Janetjessica's Journal: Patients With Migraine Headaches Tested With Spinal Cord

Researchers at Rush University Medical Center are testing a new treatment for migraine headaches: occipital nerve stimulation, a surgical procedure in which an implanted neurostimulator delivers electrical impulses to nerves under the skin at the base of the head at the back of the neck. This therapy may help migraine sufferers who do not respond to other available therapies, or who cannot tolerate the side effects of existing medications. "The purpose of the randomized, double-blinded study is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of occipital nerve stimulation as a treatment for refractory migraine headache," says Dr. Sandeep Amin, Rush study investigator and anesthesiologist who surgically implants the device in the two-visit operation. Rush is recruiting patients through the Diamond Headache Clinic and is the only site in Illinois in the trial.