More is better when it comes to alleviating lower back pain - more exercise, that is. Although many people who suffer from back pain don't exercise, fearing it will exacerbate the problem, a recent study found that exercising four days a week gave people greater relief from back pain than working out fewer times a week or not at all.
In the study, 120 people were randomly assigned to one of four groups for 12 weeks: One did a strength-training program two days a week, one did it three days a week and one did it four days a week. A control group did no exercise but participated in a two-week exercise familiarization program. Exercises in the program included bench presses and leg presses.
Those in the four-day-a-week program had the most reduction in pain - 28 percent - compared with 14 percent for those who exercised two days a week. The four-day group also reported having a better quality of life and less disability than those who exercised less.
In addition, it showed the greatest strength gains. The control group showed insignificant change in all areas. The study was presented recently at the annual meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine in Seattle.
- Los Angeles Times
Jun 16, 2009
Jun 5, 2009
Healthcare: On the agenda - Back pain helped by acupuncture
Patients with persistent lower back pain should be offered acupuncture, according to new guidance issued by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). The guidelines cover those who have been in pain longer than six weeks but less than one year.
Why is this significant?
It is the first time NICE has backed widespread use of 'alternative' therapies. For the first time there is a consistent national approach to managing lower back pain. The rationing watchdog said alternative therapies would be cost-effective if doctors stopped providing less proven back services such as X-rays.
What does NICE suggest?
The guidelines suggest that in addition to painkillers and advice to stay active, patients can opt for complementary treatments. These include up to eight exercise sessions or ten sessions of acupuncture; or manual therapy, which includes spinal manipulation, mobilisation or massage.
Media coverage
The story was picked up by most of the national press including The Guardian, The Sunday Telegraph and the Daily Mail, which ran with the headline: 'Six-week wait for back treatment'. It was also covered by BBC Breakfast, Channel 4 and Five news and the BBC Health website.
PR support
The press release was issued under embargo to all national media outlets, including medical and specialist press. It was sent by NICE's internal PR team, led by external communications manager Tonya Gillis. An embargoed press conference was held earlier in the week.
33% of adults in the UK suffer from back pain each year
2.5m people seek help from their GP for back pain.
PR Week
Why is this significant?
It is the first time NICE has backed widespread use of 'alternative' therapies. For the first time there is a consistent national approach to managing lower back pain. The rationing watchdog said alternative therapies would be cost-effective if doctors stopped providing less proven back services such as X-rays.
What does NICE suggest?
The guidelines suggest that in addition to painkillers and advice to stay active, patients can opt for complementary treatments. These include up to eight exercise sessions or ten sessions of acupuncture; or manual therapy, which includes spinal manipulation, mobilisation or massage.
Media coverage
The story was picked up by most of the national press including The Guardian, The Sunday Telegraph and the Daily Mail, which ran with the headline: 'Six-week wait for back treatment'. It was also covered by BBC Breakfast, Channel 4 and Five news and the BBC Health website.
PR support
The press release was issued under embargo to all national media outlets, including medical and specialist press. It was sent by NICE's internal PR team, led by external communications manager Tonya Gillis. An embargoed press conference was held earlier in the week.
33% of adults in the UK suffer from back pain each year
2.5m people seek help from their GP for back pain.
PR Week
Apr 23, 2009
Tips for easing back pain without surgery
HOUSTON CHRONICLE
Pitchers suffer an inordinate number of arm injuries in large part because the human body wasn't designed to fling baseballs 90 or more miles per hour. And, for that matter, the human body may not have been designed for us to even walk upright, surmises Houston pain specialist Dr. Uday Doctor, because of the world of hurt our spines can cause us.
Doctor is chief of pain management at the Texas Orthopedic Hospital. He stays busy because of the inherent design flaws in our backbones vis-à-vis how we use our bodies in jogging, lifting heavy objects and whacking golf balls.
