SPRINT PNS; Occipital Neuralgia Pain
Michael started getting migraines as a teenager, so he was no stranger to head pain. However, about a year and a half ago, he got a headache that was unlike anything he’d ever experienced.
“It started at the base of my skull and radiated over the top of it and dropped down to my eyes. Both sides of my head were in agony. This was completely different than my migraines,” says Michael. The headache kept him in bed for a whole weekend. Unfortunately for him, it was the first of many lost days due to pain.
“I began getting the headaches two or three times a week and they would last for days. On a pain scale from one to 10, they were always a nine or 10. It was just intense, unrelenting pain” recalls Michael.
He tried over-the-counter medications, but they did nothing. He also tried topical ointments, heat, then ice, and nothing helped. His regular physician prescribed Gabapentin, a medication for nerve pain, and that didn’t help either.
Michael struggled to get a good night’s sleep because the pain would wake him up at all hours. During the day, he had difficulty concentrating. Even watching television or being on the computer was hard for him because the light hurt his eyes. There was not one part of Michael’s life that wasn’t impacted by his pain.
And his family struggled with his pain, too. “My wife was so sad because she knew I was in agony, and I know my son suffered because I couldn’t do things with him like I used to,” Michael explained.
Struggling to Find Relief
Prior to the headaches, Michael enjoyed his job as a sales developer, managing 24 franchises for a tool company, but his pain made working difficult. Finally, after a particularly bad headache episode, he had to go on disability. “I haven’t been able to have much of a life since these headaches started, and to me, working was such a big part of it. I loved it. Mentally and physically, this has taken such a toll,” Michael says.
Throughout the entire time he has suffered from headaches, Michael saw several different medical specialists and was finally diagnosed with occipital neuralgia. It’s a condition where the occipital nerves (the nerves that run from the top of your spine or upper neck to your scalp/back of your head) become irritated and painful.
He was prescribed physical therapy, which did not improve his pain. Then he had nerve blocks, but that only bought him about a week of relief. He even saw a spinal neurosurgeon, but upon seeing that the nerve blocks didn’t provide sustained relief, the surgeon told Michael he wasn’t a good surgical candidate.
“It’s been a long road,” says Michael. “Lots of travel, time and money spent on doctors, but I never got anywhere.”
Finally, he started seeing a doctor in Chicago, who again tried nerve blocks on both occipital nerves. This time, his relief lasted 10 days. Because he had pain relief for a bit longer, the doctor told Michael that he may be a candidate for stimulation and referred him to a pain physician.
Introducing SPRINT® PNS
The pain physician presented Michael with two stimulation treatment options: one option requiring a permanent implant and a second option providing a 60-day treatment. The latter being the SPRINT Peripheral Nerve Stimulation (PNS) System, which is a short-term treatment designed to provide sustained relief.
After hearing more about the options, Michael selected SPRINT PNS. “I liked the idea that it’s a short-term treatment. That it’s removable, less invasive, and there’s no surgery involved.”
Although every patient is different and the treatment is 60-days, Michael reported that it took about a week and a half after starting the SPRINT treatment to notice a difference. “I started to feel better. During the time that I had the leads in, I probably had four headache episodes in total,” says Michael. “Going from two to three a week to four in an 8-week period was huge! Just absolutely amazing.”
Since his SPRINT leads were removed, he still gets headaches, but they’re much less frequent, don’t last as long, and the pain is around a four instead of an eight-to-10 on the pain scale.
“Prior to getting these headaches, I was thinking about going back to college for a business degree, and now I’m doing it,” says Michael. “I am amazed that I’m able to write a two-page essay for sociology class and that I can concentrate.”
Michael’s family has noticed a big difference, too. “My wife, Kim, sees the life back in my eyes. She says I have my spark back,” explains Michael. And he’s making plans to watch his 12-year-old play in an out-of-state hockey tournament, which was difficult to do prior to treatment because the bright ice would hurt his eyes.
“I’m back to being me and I get to do more things with my son; I’ve even been out skating with him a few times,” Michael says with a big grin.
The SPRINT PNS System is indicated for up to 60 days for: (i) Symptomatic relief of chronic, intractable pain, post-surgical and post-traumatic acute pain; (ii) Symptomatic relief of post-traumatic pain; and (iii) Symptomatic relief of post-operative pain. The SPRINT PNS System is not intended to be placed in the region innervated by the cranial and facial nerves.
Each patient’s testimonial is the result of each patient’s unique situation resulting in varying responses, experiences, risks, and outcomes to the SPRINT PNS System. The patient experiences shared on this page are not medical advice and should not be substituted for the independent medical judgment of a trained healthcare professional. Discuss your options and use of the SPRINT PNS System with your medical provider. Physicians should use their best judgment when deciding when to use the SPRINT PNS System. For more information see the SPRINT PNS System IFU.
Most common side effects are skin irritation and erythema. Results may vary. Rx only.
