Intranasal Sphenopalatine Ganglion Blocks for Migraine

[SDSue]

Apparently this procedure has been around for a while, but now with the use of guided imagery, the results are better. Anyone have any experience with this? from Science Daily

March 1, 2015
Source:
Society of Interventional Radiology
Summary:
An innovative interventional radiology treatment has been found to offer chronic migraine sufferers sustained relief of their headaches, according to new research. Clinicians have used a treatment called image-guided, intranasal sphenopalatine ganglion blocks to give patients enough ongoing relief that they required less medication to relieve migraine pain.

During the treatment, which is minimally invasive and does not involve needles touching the patient, researchers inserted a spaghetti-sized catheter through the nasal passages and administered 4 percent lidocaine to the sphenopalatine ganglion, a nerve bundle just behind the nose associated with migraines.

"Administration of lidocaine to the sphenopalatine ganglion acts as a 'reset button' for the brain's migraine circuitry," noted Mandato. "When the initial numbing of the lidocaine wears off, the migraine trigger seems to no longer have the maximum effect that it once did. Some patients have reported immediate relief and are making fewer trips to the hospital for emergency headache medicine," he said. Because of the minimally invasive nature of the treatment and the medication's safety profile, Mandato believes patients can have the SPG block repeated, if needed.

 

[purple_zen]

I had this procedure done October 13, 2015. I had this done to see if it would "reset" my brain and not specifically for migraines. About an hour after I had it done, I felt lighter, brighter and was in extremely high spirits. After I came home from having the SPG block, my husband immediately noticed a difference in me. I don't know how to describe it other than he said I had a "spark" back in my eyes that had been lost long ago. My energy levels vastly improved, but I continued to pace myself the first 3 days as I didn't want to set the PEM into motion. My circadian rhythm seems to be shifting somewhat, and I have been able to go to sleep earlier and earlier, and finally last night, without sleep medication (normal sleep concocation is: trazodone 100mg, zanaflex 4mg and phenergan 50mg, melatonin 6mg). Friday, October 16th, I took to the road and traveled about 2 hours to ride my bike on the Virginia Creeper Trail -- 17 miles. Granted, this is downhill for 15 miles, but to even hold myself up on a bike for over 3 hours is HUGE, and I did pedal for about 3 miles. Today is Sunday, October 18th, and I am not feeling peppy but I am not feeling a huge crash either (as I expected from 12 hours worth of activity). I will repeat the SPG block in one month. I am hoping to get more improvement with each succession.