Doctor, who is board-certified to practice interventional spine care, is hardly alone in his field. There are more than 150 physicians in the area who are pain management specialists. And who knows how many chiropractors, acupuncturists and physical therapists also earn a living off our agony?
As we reach a certain age, most of us start to hurt, which wreaks havoc on the quality of our lives, affecting mood, motor functions and concentration.
Doctor suggests that there are two kinds of chronic pain, that which is caused by cancer and that which emanates from diseased and damaged nerves.
The former, he said, is treated by throwing the book at it with little regard for the consequences. Side effects and the risk of addiction are secondary concerns.
"You're just trying to relieve suffering," Doctor said, "and that's especially true if the patient is terminal. All you're trying to do is make them more comfortable."
For those coping with nerve pain, however, it's trickier because addiction issues and side effects of the most potent painkillers do matter. We don't want to spend every waking moment groaning and grimacing, but we certainly don't want to turn into junkies, either.
Attacking the problem with surgery is no black-and-white solution. Spinal operations, in particular, remain a dicey proposition, and it's the spine -- particularly the disks separating the vertebrae -- that's often the source of pain. For example, while a stabbing ache in the shoulder could be a torn rotator cuff, it's more likely to be the byproduct of a herniated disk between the C6 and C7 vertebra, "pinching" the nerve leading to the shoulder.
Dr. Tom Blair, a retired pulmonary specialist at St. Joseph's Hospital, has battled back problems for 40 years. He takes Naprosyn, a prescription-strength anti- inflammatory drug, and stays as active as he deems prudent. He thinks shutting down completely because you're hurting inflicts psychological damage that exacerbates physical discomfort.
Blair's advice? Educate yourself. Make every effort to know your body -- so you'll know why you're hurting -- before deciding what to do about it. And, he adds, "Don't turn yourself over to somebody you don't have good references on or who won't explain what they're doing, and why they're doing it."
The old-school way of thinking about pain offered two options, sucking up and living with it or swallowing hard and going under the knife. Fortunately, there are other options. For example, Doctor and his partners at SpineCare Consultants (www.spinecare1.com) are practitioners of the nerve root block, which attacks pain without major invasive surgery.
Yes, they will stick a needle or two in your neck or lower back. But that's a far cry from having an epidural, never mind fusing vertebrae.
And most insurance plans cover it even without a referral from a primary-care physician.
"We find the nerve that's inflamed and we put (anti-inflammatory) medication directly on it," Doctor said. "It's critical to isolate the source of the pain. Say your shoulder hurts. In the old days, we'd probably scope it. If that didn't work, then we'd operate on your neck."
Michael Cokinos, president of Cokinos Energy Corp., says the nerve block ended his searing back, arm and hand pain. But, ever fearful of a stress-induced relapse, Cokinos regularly visits a chiropractor, Dr. Ron Grabowski, who Doctor recommended. Grabowski's mission is to keep Cokinos' C7 vertebrae from re-settling on the nerve.
"I thought I was going to have to live with (the pain) the rest of my life," Cokinos said. "But I feel like I'm 150 percent of my old self. I'm working out again and feeling great. What a relief."
Pitchers suffer an inordinate number of arm injuries in large part because the human body wasn't designed to fling baseballs 90 or more miles per hour. And, for that matter, the human body may not have been designed for us to even walk upright, surmises Houston pain specialist Dr. Uday Doctor, because of the world of hurt our spines can cause us.
Doctor is chief of pain management at the Texas Orthopedic Hospital. He stays busy because of the inherent design flaws in our backbones vis-à-vis how we use our bodies in jogging, lifting heavy objects and whacking golf balls.
Doctor, who is board-certified to practice interventional spine care, is hardly alone in his field. There are more than 150 physicians in the area who are pain management specialists. And who knows how many chiropractors, acupuncturists and physical therapists also earn a living off our agony?
As we reach a certain age, most of us start to hurt, which wreaks havoc on the quality of our lives, affecting mood, motor functions and concentration.
