Space City Pain Specialists Contributes to Journal of Pain Medicine with New Study for Morphine Micro-dosing in Southeast Houston, Texas
August 24, 2017
Houston, Texas- Space City Pain Specialists, along with University of Texas Medical Branch, is contributing to the next Journal of Pain Medicine publication. SCPS and UTMB conducted research for over six years to find the success rate of morphine microdosing in noncancer patients who visited SCPS or UTMB for pain treatments. Dr. Eduardo A. Garcia, MD of Space City Pain Specialists is listed as author of the original research article.
From June 2008 to October 2014, a group of 60 patients was selected to participate in the morphine microdosing study. Certain criteria were set for the patients. The study included men and women who were never diagnosed with cancer. The men and women who took part in the study experienced one of the following types of pain or any combination of:
- Cervical pain
- Lumbar pain
- Chronic pain syndrome
- Failed surgery syndrome
- Degenerative disc disease
- Spondylosis
- Radiculopathy
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Fibromyalgia
- Knee osteoarthritis
The type of microdosing highlighted in this research is an intrathecal drug delivery system with morphine.
The intrathecal IT morphine pump for the patients in this study was started with small doses less than 0.2 mg per day. However, there is an ongoing debate over the exact definition of microdosing. Since every factor of microdosing depends on the patient and their physician, research is still being conducted to determine the limit or “cut off” for doses.
Since microdosing primarily focuses on lower doses, this treatment has several health benefits including:
- Safety
- Less pain
- No side effects
- Less depression
- More focus
- Affordability
The lower the dosage from IDDS, the lower the risk of side effects. At the end of this study, after monitoring patients and evaluating their individual pain scores, SCPS and UTMB determined that 35 patients, out of the 60, experienced success from only microdosing morphine monotherapy.
Patients experienced less pain, lower pain scores, and safety during their morphine IDDS. For more information about this study and findings from SCPS and UTMB, click here.
Space City Pain Specialists has two locations in Southeast Houston, Texas. Dr. Garcia sees his patients in Webster, Texas, which supports microdosing. To schedule an appointment with Space City Pain Specialists for microdosing, call 281-338-4443.