Pain In Chronic Headache Alleviated By Nerve Stimulation Therapy
Up to 35 million Americans suffer migraine and other forms of headache, according to the American Academy of Neurology. A new study from the University of California in San Francisco revealed that a new therapy using a miniature nerve stimulator (as opposed to medication) improved the experience of pain in patients with chronic headaches by 80-95%. This gives the promise of a non-drug treatment option for those unable to handle indometacin, which is the current leading drug to alleviate chronic headache pain and has been known to cause stomach bleeding in some patients.
The device used to issue the nerve stimulation is called a bion and is about the size of a matchstick. It is a rechargeable battery-powered electrode that is implanted near the occipital nerve in the back of the neck where it alleviates pain by generating pulses that the nerve receives. An external wireless remote control can be used to turn the bion on or off. Previous versions of this device have been used in patients with osteoarthritis and dislocated joints of those recovering from stroke.
The study followed six patients from ages 37 to 64 with hemicrania continua, a rare headache disorder (patients have 15 days or more of headache per month). At the beginning, the patients underwent minimally invasive surgery in order to implant the bion at the occipital nerve at the back of the neck. Then each patient received three months of continuous simulation, followed by a fourth during which the bion was shut off, and then a fifth with the bion continually stimulating once more (Switching off the bion enabled researchers to measure whether the device - rather than the placebo affect - was responsible for pain modulation). To test long-term safety and efficacy of nerve stimulation therapy, the patient met up with a researcher and device technician once per month for four months. They also kept diaries once an hour while they were awake, which included a pain severity scale ranging from 1 to 10 points. These diaries were shared with the researcher after the fifth month.
Researchers found that between 6 to 21 months after implantation of the bion, 5 out of 6 patients reported sufficient benefit from the device. 4 out of 6 had improvement from 80 to 95%, one had improvement at 30%, and one worsened by 20%. Overall, the team found that participants not only improved with the bion therapy, but their pain worsened when the bion was switched off during the fourth month. Also, diary entries revealed an overall reduction in the pain score of five to eight points. Not only will this greatly improve living conditions for people with chronic headaches, but this study is also the first systemic use of the second generation of neurostimulators for the alleviation of primary headache, which opens the door for more options. Occipital nerve stimulation is currently being studied for use in migraine treatment. I am interested in this research simply because I have had my share of migraines and would welcome any new treatment options.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/125047.php
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/laneur/article/PIIS1474-4422(08)70217-5/fulltext
Brooke Hallmark
Section 501
The device used to issue the nerve stimulation is called a bion and is about the size of a matchstick. It is a rechargeable battery-powered electrode that is implanted near the occipital nerve in the back of the neck where it alleviates pain by generating pulses that the nerve receives. An external wireless remote control can be used to turn the bion on or off. Previous versions of this device have been used in patients with osteoarthritis and dislocated joints of those recovering from stroke.
The study followed six patients from ages 37 to 64 with hemicrania continua, a rare headache disorder (patients have 15 days or more of headache per month). At the beginning, the patients underwent minimally invasive surgery in order to implant the bion at the occipital nerve at the back of the neck. Then each patient received three months of continuous simulation, followed by a fourth during which the bion was shut off, and then a fifth with the bion continually stimulating once more (Switching off the bion enabled researchers to measure whether the device - rather than the placebo affect - was responsible for pain modulation). To test long-term safety and efficacy of nerve stimulation therapy, the patient met up with a researcher and device technician once per month for four months. They also kept diaries once an hour while they were awake, which included a pain severity scale ranging from 1 to 10 points. These diaries were shared with the researcher after the fifth month.
Researchers found that between 6 to 21 months after implantation of the bion, 5 out of 6 patients reported sufficient benefit from the device. 4 out of 6 had improvement from 80 to 95%, one had improvement at 30%, and one worsened by 20%. Overall, the team found that participants not only improved with the bion therapy, but their pain worsened when the bion was switched off during the fourth month. Also, diary entries revealed an overall reduction in the pain score of five to eight points. Not only will this greatly improve living conditions for people with chronic headaches, but this study is also the first systemic use of the second generation of neurostimulators for the alleviation of primary headache, which opens the door for more options. Occipital nerve stimulation is currently being studied for use in migraine treatment. I am interested in this research simply because I have had my share of migraines and would welcome any new treatment options.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/125047.php
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/laneur/article/PIIS1474-4422(08)70217-5/fulltext
Brooke Hallmark
Section 501
posted by Brooke at 11:51 AM
1 Comments:
Thank you from management goes a long way.
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