IN THE KNOW: Former cheerleader overcomes rare pain disorder with innovative therapy after years of chronic pain
Former cheerleader finds relief from excruciating pain with nerve stimulation therapy.
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT)- Shae Eichele-Gawry, a former competitive cheerleader, gymnast and athlete, never imagined that an advanced stunt at age 18 would end her cheerleading career and leave her battling severe, undiagnosed pain in her left leg and ankle.
After multiple surgeries and ongoing therapy, Eichele-Gawry remained in constant pain. It took more than two years before doctors diagnosed her with complex regional pain syndrome, or CRPS, a condition considered among the most painful in the world. CRPS affects more than 200,000 people in the United States each year. The syndrome causes the body to overreact to injury or surgery, resulting in severe, lasting pain and inflammation.
The condition left Eichele-Gawry struggling with daily life, sometimes making it unbearable to get out of bed. After her diagnosis, she found relief with the Abbott Proclaim DRG System, a device that treats CRPS by sending targeted electrical pulses to nerves in the spine, blocking pain signals before they reach the brain.
Today, Eichele-Gawry is an award-winning bodybuilder and has returned to the active lifestyle she loves. Eichele-Gawry and Dr. Allen Burton, divisional vice president and chief medical officer of Abbott’s neuromodulation business, shares information about CRPS and discusses how her life has changed since using the therapy. Watch the full interview below or stream in on ROKU TV, APPLE TV, FIRE TV, AND YOUTUBE TV.
