Pam Mayberry

Pam Mayberry had been to the Mount Everest base camp and Mount Kilimanjaro, but she found herself unable to even hold hiking poles without her lower back pounding. She also couldn’t stand for long periods of time or pick up her grandchildren. Something needed to change. Thankfully, Pam says she felt led to a specific doctor who offered her the chance to be the first patient at Mountain View Hospital to receive a specific procedure that drastically improved her quality of life.

Innovative doctor recommends new, minimally invasive procedure to restore lower back muscles

While serving as a missionary in Nauvoo, Illinois, Pam’s lower back radiated with such intense discomfort that she sought relief at a nearby medical facility.

“I received cortisone shots one day in Illinois, and a woman at that facility said they had a doctor who was so good and could help me, but he had just moved to Utah. I asked where in Utah. She said, ‘Have you ever heard of Payson?’ That’s where we were moving to! So, I called from Illinois and made an appointment with Dr. Anderson for as soon as we got to Utah. I’m so glad I did,” Pam said.

Dr. Brian Anderson, a neurosurgeon practicing at Mountain View Hospital, has expertise in minimally invasive spine surgeries and restorative therapies. He closely examined Pam’s back and found no structural or functional damage linked to her debilitating chronic lower back pain. That’s when he recommended an emerging, minimally invasive technology which not only stops lower back pain but restores the body’s strength and function.

But first, Dr. Anderson taught Pam about the multifidus muscle, a smooth muscle which stretches along both sides of the spine and acts as a stabilizer and shock absorber. He explained that as a person ages, the multifidus muscle can atrophy and stop functioning. If that happens, other muscles compensate, leading to chronic back pain. To jumpstart the multifidus muscle and get it back into shape, Dr. Anderson recommended a brand-new, minimally invasive procedure.

In a multifidus muscle stimulator procedure, the surgeon places small electrodes into the multifidus muscle. The electrodes then deliver impulses which reactivate the muscle and strengthen it over time.

“Many treatments just cover up pain or manage side effects of aging, but this is one of the few procedures that restores function. The muscle has stopped working, and this intervention helps the muscle work again. It’s quite unique,” Dr. Anderson said.

Pioneering patient receives multifidus muscle stimulator, praises Mountain View Hospital’s new surgical area

Pam became one of the first patients in Utah to receive the multifidus muscle stimulator. Dr. Anderson performed the revolutionary procedure in Mountain View Hospital’s new 15,000 square foot surgical area.

“This place was fabulous! The staff were accommodating and careful with me, the environment was clean and new, and the atmosphere was so good. I have had several surgeries in my lifetime, but if I ever need surgery again, I want to have it at Mountain View Hospital,” Pam said.

While the procedure only took an hour and did not require an overnight hospital stay, Pam says having the technology has changed her life.

Two weeks post-surgery, a specialized technician turned on the stimulator for the first time and customized the settings for Pam. Since then, Pam activates the stimulator for 30 minutes every morning and every evening.

“I say, ‘I’m going to work out now,’ and I lay down and begin the 30 minutes of muscle stimulation,” Pam said. “I can watch a show or read a book, and meanwhile, it’s rebuilding my muscle so that it functions the way it did when I was younger. To get the best results, I need to do it every day … and I’ll do it for the rest of my life if I can avoid back surgery!”

It’s been about 8 months since her procedure, and thanks to Dr. Anderson’s innovative efforts and Pam’s consistent use of the new technology, she’s already experiencing remarkable results. Pam says she’s playing with her grandchildren, standing without pain, biking and hiking again.

“I’m really glad I did it. If I were given the choice now, knowing what I know 8 months later, I would 100 percent do it again – specifically with that team and in that place!” Pam said.