Headaches can be a symptom of many different conditions and are typically caused by an overactive nervous system. Over 45 million Americans suffer from a headache disorder of some type. Over half of them stop taking their prescription medication due to poor pain relief and unwanted side-effects. There is an alternative to prescription medications.
Sphenopalatine Ganglion Block
The sphenopalatine ganglion is a collection of nerves located in the back of the nose and is responsible for a majority of frontal, temporal and some parietal lobe headaches. Nerve impulses to this area can be temporarily blocked; by applying a local anesthetic to the area. This process has been difficult to perform up to this point as no effective delivery system was previously available. In the past, physicians would use needles to inject a local anesthetic through the corner of the eye or through the jaw. This procedure was effective but was not preferred by patients or by providers. Thus, Sphenocath® was developed to address this problem.
What is SphenoCath™?
SphenoCath is a needle-less treatment device for chronic headaches or migraines; where a small soft tube specifically designed to deliver medication through the nose to the area of the sphenopalatine ganglion, is directed into the nasal passages under fluoroscopic guidance.
SphenoCath® is a registered trademark of Dolor Technologies, LLC
What Can You Expect?
During the SphenoCath treatment, the patient will be placed on their back with their head tilted slightly back. The soft catheter will be inserted into the nose with fluoroscopic guidance to insure adequate coverage and dispersement. The procedure generally takes about 10-15 minutes and patients are monitored during this time by a trained staff member. In most instances patients are able to resume normal activities with 20 minutes.