Doctor suggests that there are two kinds of chronic pain, that which is caused by cancer and that which emanates from diseased and damaged nerves.
The former, he said, is treated by throwing the book at it with little regard for the consequences. Side effects and the risk of addiction are secondary concerns.
"You're just trying to relieve suffering," Doctor said, "and that's especially true if the patient is terminal. All you're trying to do is make them more comfortable."
For those coping with nerve pain, however, it's trickier because addiction issues and side effects of the most potent painkillers do matter. We don't want to spend every waking moment groaning and grimacing, but we certainly don't want to turn into junkies, either.
Attacking the problem with surgery is no black-and-white solution. Spinal operations, in particular, remain a dicey proposition, and it's the spine -- particularly the disks separating the vertebrae -- that's often the source of pain. For example, while a stabbing ache in the shoulder could be a torn rotator cuff, it's more likely to be the byproduct of a herniated disk between the C6 and C7 vertebra, "pinching" the nerve leading to the shoulder.
Dr. Tom Blair, a retired pulmonary specialist at St. Joseph's Hospital, has battled back problems for 40 years. He takes Naprosyn, a prescription-strength anti- inflammatory drug, and stays as active as he deems prudent. He thinks shutting down completely because you're hurting inflicts psychological damage that exacerbates physical discomfort.
Blair's advice? Educate yourself. Make every effort to know your body -- so you'll know why you're hurting -- before deciding what to do about it. And, he adds, "Don't turn yourself over to somebody you don't have good references on or who won't explain what they're doing, and why they're doing it."
The old-school way of thinking about pain offered two options, sucking up and living with it or swallowing hard and going under the knife. Fortunately, there are other options. For example, Doctor and his partners at SpineCare Consultants (www.spinecare1.com) are practitioners of the nerve root block, which attacks pain without major invasive surgery.
Yes, they will stick a needle or two in your neck or lower back. But that's a far cry from having an epidural, never mind fusing vertebrae.
And most insurance plans cover it even without a referral from a primary-care physician.
"We find the nerve that's inflamed and we put (anti-inflammatory) medication directly on it," Doctor said. "It's critical to isolate the source of the pain. Say your shoulder hurts. In the old days, we'd probably scope it. If that didn't work, then we'd operate on your neck."
Michael Cokinos, president of Cokinos Energy Corp., says the nerve block ended his searing back, arm and hand pain. But, ever fearful of a stress-induced relapse, Cokinos regularly visits a chiropractor, Dr. Ron Grabowski, who Doctor recommended. Grabowski's mission is to keep Cokinos' C7 vertebrae from re-settling on the nerve.
"I thought I was going to have to live with (the pain) the rest of my life," Cokinos said. "But I feel like I'm 150 percent of my old self. I'm working out again and feeling great. What a relief."
Feb 24, 2009
Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction: A common cause of low back pain?
Physical Therapy Question:
Recently I slipped and fell on ice, landing on my left side. Since then I have noticed left lower back pain that radiates into my left buttock and the back of my thigh. It is difficult for me to sit, walk and move due to the pain. I saw my family physician who ordered X-rays which where negative. He recommended naproxen and rest. This is not helping. Can physical therapy help me?
Physical Therapy Answer:
Approximately 40 percent of all low back pain is related to sacroiliac joint dysfunction. The sacroiliac joint (SI joint) is one of two joints in your pelvis that connect the tailbone (the sacrum) and the large pelvic bone (the ilium). The sacroiliac joints connect the spine to the pelvis there by forming the base by which spinal movements occur. Injury to the sacroiliac joint can occur from a direct fall on the buttocks, a motor vehicle accident, or even a lifting injury. In some cases it occurs through normal activities without a specific trauma. Regardless of the cause, the sacroiliac joints can become misaligned and the ligaments/muscles around the joint become strain/sprained causing inflammation, pain and difficulty with movement.
