Fw: Injections Help Soothe Severe Headache

[Guest guest]

I'm sending this bit of health news along incase other severe migraine

suffers like myself find this news interesting. I think its a rather

interesting approach. Not sure that I want them poking needles into

the muscles at the base of my neck, but heck when I'm in that kinda

pain I might consider it! Options are good!

-

Injections Help Soothe Severe Headache

HEALTH NEWS BYTE

Thursday, December 21, 2006

Taking a jab to the neck may be just what the doctor ordered for

severe headache sufferers. According to a new study conducted by

researchers at the Medical College of Georgia, patients who visit an

emergency room complaining of severe headache experience significant

improvement when injected with a shot of the painkiller bupivacaine in

the muscles at the base of the neck. The study was based on data from

more than 400 headache patients who visited a single ER over the

course of the year. Overall, 65% of patients experienced complete

headache cessation as a result of the treatment. An additional 20%

benefited from reduced pain. In most cases, the benefits of the

treatment became apparent relatively rapidly, within 10 minutes of

injection.

What This Means for You

Only 1% of patients in the study experienced worsened headache

symptoms or other adverse side effects from bupivacaine injection.

However, the study's authors cautioned that painkiller shots are a

last resort reserved for the most severe and long-lasting forms of

headache.