chronic pain treatment, with a particular focus on advanced procedures such as spinal cord stimulator implants. CPI partners with physicians and practices that share a common goal of providing high-quality, compassionate care at a reasonable cost. The company is also committed to enhancing the communities in which they serve and investing in the advancement of the field of pain management through innovation and evidence-based medicine. CPI was founded by Dr. Matthew Schocket in Austin, Texas, in 2007. For more information, visit CapitolPain.com.

MEDIA CONTACT
Hyedi Nelson
Bellmont Partners
651-757-7054
[email protected]

SOURCE Nura Pain Clinics