A reader and I have been e-mailing about pain pumps, or intrathecal drug delivery systems, for headaches. In the process of researching them, I came across some great information. On the San Francisco Medical Society’s website, there is an overview of all pain therapies. The information isn’t technical and dense and it isn’t an overwhelming…
My friend Lisa and I met through a headache forum. At the time, she also had a nerve stimulator, so we e-mailed back and forth and finally met in person when I was in her part of the country for Thanksgiving. Her experience with the nerve stimulator has been, quite simply, hell. Lisa has had…
X-rays showed that leads haven’t slipped significantly. Since I can still feel the leads move when I move my right arm or shoulder, it’s pretty clear that they will slip more. My doctor answered all our questions candidly, but nothing he said makes the decision any easier. The Medtronic rep reprogrammed the leads with the…
Doctors for Pain is an excellent website on treating and coping with chronic pain. You can use the site to find a pain management doc, learn about pain and alternatives or supplements to medications (like relaxation, music therapy and nutrition), and locate support and education resources. The patient aid section provides helpful documents that may…
The longer someone lives with a headache disorder, the easier it becomes to recognize that there will never be a magic pill to alleviate your pain. Without that miraculous concoction from a pharmaceutical company, Western medicine provides meager solutions for headaches. Some docs do address potential trigger foods or relaxation therapies, but often as an…