The peripheral nerves tell the body when, for example, the hands are cold. It can lead to tingling, prickling, numbness, and muscle weakness in various parts of the body.
Peripheral neuropathy can affect a range of different nerves, so it can impact a variety of locations in different ways. It can affect a single nerve, or several nerves at the same time.
It is also associated with a number of different underlying medical conditions. Sometimes there is no identifiable cause.
It affects some 20 million people in the United States (U.S.).
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Article Written By Dr Helen Webberley MBChB MRCGP MFSRH via Medical News Today.
Check out the Faces of Omaha 2019 article featuring our very own Dr. Pamela Santamaria.
Read it here: https://omahamagazine.com/articles/faces-of-omaha-2019/
If you or a loved one is suffering from mild memory loss, contact us to learn more about enrolling in a clinical research study near you.
QUALIFIED PARTICIPANTS MUST:
QUALIFIED PARTICIPANTS MAY RECEIVE:
The COGNITE Alzheimer's Clinical Trial is enrolling men and women who may have evidence of early stage Alzheimer' s disease. The clinical trial is evaluating whether a combined treatment slows down early stage Alzheimer's disease.
Contact:
Click HERE to view, download & print the full AZT brochure in .PDF form.
June happens to be Migraine Awareness Month. The title of the month is aptly named as there are many in the public (including physicians) who have heard of migraine but are not AWARE of migraine. People with migraine are often misdiagnosed as having other types of headaches or even tossed aside by their employers and physicians stating that "it's all in their head." Migraine patients will tend to suffer in silence as they feel no one believes them due to the lack of awareness of aspects of migraine.
Here are some important facts about migraine that you may have been unaware of:
1. Migraine is common -- 36 million Americans suffer. This includes about 20% of women
2. It is the most common neurologic problem (hence why my colleagues and I are so busy)
3. It is one of the leading disabling problems in the world.
4. It is estimated that 11-13% of migraine sufferers will miss one day of work within two weeks
5. It is also estimated that migraine costs the US up to $30 BILLION annually in lost productivity and other costs
6. Migraine sufferers will miss twice as many days of social activities than work days (meaning they are not faking this problem)
7. The longer you wait to treat a single attack, the greater the chance of migraine becoming more frequent.
8. As well, the more migraines you have, the more you will have
9. The most common episodic headache complaint to the primary care doctor is migraine
10. A study over 14 years ago concluded that the vast majority of "sinus headaches" are actually migraine
11. According to a study looking at those with migraine and their significant others, 65-70% of migraine sufferers will miss housework and social activities within one month's time
And the most important of all is that THERE IS HOPE. Those with migraine should not be treated as if they are faking headaches or simply depressed. There are plenty of medicines and non-medicinal treatments to reduce the attacks of migraine. Migraine is a chronic disorder of the brain with episodic flare-ups that cause debilitating problems for many people. If you feel that you or someone you love has not been properly treated or assessed, please schedule an appointment with one of our providers. We do not give up easily and neither should you.
Chad Whyte, MD, FAHS
Injection treatments offered at Neurology Consultants of Nebraska include Botox injections, trigger point injections, and occipital nerve blocks. We plan to add the capacity to offer Sphenocath sphenopalatine ganglion blocks in the future. This post will focus trigger points injections and occipital nerve blocks.
Trigger point injections are localized injections of numbing medication (lidocaine and/or marcaine) and sometimes steroid medication (kenalog or triamcinolone), into areas of muscle pain or muscle spasm. Commonly, 3 or 4 small injections are given, at the same time, to treat adjacent areas of muscle or muscle spasm. Trigger point injections are used to treat a variety of different types of muscle pain, such as acute injuries, myofascial pain, neck pain, fibromyalgia syndrome, and related conditions. In the case of muscle pain conditions, trigger point injections may be used for acute worsening of muscle pain, when medications and/or physical therapies, by themselves, are not adequate. Trigger points are particularly helpful when the pain is localized to a single muscle or group of muscles.
Occipital nerve blocks are similar injections that are placed at the original of the occipital nerves, which is located at base of the skull, at the junction between the head and the neck. Usually, two injections are given: one on the left, and one on the right. Occasionally, a single injection may be given, to treat head or neck pain that is only on one side. Occipital nerve blocks are used to treat a variety of headache conditions including occipital neuralgia, cervicogenic headache, cluster headache, and migraine. In the case of headache conditions, occipital nerve blocks are useful for acute headache that persists, despite appropriate medical therapy. This may include status migrainosus (i.e. acute migraine for the last 72 hours), acute cluster headache, occipital neuralgia (i.e. shooting pain coming from occipital nerves), or acute worsening of cervicogenic headache (i.e. headache originating from neck pain).
Any patient with the above conditions is a good candidate for injection treatment, at the appropriate time. You should not receive injection if you are allergic to any of its components. If you are on anti-coagulation then it may not be appropriate to receive injection, depending on the location and depth of injection, as there would be increased risk of bleeding and bruising. Your doctor will discuss risks and benefits of individual treatment, at the time of treatment.
Injection therapies can provide substantial relief of pain, within just a few minutes of treatment. The duration of benefit can last anywhere from several hours to a few weeks. The medication does wear off, so the benefit does not last forever. Injection treatments are not guaranteed to work, but there is a good chance of success when they are given in the right location, at the right time. The most common side effects are pain at the time of injection, and short-term pain or bruising, after injection. Occipital nerve blocks commonly cause numbness to spread across the back of the neck, across the scalp extending to the top of the head, and sometimes forward to the ears or corners of the jaws. This numbness is to be expected and is a beneficial effect of treatment.
Injection therapies are covered by most insurance plans, but coverage varies. Occasionally procedures may require pre-authorization by your insurance. Our office will verify your insurance benefits before proceeding with treatment. The above injection therapies are offered by all of the physicians at Neurology Consultants Nebraska.
Scott Goodman, M.D.
