According to the CDC, a staggering one in four adults is affected by chronic pain. In a compelling battle, an Indiana lawmaker and his physician are deeply committed to addressing the challenges faced by Hoosiers living with chronic pain, driven by personal stakes in the matter.
“Pain is something that is very debilitating,” State Rep. Bob Behning (R-Indianapolis) said. “I think people don’t realize what kind of impact it has on your life.”
For over two decades, Rep. Behning has endured persistent back and leg pain—a relentless echo of a car accident that transformed his life indelibly.
“[I] ended up having surgery…my back’s been fused,” Rep. Behning said.
His condition is further complicated by Degenerative Disc Disease, intensifying his discomfort. For years, he underwent countless treatments and procedures, yet none brought him the relief he sought.
“I felt like I was always in a fog,” Rep. Behning said. “At one point…because I was on such a high dosage, I was experiencing withdrawal like every 72 hours for a period of time, and so my quality of life was not great at all.”
However, he was subsequently directed to Dr. Joshua Wellington, a prominent expert in epidural pumps, commonly referred to as pain pumps.
“I was fortunate that he was referred to me,” Dr. Wellington said.
Dr. Wellington explains that pain pumps are devices implanted through surgery, designed to deliver prescription opioids straight to the pain receptors that are affected.
“By doing that targeted delivery, we have about 100-fold more potency, so we can use extremely low doses,” Dr. Wellington said. “So, with that low dosing, there’s minimal to no side effects.”
“I had that done in October of ’14, and it’s changed my life,” Rep. Behning said.
Due to stringent regulations on opioid prescriptions, former state legislation mandated that numerous Hoosiers using pain pumps visit their doctors for refills every three months, leading to significant time and financial burdens.
“There were exceptions written into that law for cancer, for palliative care, but spinal drug pumps were not really thought of at that time,” Dr. Wellington said.
This year marked a significant shift, driven by legislation introduced by Rep. Behning. The recently passed legislation, now officially approved by the General Assembly, grants Hoosiers with pain pumps the ability to extend the interval between doctor’s visits for refills to six months. Last month, Gov. Mike Braun officially signed the bill into law in a ceremonial event.
“This bill is a big step forward just in terms of quality of life for people, for patients,” Dr. Wellington said.
“It has totally changed my life and something that I would recommend to people who have chronic pain as an option,” Rep. Behning said.
The new legislation will take effect on July 1.