Sacroiliac joint dysfunction symptoms:Left or right side low back pain with stiffnessPain may radiate to the buttocks, back of thigh or groin.Pain is achy and becomes sharp with movementPain is often made worse with rolling in bed, putting on shoes/socks, getting up from a seated position.Tenderness to touch around the bony lumps on one side of your lower back.Sacroiliac joint dysfunction vs. SciaticaSacroiliac joint dysfunction can often be confused with Sciatica. The difference being that sciatia is caused by irritation of a nerve (low back nerve that makes up the sciatic nerve) in the low back. This is often associated with a herniated disc.
The most common symptoms of sciatica are; low back pain, pain/numbness/tingling radiating into the leg below the knee often into the foot. The pain is often hot/burning and lancinating with occasional weakness of the foot/ankle.Physical therapy treatment of sacroiliac joint dysfunctionPhysical therapy and chiropractic care is the treatment of choice for sacroiliac joint dysfunction. First of all, your physical therapist or chiropractor will take a complete history and perform an examination of the low back and pelvis to determine the structural cause of the pain.
The best treatment approach is to utilize a combination of hands-on soft tissue and sacroiliac joint techniques. There is an abundance of research demonstrating the efficacy of hands on techniques to decrease pain and improve function. Often soft tissue techniques (myofascial release, Graston technique, Active Release Technique) are used to help decrease muscle spasms, reduce inflammation, normalize healing tissue and desensitize painful nerve ending. This is followed by gentle joint techniques (mobilization, manipulation or muscle energy) to realign the sacroiliac joint. The patient is then given gentle stretches and exercises to promote healing and prevent recurrence. With treatment the patient most likely will notice a significant reduction in symptoms and a return to function.
pottstownmercury.com
Recently I slipped and fell on ice, landing on my left side. Since then I have noticed left lower back pain that radiates into my left buttock and the back of my thigh. It is difficult for me to sit, walk and move due to the pain. I saw my family physician who ordered X-rays which where negative. He recommended naproxen and rest. This is not helping. Can physical therapy help me?
Physical Therapy Answer:
Approximately 40 percent of all low back pain is related to sacroiliac joint dysfunction. The sacroiliac joint (SI joint) is one of two joints in your pelvis that connect the tailbone (the sacrum) and the large pelvic bone (the ilium). The sacroiliac joints connect the spine to the pelvis there by forming the base by which spinal movements occur. Injury to the sacroiliac joint can occur from a direct fall on the buttocks, a motor vehicle accident, or even a lifting injury. In some cases it occurs through normal activities without a specific trauma. Regardless of the cause, the sacroiliac joints can become misaligned and the ligaments/muscles around the joint become strain/sprained causing inflammation, pain and difficulty with movement.
Sacroiliac joint dysfunction symptoms:Left or right side low back pain with stiffnessPain may radiate to the buttocks, back of thigh or groin.Pain is achy and becomes sharp with movementPain is often made worse with rolling in bed, putting on shoes/socks, getting up from a seated position.Tenderness to touch around the bony lumps on one side of your lower back.Sacroiliac joint dysfunction vs. SciaticaSacroiliac joint dysfunction can often be confused with Sciatica. The difference being that sciatia is caused by irritation of a nerve (low back nerve that makes up the sciatic nerve) in the low back. This is often associated with a herniated disc.
The most common symptoms of sciatica are; low back pain, pain/numbness/tingling radiating into the leg below the knee often into the foot. The pain is often hot/burning and lancinating with occasional weakness of the foot/ankle.Physical therapy treatment of sacroiliac joint dysfunctionPhysical therapy and chiropractic care is the treatment of choice for sacroiliac joint dysfunction. First of all, your physical therapist or chiropractor will take a complete history and perform an examination of the low back and pelvis to determine the structural cause of the pain.
