There are a number of ways to characterize and define the nervous system. First of all, the primary cells that comprise the nervous system are called neurons. Groups of neurons…
As before, neur-algia simply means ‘nerve pain’. The question always becomes, can you figure out which ‘neur’ (i.e., nerve) is causing the ‘algia’ (i.e., pain). Secondly, if you can figure…
Surgical intervention (whether decompression or neurectomy/muscle implantation) for chronic headaches is performed as an outpatient procedure at an accredited surgery center or in the outpatient department of the California Pacific…
The title of this post represents the million dollar question. I have posted many times in the past about how ON can be caused by compression from spastic neck muscles,…
Migraine headaches have traditionally been thought to arise from within the central nervous system (i.e. the brain and/or spinal cord) and then produce symptoms elsewhere such as throbbing in the…
I am asked routinely about the relationship between whiplash and occipital neuralgia. First of all, what is whiplash? Simply put, it is a sudden jerking of the head, usually in…
Nerve blocks are very powerful tools in helping to determine whether or not a particular person is a good surgical candidate. Nerve blocks are simply injections of local anesthetic which…
Chronic headaches such as migraines remain a huge burden on the American healthcare system accounting for tens of billions of dollars in both direct and indirect costs annually. What’s more,…
Many people consider a migraine to be a really bad headache. The truth is it is a severe, neurologic condition. However, when perusing the medical literature, it becomes apparent that…
In this post, we discuss two important terms, ‘neuroplasticity’ and ‘central sensitization’. Neuroplasticity refers to the amazing ability of the brain to change and adapt in response to interactions of…