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        New Message Board Archives >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies 2003 >> Occipital Nerve Stimulation
        
(Message started by: Globi77411 on May 13^th, 2003, 2:12am)

Title: Occipital Nerve Stimulation
Post by Globi77411 on May 13^th, 2003, 2:12am

Is there anybody at this forum who had the “occipital nerve stimulation” treatment as described at the link below?

http://www.clusterheadaches.org/library/surgery/occipital_stim.htm

I am trying to get this treatment done in Holland but the insurance company still regards it as experimental.

Title: Re: Occipital Nerve Stimulation
Post by atwitsend on May 16^th, 2003, 12:06pm

where are you from - i am looking for info on this & my dr in the united states is offering this option to me - please respond & help me to find out more :o

Title: Re: Occipital Nerve Stimulation
Post by subluxationskill on May 16^th, 2003, 8:40pm

why not go and find an upper cervical doctor and find out if your clusters can be helped by restoring normal biomechanics in the upper neck region. Just a thought. If the occipital nerve is not " stimulated" enough and that is the cause of ch then what is causing the occipital nerve to be hypo-functional?

Title: Re: Occipital Nerve Stimulation
Post by Ueli on May 16^th, 2003, 10:18pm

Sublux, do you mean you can fine tune the biomechanics of the neck in such a way that the atlas tickles the occipital nerve in the right way for the chi to vibrate in resonance with the biorhythms to achieve a balance of jin and yang and such re-gain good health?

Why the fuck are you not reading the given links and learn what is talked about, before you start to string together some medically sounding words and produce some gibberish that is even too nonsensical for a wellness advertisement?

Why don't crawl back under the stone you came from and preach your hype to the worms and snails there?

Title: Re: Occipital Nerve Stimulation
Post by Globi77411 on May 17^th, 2003, 7:12am

I am from Holland. If you are from the US you should contact Dr. Dodick from the Mayo Clinci in Arizona (?). According to my information he's the one who has ínvented' this treatment based on the Italian "deep brain stimulation" which is much more dangerous. In Holland the insurance company refuses to pay for the operation, maybe it's different in the US. According to my neurolog this treatment is best if no medicine or other things helped. I have the chronic form, tried ALL meds available + neck nerve injections and heating nerves.

Title: Re: Occipital Nerve Stimulation
Post by Globi77411 on Jun 6^th, 2003, 5:45pm

subluxationskill. I’ve tried that already. Seemed to help a bit after a week. The Dr. told me first 5 days after treatment would be worse and it was. But….after some more days the beast was back.........went back 9 times but it never did it for me again. Also asked him how many (chronic) clusterheads he has helped…..many according to him but he’s not really willing to give any real info to my neurolog. I am still hoping for the Dodick treatment. As far as I know he will ‘publish’ some results end of june/july this year (in Chicaga I think). +/- 15 people had this treatment and it’s looking promising. It’s still ‘experimental’ which is the reason for no published facts yet. There is another man posting about Dr. Dodick =

Occipital Nerve Stimulation
« on: May 31st, 2003, 3:26pm » By MarkHW

I think I am better off then you guys in the US. All medicine (including Imitrex) are covered fully by my insurance. Took as many as 10 injections a day without coverage problems. Hope the Dodick treatment will be a breakthrough especially for the people who have to face the pain without the right medicines.

Title: Re: Occipital Nerve Stimulation
Post by MarkHW on Jun 9^th, 2003, 9:04am

I haven't had it done yet, but I am travelling to the Mayo clinic in Arizona in July to be evaluated for the procedure.

Nothing else has worked and I do not want Gamma Knife.

I'll let you know.

Mark

P.S. If you want information, contact the mayo clinic in Scottsdale Arizona - I went to their web page.

Title: Re: Occipital Nerve Stimulation
Post by Nathan on Jun 9^th, 2003, 10:34pm

[quote author=Ueli Why don't crawl back under the stone you came from and preach your hype to the worms and snails there?[/quote]

hey ueli, down boy!! alot of people come to this board 1) not knowing anything about archives 2) so damn frustrated with their chs they just dont FEEL like searching, they want answers and they want em right now and 3) some people get online, type "cluster headaches" in google and are just amazed to find a site like this! we should try to be a little more helpfull to those that dont know their way around the internet as well as others, especally if their in the middle of a cycle and just looking for a little relief or a shoulder to cry on.

Title: Re: Occipital Nerve Stimulation
Post by Ueli on Jun 10^th, 2003, 2:06pm

Hey Nathan, in your enumeration you forgot at least one point:
... some people come to this board 4) because they found a 'cure' for every disease under the sun, from housemaid's knee to Alzheimer's, and Google the net for support groups to bring their blessings to a larger crowd of ~~suckers~~ sufferers.

If you visited the board a bit more often than once a month you would know that Sublux admitted he never heard of Clusterheadaches before he found this board, but nevertheless claimed in his first post that he had the cure for it, and then continued to litter these pages with his pseudo-medical gibberish.

Nathan, although you call me boy, I cannot call you daddy. But, since you act as a stirrup holder for this ghoulish Sublux, I call you a fucking moron, who should do first some reading before criticizing others.

BTW, a bit further down the medical board I wrote another unfriendly reception for a newbie, in the thread "This has worked for me". Maybe, since you are a friend of every scam artist, you'll find some encouraging words for him too.