The best treatment approach is to utilize a combination of hands-on soft tissue and sacroiliac joint techniques. There is an abundance of research demonstrating the efficacy of hands on techniques to decrease pain and improve function. Often soft tissue techniques (myofascial release, Graston technique, Active Release Technique) are used to help decrease muscle spasms, reduce inflammation, normalize healing tissue and desensitize painful nerve ending. This is followed by gentle joint techniques (mobilization, manipulation or muscle energy) to realign the sacroiliac joint. The patient is then given gentle stretches and exercises to promote healing and prevent recurrence. With treatment the patient most likely will notice a significant reduction in symptoms and a return to function.
pottstownmercury.com
Feb 22, 2009
Aching Back? Cholesterol Medication Might Help
Study finds that using statins may be useful in treatment for degenerative disc disease.
Back pain, a hallmark of degenerative disc disease, sends millions of people to their doctor. In fact, more than 80 percent of patients who undergo spine surgery do so because of disc degeneration. And part of the answer may be as close as a patient's medicine cabinet.
In their quest to discover ways to stop or reverse degenerative disc disease, orthopaedic researchers have been removing disc tissue from patients who are having spine surgery and extracting cells from that tissue for cultivation in vitro (a controlled environment outside of a living organism). They then transfer the cells back into the patient. Shu-Hua Yang, MD, PhD, is part of a Taiwanese research team that has discovered that Lovastatin, a cholesterol-lowering medication, helps the differentiation of disc cells in vitro.
Dr. Yang, who is chief of the department of orthopedics at National Taiwan University Hospital, Yun-Lin-Branch, is presenting the group's findings in the poster "Lovastatin Helps Re-Differentiation of Human Nucleus Pulposus Cells During Monolayer Expansion" during the 55th Annual Meeting of the Orthopaedic Research Society, Feb. 22-25, 2009, in Las Vegas. Dr. Yang is also presenting the results of a related study, "Influences of Age-Related Degeneration on Regenerative Potential of Human Nucleus Pulposus Cells," at the same meeting. The two studies reveal the findings of a team of researchers from National Taiwan University Hospital.
In one study, the researchers removed nucleus pulposus tissues from six human patients. (Nucleus pulposus is the jelly-like substance in the middle of the spinal disc.) The patients, ages 23 to 29, were undergoing surgery for herniated lumbar discs. Researchers then isolated the nucleus pulposus cells and eventually added Lovastatin, hoping to optimize the properties of the regenerative tissues. They hoped to maximize the expression of collagen II and minimize the expression of collagen I, two proteins involved in facilitating bone formation.
They reported the following results:
After 72 hours, researchers found that the number of nucleus pulposus cells had increased.
Lovastatin increased the synthesis of collagen II, a protein that makes up moveable joints, and decreased the synthesis of collagen I, a protein that is related to fibrosis (the formation or development of excess fibrous connective tissue).
Lovastatin had no cytotoxicity (the quality of being toxic) on nucleus pulposus cells.
"Regeneration of the nucleus pulposus tissue in the early stage of intervertebral disc degeneration can theoretically retard or even reverse the degenerative process and possibly regain a healthy intervertebral disc," says Dr. Yang. "Further studies are needed to determine the potentials of statins for regeneration and repair of degenerative disc disorders."
In a related study, Dr. Yang and his fellow researchers looked at how the patient's age affected the suitability of nucleus pulposus tissue for regeneration.
Researchers removed tissue from two groups -- adolescent patients (who were undergoing surgery for scoliosis) and adult patients (who were undergoing surgery for herniated discs) -- to find out how to manipulate the cells in the healthiest way. The researchers found that the tissue of younger patients was generally more suitable for regeneration than tissue from older patients.
These two studies represent just two of the latest advances in tissue engineering. Spine surgeons at one German institute are already using cells from the discs of human patients for autologous cell transplantation (reimplanting cells back into the same individual the cells came from). Other published studies about disc degeneration have looked at animal cells, instead of human cells.
