Editor, Times-Union: For millenniums, pain has been handled by narcotics. In the future, electronic pain management will allow people to turn off pain signals before they can reach the brain. A person suffering from constant pain who doesn't want to get addicted to opioids or require surgery to relieve pain could have a pain bypass unit implanted at the base of the brain that is no larger than a nickel. It will be powered and connected by biojunctions to the nerves that relay pain signals to the brain. A controller that will allow a person to dial pain sensitivity up or down will be outside the body over the bypass. A microtransmitter will relay pain signals to a monitoring device no larger than a cellphone so that if a person does something that could damage his body like break a leg, an alarm may go off to tell the person to stop. If the bypass is connected to the nervous system by biojunctions, temporary paralysis might happen. In hospitals, beds will be equipped with pain bypass devices that will be connected externally to the base of the skull or by contacts to parts of the bodies where pain will originate like legs or arms. A doctor will come into the room, check the pain monitor on the bed, and if pain signals are decreasing in intensity, that will mean the patient is healing. Pain hinders the healing process. Immobile patients will have more sensors placed on the body to detect the beginning of bed sores. The person will be moved before that can happen. If the bypass can safely replace pain medication, insurance and hospitalization plans may cover their implantation. They might cost over $10,000 and require surgery that may cost just as much. But if a person lives another 30 years, even with yearly maintenance costs of $100, the pain bypass will be worth the cost. There will be those who will abuse the device. Football players might have the implant so they can play when they should be on the bench. Marathon runners might use them so they don't feel foot or leg pains and risk permanent foot damage. Fighters might turn off pain before entering the ring or cage and end up crippled if they aren't skilled enough. But for those that want to eliminate pain safely and not become addicted to pain killers, the pain bypass will be what they need. Rick Badman Warsaw
