Saudi Gazette The International Medical Center has invited Dr. Mark Stillman, a neurologist from Cleveland Clinic in the United States who specializes in the treatment of chronic pain, headaches, and pain in cancer patients, to offer physicians and healthcare providers in the Kingdom insight into the latest in this field of medicine. Dr. Mark Stillman's visit in the Kingdom will last until January 17th and he will guide the hospital staff in applying modern, safe, and effective techniques in the hospital's Pain and Headache Management Center. One of the procedures Dr. Mark Stillman will be introducing during his stay is the use of Botox injections for headache relief. Botox injections are proving to be efficient in the treatment of a variety of pain states including migraine and tension type headaches. Botox can reduce the release of nerve transmitters that are responsible for pain sensation. In tension type headaches where persistent muscle contractions contribute to the headache, a partial paralysis of the muscle in the region of pain by the Botox injection does much to alleviate the headache. Of course not all migraine headaches can be alleviated by Botox. The headaches that respond well to Botox are those described as imploding with a squeezing or crushing feeling and when the pain is located in the back neck region or forehead. Most patients require Botox injections to more than one region. After injection, there is a slow reduction in the severity and frequency of migraine headache attacks resulting in decreased need for medications over time. However, it may be up to 2 months before the effects of Botox may be noticed by the patient. Repeat injections are required every 3 to 4 months to maintain the benefits. Another modern procedure that Dr. Mark Stillman uses in the United States is transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), which is a non-invasive and safe procedure of nerve stimulation intended to reduce pain. Small electrodes are applied on the skin and a special device transmits low voltage electrical impulses to the area of the body that is in pain. Most evidence points to the effectiveness of TENS in short-term pain relief, but the long-term benefits are still under further study. TENS brings relief to patients suffering from chronic pain caused by surgery, childbirth, migraine headaches, tension headaches, arthritis, tendonitis, cancer, and neuropathic pain (as a result of nerve cell deterioration). Practitioners do not claim that this type of therapy cures the underlying causes of the condition, but it can improve the quality of life and ease pain. How the device works is by attaching the electrodes to the patient's skin near the source of pain. A mild electrical current travels through the electrodes into the patient's body. The patient may feel tingling or warmth during treatment. Some patients describe the feeling as a sort of electrical massage. The International Medical Center in Jeddah plans to make such services available to patients in the hospital to save the Kingdom's citizens and residents the time, effort, and costly expenses involved in travelling abroad to receive such unique medical services. For more information on how you can learn more about these treatments or use them for yourself or a family member, please call 02-650-9009. __
