An Adelaide grandmother who once struggled to walk has now hiked around Japan’s Mount Fuji after a breakthrough Australian-developed implant dramatically improved her chronic back pain.
For five years, Carol Van Der Pennen lived with debilitating back pain following a serious crash that left her unable to enjoy the life she once had.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: The implant that helped Carol go from barely walking to hiking Mount Fuji
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“It’s given me my life back,” she told 7NEWS.
The southern suburbs grandmother said her health and independence declined after her vintage Rolls-Royce was rear-ended at 80km/h, leaving her with constant pain.
“With constant pain you can’t think, you can’t sleep and your mental processes are totally scrambled,” she said.
Everything changed in February when doctors implanted a new spinal cord stimulator designed to automatically respond to changes in a patient’s body.
“From the moment it was switched on, the pain stopped,” Van Der Pennen said.
The device works by sending electrical pulses to disrupt pain signals before they reach the brain.
Unlike traditional stimulators, the latest technology continually adjusts treatment based on how the body is responding.
Pain specialist Matthew Green said the system removes many of the frustrations patients have experienced with older devices.
“It doesn’t provide unpleasant, unnecessary or unwanted stimulation,” he said.
The technology was approved by Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration earlier this year and was developed in Australia.
“It’s a new technology. No one else has it. Everyone else is going to want it,” Green said.
For Van Der Pennen, the results have been life changing.
The grandmother who once relied on a walking stick has since travelled overseas, exploring Japan and planning her next adventure.
“Set and forget. Couldn’t be easier,” she said.
Van Der Pennen is also back behind the wheel of a vintage car, with a new lease on life and a future she once thought had been taken away from her.
