I posted this question on Reddit. I had some replys but very few. I find it amazing the SPG Blocks are not routinely tried on patients prior to poften dangerous medications , some with severe side effects.
The side effects of Sphenopalatine Ganglion blocks are positive not negative. Less anxiety, depression and headache . A feeling of being relaxed.
The following was posted on Reddit by me, TMJ-DOC
Sphenopalatine Ganglion (SPG) Blocks for Fibromyalgia Pain, Anxiety and Depression (self.Fibromyalgia)
I am curious how many have tried SPG Blocks for Fibro. I find it gives amazing results for many patients and is extremely safe. I treat mainly patients with head & Neck pain, facial pain and TMD which are relatively easy to treat but frequently have patients with Fibro and many swear by SPG Blocks. I first learned them after a patient brought in the book “Miracles on Park Avenue” and asked me to find a doctor who did the blocks and there weren’t any in Chicago so I learned how to administer them. When they are effective it is miraculous. They can be done by a couple of injection routes but the real beauty is patients can self administer in under a minute with special hollow cotton tipped applicators thru the nose and the cost after initial appointment is miniscule. There is a free download of Miracles available online at: http://www.ectechnano.com/miracles-on-park-avenue.html I am also including a video of one of my patients who utilizes them daily and swears by them. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0VDx4aVBUI The second video is a patient and her fiance doing SPG Block together and is kind of fun. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lq07UVny9PE
response: According to this research, SPG Blocks don’t work for fibromyalgia.
My response:
I always explain what works in one patient may not work in another . I see everything from no response to miracle response. I only continue to use in patients who respond. Intreatingly, the study looks at fibro patients but only evals headache response. I find except for very severe acute migraine I usually correct the underlying structure with a physiologic orthotic and I primarily use for neck down pain, gut pain, back pain etc. Headaches are usually easy to eliminate in most patients with physiologic orthotic and trigger point injections. I usually use SPG blocks s part of integrated treatment protocol. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxPB8eso5pg is a video of a patient SPG Block one part of treatment. I am primarily utilizing physiologic orthotics and treatment of MPD and SPG blocks are adjunctive. But some patients they are the answer.
I have one video of an amazing case but not approved for internet so only shown in office.
Response:
Intrestingly, the study looks at fibro patients but only evals headache response.
The abstract wasn’t particularly well written, so I understand the confusion, but separately to the headaches it said:
Pain was measured using visual analogue scales prior to treatment, during treatment, and 28 days after the treatment.
Then later it said:
Analysis of the results showed no statistical differences between the lidocaine and the placebo groups.
It would seem that they looked at some sort of measure of overall pain separately to headaches, and that there was no difference between the group that received SPG Blocks and the control group.
Dr Shaoira response:
This is an e-mail I received today from a course I taught 100 physiologic dentists in San Diego. This was the first time Mac used this procedure and this was on a patient with unrelenting pain possible looking forward to brain surgery
Subject: Re: [INDF] Post-Traumatic Trigeminal Neuralgia
Thanks to Ira Shapira and ICCMO, At the yearly meeting in San Diego, Ira showed all of us how to do the SPG block. I used it today on the patient who was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Trigeminal Neuralgia. She came in with pain. After the interview, building rapport, etc I told her about the block. Within a minute or two her pain went away. She was shocked and very impressed and most importantly, relieved.
Continuing Education is the key to loving this profession. Thanks Ira and ICCMO. Everyone please put the ICCMO meeting in September on their calendar!
Mac
Response:
Post Traumatic Trigeminal Neuralgia is completely different to fibromyalgia, so I am not sure why you thought the email was relevant to this subreddit.
The research presented in this journal article shows that Sphenopalatine Ganglion Block is effective in about 80% of patients with Post Traumatic Trigeminal Neuralgia. The positive outcome in the case you presented is therefore unsurprising.
New responder:
Could you tell us a little more about SPG? It’s not something that I have ever heard of.
My response:
It is a simple procedure that addresses the autonomic nervous system to decrease pain. I suggest you read the book “miracles on Park Avenue” You can Google my name Shapira and TMJ Block to see what I have written.
new responder:
I have had spinal nerve block injections before (to help chronic knee pain) and had very little success. The procedure your talking about seems as if it would only block pain originating in that particular nerve, which I’m sure is helpful for some people. Nerve blocks don’t seem to work very often for people with fibromyalgia, it’s like dumping water on a couch fire when the whole house has been lit.
My response:
Autonomic Block. I post about it because almost no one has heard of it. There are no advertising blockhouses promoting a specific drug. Drug companies don’t care abou patients but selling drugs and making profits. They work for shareholders not patients. The researchers are a different story.
My response:
New Fibromyalgia SPG Block Video https://www.youtube.com/edit?o=U&video_id=A5xUFtuZe_Y
