KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — A Knoxville doctor is sharing his story of how his son helped him find a non-drug solution that helped relieve his chronic pain.

Dr. Donald “Don” Jones, a physician with Pain Medicine of the South, was suffering from what he described as “extreme back pain.” While working in the operating room, he said he would rate his pain an eight or nine. He found doing activities with family and friends and driving to work difficult.

“I had neck pain, back pain, leg pain for years,” he said. “It just progressed over the last two years. It got so bad that over the last two years, I wasn’t able to play golf anymore, it was too painful.”

His son, Dr. Mark Jones, who is also a physician at Pain Medicine of the South, was able to help by implanting a spinal cord stimulation called Nevro HFX in his father’s back and neck.

  • Dr.-Mark-Dr.-Don-5
    (Courtesy of Dr. Don Jones)
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    (Courtesy of Dr. Don Jones)
  • Dr.-Mark-Dr.-Don-3
    (Courtesy of Dr. Don Jones)
  • Dr.-Mark-Dr.-Don-2
    (Courtesy of Dr. Don Jones)
  • Dr.-Mark-Dr.-Don-1
    (Courtesy of Dr. Don Jones)

After reviewing Don Jones’s MRI, Mark Jones found some issues that made it possible to start the treatment for his father.

“There are several indications for it, most commonly being a failed back surgery, or diabetic neuropathy and other types of injuries,” Mark Jones said. “For my dad, he had one of the newer indications, which is non-surgical refractory back pain. These are patients who have really degenerated spines but they are either not a candidate for surgery or they don’t want surgery.”

The treatment involves thin insulation wires that are placed in the back near the spinal cord. The wires are attached to a rechargeable device that sends mild electrical pulses through the spinal cord to reduce pain.

“Compared to traditional spine surgery with the fusions, screws and plates, this a pretty noninvasive thing. We do a trial first which lasts for seven days… if you like it, we schedule you to put the permanent implant,” Don Jones said.

The treatment has also been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

“The folks that have come up with this are brilliant… it has been on the market since [1967],” said Don Jones.

For more information, visit nevrohfx.com. However, make sure to check with a doctor before deciding to start the treatment.