A new recovery center in Miami is using a unique approach to treat opioid addiction, focusing on a noninvasive device that stimulates nerves to help with withdrawal symptoms.
The device, which is cleared by the FDA for withdrawal mitigation from opioid use disorder, works by abating severe symptoms such as stomach aches, back aches, sweats, and the inability to keep food down, according to George Rizk, an executive board member with NET Recovery.
“What makes the device incredibly unique is that it operates completely pain-free,” Rizk said. “The electrodes are attached on top of the skin, so nothing pierces the skin. You can detox without pain, without the need for pharmaceuticals.”
For Rebekah Mutch, the device changed her life during her ninth time in rehab. Mutch said she became addicted to opioids after being prescribed Suboxone during a previous rehab stay for alcohol. Her addiction led her to a path of homelessness, drug charges, jail time, and eight stints in rehab.
Mutch used the device at a facility in Kentucky. “It was a completely different experience than I had ever had and I wasn’t thinking I need to get out of here, I need to get some heroin, I need to get some fentanyl, I need that I need that, I need that – that wasn’t running through my head for the first time ever in this situation,” she said. She wore the device for seven days straight and met with a medical technician daily to monitor her symptoms.
At the new Miami office, patients will have to come in once a day for up to a week for treatment. Rizk said the cost will be roughly $8,000, which compares to “$15,000 – $25,000 per month in residential rehab.” He noted the treatment is not covered by insurance yet.
According to a study published in the National Library of Medicine, the use of electrical neurostimulation to treat addiction is promising, but there are still some unknowns regarding long-term outcomes.
Mutch, who said the device saved her life, hopes her story can help others. “It’s definitely not too late, there is still time and chances, and don’t give up, just keep realizing that there is more on the other side,” Mutch said.
The Net Recovery facility in Miami is set to open at 860 NW 42nd Avenue on March 17.
