Which therapy involves a programmable pump delivering baclofen with a battery lasting several years?

Which therapy involves a programmable pump delivering baclofen with a battery lasting several years?

• A. Botox
• B. Oral Medication
• C. Intrathecal Baclofen (ITB) battery lasts 5-7 years, refilled every 6 months
• D. Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy

Answer: (C)

Delivering baclofen directly into the intrathecal space with an implanted programmable pump is intrathecal baclofen therapy. This approach uses a small device under the skin that administers baclofen through a catheter into the spinal fluid, allowing precise, continuous dosing. The battery in these pumps lasts several years—typically around five to seven—with refills every six months to adjust the dose as needed. Because the drug is delivered where it acts, patients often achieve better spasticity control with lower total doses and fewer systemic side effects than oral baclofen. Other options listed do not involve an implanted pump: Botox uses localized muscle injections; oral baclofen affects the whole body; and selective dorsal rhizotomy is a surgical procedure that cuts nerve roots to reduce tone, not a pump-based drug delivery system.

Delivering baclofen directly into the intrathecal space with an implanted programmable pump is intrathecal baclofen therapy. This approach uses a small device under the skin that administers baclofen through a catheter into the spinal fluid, allowing precise, continuous dosing. The battery in these pumps lasts several years—typically around five to seven—with refills every six months to adjust the dose as needed. Because the drug is delivered where it acts, patients often achieve better spasticity control with lower total doses and fewer systemic side effects than oral baclofen. Other options listed do not involve an implanted pump: Botox uses localized muscle injections; oral baclofen affects the whole body; and selective dorsal rhizotomy is a surgical procedure that cuts nerve roots to reduce tone, not a pump-based drug delivery system.