Degenerative disc disease is one of the leading sources of back and neck pain. Disc degeneration is part of the normal aging of the spine. In this condition, the spinal discs (the pillow-like pads between the bones) lose their cushioning. When this happens, it can cause persistent pain in the lower back, legs, neck or arms. Treatments for pain can include medications and physical therapy. Sometimes surgery is needed if the pain is severe and keeps a person from participating in everyday activities.
sev.prnewswire.com
Back pain, a hallmark of degenerative disc disease, sends millions of people to their doctor. In fact, more than 80 percent of patients who undergo spine surgery do so because of disc degeneration. And part of the answer may be as close as a patient's medicine cabinet.
In their quest to discover ways to stop or reverse degenerative disc disease, orthopaedic researchers have been removing disc tissue from patients who are having spine surgery and extracting cells from that tissue for cultivation in vitro (a controlled environment outside of a living organism). They then transfer the cells back into the patient. Shu-Hua Yang, MD, PhD, is part of a Taiwanese research team that has discovered that Lovastatin, a cholesterol-lowering medication, helps the differentiation of disc cells in vitro.
Dr. Yang, who is chief of the department of orthopedics at National Taiwan University Hospital, Yun-Lin-Branch, is presenting the group's findings in the poster "Lovastatin Helps Re-Differentiation of Human Nucleus Pulposus Cells During Monolayer Expansion" during the 55th Annual Meeting of the Orthopaedic Research Society, Feb. 22-25, 2009, in Las Vegas. Dr. Yang is also presenting the results of a related study, "Influences of Age-Related Degeneration on Regenerative Potential of Human Nucleus Pulposus Cells," at the same meeting. The two studies reveal the findings of a team of researchers from National Taiwan University Hospital.
In one study, the researchers removed nucleus pulposus tissues from six human patients. (Nucleus pulposus is the jelly-like substance in the middle of the spinal disc.) The patients, ages 23 to 29, were undergoing surgery for herniated lumbar discs. Researchers then isolated the nucleus pulposus cells and eventually added Lovastatin, hoping to optimize the properties of the regenerative tissues. They hoped to maximize the expression of collagen II and minimize the expression of collagen I, two proteins involved in facilitating bone formation.
They reported the following results:
After 72 hours, researchers found that the number of nucleus pulposus cells had increased.
Lovastatin increased the synthesis of collagen II, a protein that makes up moveable joints, and decreased the synthesis of collagen I, a protein that is related to fibrosis (the formation or development of excess fibrous connective tissue).
Lovastatin had no cytotoxicity (the quality of being toxic) on nucleus pulposus cells.
"Regeneration of the nucleus pulposus tissue in the early stage of intervertebral disc degeneration can theoretically retard or even reverse the degenerative process and possibly regain a healthy intervertebral disc," says Dr. Yang. "Further studies are needed to determine the potentials of statins for regeneration and repair of degenerative disc disorders."
In a related study, Dr. Yang and his fellow researchers looked at how the patient's age affected the suitability of nucleus pulposus tissue for regeneration.
Researchers removed tissue from two groups -- adolescent patients (who were undergoing surgery for scoliosis) and adult patients (who were undergoing surgery for herniated discs) -- to find out how to manipulate the cells in the healthiest way. The researchers found that the tissue of younger patients was generally more suitable for regeneration than tissue from older patients.
These two studies represent just two of the latest advances in tissue engineering. Spine surgeons at one German institute are already using cells from the discs of human patients for autologous cell transplantation (reimplanting cells back into the same individual the cells came from). Other published studies about disc degeneration have looked at animal cells, instead of human cells.
