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Specialty Services
Among the many services offered by Miller-Dwan Rehabilitation Center at SMDC Medical Center
are two treatment options for spasticity and urodynamic testing of bladder function.
SPASTICITY
We offer two special treatments for spasticity: intrathecal baclofen
pump therapy (ITB) and BOTOX injections.
Intrathecal baclofen pump therapy
Miller-Dwan Rehabilitation
Center manages the largest intrathecal baclofen pump therapy program (ITB) north of Minneapolis/St. Paul. Our program, which began in 1996, is known for excellent outcomes
for people who are implanted with the pump to help treat spasticity or muscle spasms
caused by multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, stroke, spinal cord injury or brain
injury.
The programmable pump, which about the size of hockey puck, and a catheter
deliver a prescribed amount of baclofen directly to the spinal cord. Targeted delivery
of the medicine means people don’t have to take oral medications that often have
side effects such as drowsiness or an inability to think clearly.
This innovative
treatment offers people not only greater mobility but also greater control over
their bodies. They can participate more fully in everyday life. They’re more comfortable
and less fatigued. And they can think more clearly.
Our program is participating
in two research studies with the pump’s manufacturer, Medtronic, and the Duluth
Clinic’s Department of Education and Research.
BOTOX
Injections of BOTOX (Botulinum
Toxin Type A) help treat spasticity by blocking the signals from nerves that make
muscles contract. In our program, trained physicians inject the neurotoxin into a muscle or group of muscles to relieve painful spasms. It’s an outpatient procedure.
URODYNAMIC TESTING
Miller-Dwan Rehabilitation offers urodynamic testing for bladder
function for both inpatients and outpatients. The 30-minute test measures pressure
in the bladder and the abdomen as well as activity in the pelvic floor to develop
a continence treatment plan for each person. The goal is to achieve bladder control
in ways that least affect a person’s lifestyle.
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