International: Peripheral Nerve Stimulation (PNS)

PNS is commercially available for use in select international markets.

Peripheral Nerve Stimulation of the occipital nerves is a new therapy for intractable chronic migraine and is only approved in select international markets.

St. Jude Medical Neuromodulation Division is a pioneer in developing technologies for the management of chronic pain and other neurological disorders. With innovations such as constant current stimulation delivery, we have been a leader of the neuromodulation industry for over 30 years. We are now applying our proven technology to provide a new option for managing the pain and disability associated with intractable chronic migraine.

A Proven Technology with Significant Advantages

A randomized double-blind, controlled study of chronic migraine sufferers who used St. Jude Medical PNS systems revealed the following:¹

Reduction in Overall Disability
At 12 weeks, the Migraine Disability Assessment (MIDAS)
questionnaire indicated participants in the active group
had a 41% reduction in overall disability compared to a
13% reduction in the control group.


Reduction in Headache Days
At 12 weeks, patients who received stimulation reported a
36% decrease in their number of headache days compared
to the control group which reported a 25% decrease.

Quality of Life
At one year, 68% of patients reported that their
quality of life improved, 26% reported that it
stayed the same, and 5% reported that their
quality of life deteriorated.

Recomendation
At one year, 88% of patients reported that they would
recommend the procedure to someone else and
12% reported that they would not.

How PNS Works

Neurostimulation systems are designed to regulate the body’s electrical systems. They function much like pacemakers, except that instead of sending pulses to the heart, the leads carry the pulses to the occipital nerves, changing the way the pain signals are transmitted. This localized delivery does not produce lingering systemic side effects—a common problem with migraine drugs.

A neurostimulation system consists of the following components:

Neurostimulator
A stopwatch-sized device containing the battery and electronics that create the pulses which stimulate the nerves

Leads and Extensions
Wires that carry the pulses from the neurostimulator to the nerves

Patient Programmer
A remote control device that enables the patient to turn the neurostimulator on and off and adjust power levels

Clinician Programmer
A remote control device that enables a clinician to program the neurostimulator and adjust stimulation

Who May Be a Candidate

Patients who have been diagnosed with intractable chronic migraine may be candidates for peripheral nerve stimulation. Intractable chronic migraine is defined as headache lasting at least 4 hours per day for 15 or more days per month, not responding to three or more preventive drugs, and causing at least moderate disability (determined using a validated migraine disability instrument [e.g., MIDAS or HIT-6]).

1. Silberstein S, Dodick D, Saper J, et al. The safety and efficacy of peripheral nerve stimulation of the occipital nerve for the management of chronic migraine. Poster presented at: 15th Congress of the International Headache Society; June 23-26, 2011; Berlin, Germany.

Website that I go this information from and also the company that I have my battery through. I also have two more contacts then this the pictures that above. 

http://www.sjmneuropro.com/Pro-Education/International%20-%20Peripheral%20Nerve%20Stimulation.aspx