Degenerative disc disease is one of the leading sources of back and neck pain. Disc degeneration is part of the normal aging of the spine. In this condition, the spinal discs (the pillow-like pads between the bones) lose their cushioning. When this happens, it can cause persistent pain in the lower back, legs, neck or arms. Treatments for pain can include medications and physical therapy. Sometimes surgery is needed if the pain is severe and keeps a person from participating in everyday activities.
sev.prnewswire.com
Feb 17, 2009
HealthWatch: Electrode Treatment For Migraines
Migraine headaches are a real, biological disease characterized by throbbing head pain – usually on one side of the head – sometimes paired with nausea or sensitivity to light or sound.
While new medications help, some are still debilitated by their headaches – but now there's a possible alternative. "It's a really sharp, intense pain [and] a lot of nausea," migraine sufferer Rebecca Scott says. "Sometimes it's above my eyes, sometimes it radiates all the way through the top and the back of my head."
Rebecca, a 32-year-old mother of two, gets debilitating headaches three or four times a week, each lasting anywhere from eight hours to three days long.
The migraines have made it difficult for her to hold down a job, and even to be a mom.
"It's hard when your kids want to go out and play," Rebecca says. "They want me to jump on a trampoline with them, they want me to play sports with them, and I can't do that."
When drugs failed, Rebecca came to New York from her home in North Carolina to see Dr. Alon Mogilner, who's running an experimental trial using electrodes and a nerve stimulator to treat migraines.
The electrodes are placed below the base of the skull, and then connected to a battery-powered pulse generator. "
One of the theories is that stimulation of particular nerves in the upper neck and the back of the head can actually send signals back to parts of the brain that control the pain signals," Dr. Mogilner, of North Shore Long Island Jewish Health System, says. "The signals that are sent to the blood vessels in the brain and head, may be, in fact, causing the migraines."
The actual implant procedure is fairly simple – the electrodes are placed under the skin at the back of the neck, under X-ray guidance.
Rebecca is even awake for part of the surgery to check electrode placement.
The hope is that the nerve stimulation will make migraines less frequent milder. "
If it's affecting the quality of my life, then why not take a chance at it," Rebecca says.
Even though the stimulator implant is relatively minor as far as surgical procedures go, the clinical trial is meant for people who suffer migraines at least three to four days a week.
The technology itself has been around for years, being used as a stimulator in treatment for Parkinson's, Dystonia, and for chronic back pain.
(CBS)
While new medications help, some are still debilitated by their headaches – but now there's a possible alternative. "It's a really sharp, intense pain [and] a lot of nausea," migraine sufferer Rebecca Scott says. "Sometimes it's above my eyes, sometimes it radiates all the way through the top and the back of my head."
Rebecca, a 32-year-old mother of two, gets debilitating headaches three or four times a week, each lasting anywhere from eight hours to three days long.
The migraines have made it difficult for her to hold down a job, and even to be a mom.
"It's hard when your kids want to go out and play," Rebecca says. "They want me to jump on a trampoline with them, they want me to play sports with them, and I can't do that."
When drugs failed, Rebecca came to New York from her home in North Carolina to see Dr. Alon Mogilner, who's running an experimental trial using electrodes and a nerve stimulator to treat migraines.
The electrodes are placed below the base of the skull, and then connected to a battery-powered pulse generator. "
One of the theories is that stimulation of particular nerves in the upper neck and the back of the head can actually send signals back to parts of the brain that control the pain signals," Dr. Mogilner, of North Shore Long Island Jewish Health System, says. "The signals that are sent to the blood vessels in the brain and head, may be, in fact, causing the migraines."
The actual implant procedure is fairly simple – the electrodes are placed under the skin at the back of the neck, under X-ray guidance.
Rebecca is even awake for part of the surgery to check electrode placement.
The hope is that the nerve stimulation will make migraines less frequent milder. "
If it's affecting the quality of my life, then why not take a chance at it," Rebecca says.
Even though the stimulator implant is relatively minor as far as surgical procedures go, the clinical trial is meant for people who suffer migraines at least three to four days a week.
The technology itself has been around for years, being used as a stimulator in treatment for Parkinson's, Dystonia, and for chronic back pain.
(CBS)
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