Tiny Implants Combat Chronic Pain

Back in 2006, Adam Hammond, a U.S. Army skydiver, experienced every jumper’s worst nightmare when his parachute failed to deploy. “I was basically in free fall,” Hammond says of his accident. “When I hit the ground, my helmet shattered and my shoes flew off my feet.” Hammond was completely immobilized by chronic pain for two years. Earlier this year he received an implanted device that electrically stimulates his spinal cord. Now, instead of feeling a stabbing pain in his tailbone, he experiences just a tingling sensation. “My life has done a complete 180,” he says.