A NEW spinal pain control implant has given pain relief to a patient who has suffered excruciating ‘phantom limb’ pain for more than 20 years.

Ian Ward, aged 63, from Runcorn, underwent amputation of his lower right leg after a severe bone infection in the ankle.

But the pain continued at an agonising level.

Mr Ward, former chemical process operator, said: “I felt terrible, just like a zombie because I was on nine 300mg tablets a day of gabapentin and the pain was still horrendous, like electric shocks all through the day.

“Even though the leg had been amputated, the pain was coming from where the ankle used to be.

“I haven’t been able to work for 20 years.

He was referred to The Walton Centre’s pain clinic where he was invited to take part in the trial of a new spinal implant.

Pain consultant Dr Manohar Sharma said: “This was an unusual case, because pain had been present for more than 20 years and conventional pain relief interventions including spinal cord stimulation were not successful.

“Spinal cord stimulation was not effective as the part of spinal cord usually involved in mediating the electrical pulses from the amputated part had possibly shrunk or disappeared.

"For this reason an alternative target much lower in the spine, known as the dorsal root ganglion, was targeted.

“A few years ago we may have given up in this case but not now, as this new technique allows pain control in areas where conventional implants do not work.”

The procedure involves implanting a stimulator which sends radio waves or electricity pulses to the dorsal root ganglion, disrupting the painful nerve activity.

It is controlled by a hand held remote control device so that the patient can turn it on and off and adjust the strength of electrical pulses.

Mr Ward said: “I wasn’t expecting it to work as I have tried so many things over the years, which have all failed.

“But this has been marvellous. I turn it on when I wake up in the morning and at first I feel a surge of tingling down my leg for a few seconds and then I don’t feel a thing, all day.

“It has been implanted at waist level and it will last five or six years before it will need to be replaced.

“I turn it off while I am driving but otherwise it is on all the time and I don’t know it’s there.

“Before, I would get the pain 50 times a day for seconds or minutes at a time; now, I don’t even think about it.”

Mr Ward is taking part in a research study into the effectiveness of the procedure.

Earlier, he described the high level of pain as nine out of 10 and now, he puts it at two out of 10.

He added: “I still have to use a stick and a wheelchair and I have angina.

“But as far as this operation is concerned, I am very glad I had it. It has made a big difference to be free from extreme pain and not to need the high doses of medication.”

The dorsal root ganglion stimulator has been the subject of a study involving 100 patients at specialist pain centres around Europe.

Results of the study are expected to be published later this year and following any refinements, the device will be made available through the NHS at specialist pain management centres including The Walton Centre.