Title: Re: Occipital Nerve Stimulation
Post by Nathan on Jun 10^th, 2003, 4:05pm

damn i thought my chs made ME bitter!! you have a point about scam artist though, people that swear they have a cure for something that none of us can get under control and its unfortunate that they would come to message boards like this to attempt to get someones hopes up or whatever they hope to accomplish. BUT this is not the first time i have seen someones post simply dismissed by saying "read the archives" and that is my main bitch. the people that come here honestly looking for help, answers or support should be given it. but if you feel that they should handle it on their own, then YOUR the fucking moron. try and remember when you first found this site. were you greeted warmly and supported or were you cussed at and told to look it up yourself? i know when i first found this site over a year ago, before they changed the board format, i was greeted by many and all my questions answered without bieng made feel unwelcome. and for the record, im on daily, i just dont post unless i feel the need. mostly, i just lurk. as for the scam artists, fuck em. i think we all have the intelligence to see through their bullshit.

Title: Re: Occipital Nerve Stimulation
Post by Charlie on Jun 10^th, 2003, 11:50pm

Well.....this began as a fun thread defending common sense and critical thinking. Everyone take a deep breath. Ueli speaks from his crystalline heart :D Those Suisse, are direct bunch.

You're right too Nathan. The first thing I read here was the guest book. That fascinated me and made me cry. I couldn’t wait to get to the board. I was dying to meet others. It was exciting. Going to the other stuff at first was too much work for this lazy old fart.

Still:

Never give cranks and purveyors of fraud and nonsense an inch. They're waste our time and do some real damage in some instances.

By the way. The Mayo Clinic is in Rochester, Minnesota.

See you two in the next thread. Fun stuff this is :D

Charlie

Title: Re: Occipital Nerve Stimulation
Post by Globi77411 on Jun 11^th, 2003, 11:53am

Mayo Clinic website: http://www.mayoclinic.org/

They have 3 clinics
1) http://www.mayoclinic.org/jacksonville/ (Florida)
2) http://www.mayoclinic.org/rochester/ (Minnesota)
3) http://www.mayoclinic.org/scottsdale/ (Arizona)

Arizona is where Doctor Dodick works.

Title: Re: Occipital Nerve Stimulation
Post by Charlie on Jun 11^th, 2003, 8:16pm

Oops

Shows ya what I know. ::)

I'm behind the times. It doesn't surprise me though..sigh. :-/

Thanks.

Charlie 8)

Title: Re: Occipital Nerve Stimulation
Post by MarkHW on Jun 11^th, 2003, 9:49pm

Dr. Dodick (I'm probably not spelling it right) is the neuro that is pioneering the Ocipital Nerve Stimulation procedure for Cluster. There was a link to the article posted in the forum at one point.

He is based in Scottsdale and the only place I could find that would see me about the procedure.

I just booked my air fare and hotel.... I leave Sunday, July 20th for Phoenix and have my appointments on Tuesday.... This is just the eval, but ......

I hope this is the answer!

My neuro has told me he thinks it's this or Gamma Knife. I have no intention of doing Gamma Knife!

Mark

Title: Re: Occipital Nerve Stimulation
Post by Globi77411 on Jun 12^th, 2003, 1:34am

Hi Mark,

Gamma knife would not be an option for me as well.
What are they going to do in this eval? Temporary occipital nerve block? Did they sent you any info? What would reasons be NOT to accept you for real treatment? Probably going there myself in a couple of months and I am curious.

Title: Re: Occipital Nerve Stimulation
Post by hdbngr on Jun 13^th, 2003, 2:49pm

Dr. Richard Ferro in Lansing, Michigan is also using the occipital stimulation and spinal chord stimulation to treat clusters. There are two devices, one made by Medtronic, one made by ANS, although the ANS has more leads, and can supposedly reach more of the pain.

Dr. Ferro does a "practice" external procedure first, to see if it would even help. If it does, then they will schedule you for the real thing. If it doesn't, you don't have any extra parts you don't need.

I have been through the diagnostic stuff, and am hoping to get the practice one done soon. Here's hoping it works.

Title: is there a cure
Post by splittin_head on Jun 13^th, 2003, 9:23pm

??? hello every sufferer.. how are your brains today..mine are numb from the beatings this b t ch has givin me. sorry to be this way but im tired and im lookin for som answers and no one has any iv had these ch for 30 yrs know and still no help do these doctors knnow we are out here or do they just push us under the rug cause they dont know what to do...im not sure but ill be damm glad when this episode ends signed splittin head

Title: Re: Occipital Nerve Stimulation
Post by MarkHW on Jun 18^th, 2003, 10:27am

During the eval I'm supposed to see dr. Dodick and the surgeon who does the procedure.

I'm not sure exactly what they are going to do.... I know they want to go over my symptoms and let me know what it will all entail.

I just hope it goes well and I can get back out there quickly to get it done!
Mark

Title: Re: Occipital Nerve Stimulation
Post by MarkHW on Jun 18^th, 2003, 10:30am

BTW... I made my arrangements through Travelocity...
Got a pretty good deal.

I'm leaving Sunday from Columbus, Ohio and returning from Phoenix on Wednesday (in July).

The flight, hotel, & car are only about $450.

Mark