Birch Peterson

Birch Peterson attributes much of his success to the clinicians at the Center for Pain Medicine

Birch Peterson, a hard-working father of two from Lunenburg, MA, was left in constant pain after many major surgeries to repair two ruptured discs, remove disc fragments in his spinal column and fuse two vertebrae. But the Department of Anesthesiology was there to help.

Specialists in the Center for Pain Medicine suggested an implanted neuro-stimulator, which would 鈥渃onfuse the pain signal from my spinal cord to my brain,鈥� Peterson says. 鈥淵ou still have pain, but the pain sensation is changed and you don鈥檛 feel it in the same way 鈥� it鈥檚 more like a tingling or buzzing sensation.鈥�

After spending much of 10 years in bed, Peterson was able to return to working, walking in the woods and canoeing. 鈥淭he level of care is unparalleled,鈥� he says of the Center. 鈥淭hey don鈥檛 and won鈥檛 give up. And they are there whenever you need them.鈥