Sphenopalatine Ganglion (SPG) Blocks and Neuromodulation: Prevention, Elimination and Treatment of Severe Headaches, Migraines, Cluster Headaches, Anxiety, Trigeminal Neuralgia and TMJ Disorders

    CHICAGO, IL, June 03, 2019 /24-7PressRelease/ -- A new article in May 2019 CRANIO Journal looks at the effects of the Autonomic Nervous System on a wide variety of chronic head and neck pain. Dr. Ira Shapira originally wrote a Mastership Thesis for the International College of Craniomandibular Orthopedics (ICCMO).

Dr. Shapira is a Chicago area dentist who treats chronic headache, migraine and TM Joint pain. He is the major advocate of the use of Self-Administered SPG Blocks in dentistry and medicine. He has lectured nationally and in Argentina and in May 2019 in Moscow on this subject.

The use of SPG Blocks is over 100 years old but they were becoming lost as forgotten medicine. In 1986, a book, "Miracles on Park Avenue" brought attention to this amazing procedure. An article, "Sphenopalatine Phenomena" by Hiram Byrd MD in 1930 Annals of Internal Medicine (JAMA) reported on 10,000 successful SPG Blocks in 2,000 patients with virtually no negative side effects.

Recent developments on new medical devices for delivering SPG Blocks have made then popular with ER Physicians for severe headaches and with neurologists. They have also made the procedure very expensive, costing $1,200- $3,500 per block. Best results are achieved by repetitive blocks over a series of weeks. They are used to prophylactically reduce future headaches, migraines and cluster headaches.

Dr. Shapira has been teaching health care professionals how to use cotton-tipped nasal catheters to deliver the blocks. More importantly he is teaching patients how to self-administer these blocks. After an initial patient visit the cost to self administer is less than $1.00 and utilizes only 2% Lidocaine. Self Administration means a patient can skip costly visits too the ER or physician offices and eliminate a great deal of time spent suffering. SPG Blocks often supplies relief in minutes. Dr. Shapira feels this is especially important for treating pain of Fibromyalgia.

The use of Neuromodulation of the autonomic nervous system and the SPG is a new development in medicine but has been used safely and effectively by neuromuscular dentists for over 50 years. Dr. Barney Jankelson created the Myomonitor, an ULF-TENS that stimulated the Trigeminal Nerve. The Sphenopalatiine Ganglion is on the Maxillary Branch of the Trigeminal Nerve.

Dr. Shapira has created a website dedicated to the topic of Sphenopalatine Ganglion Blocks: https://www.sphenopalatineganglionblocks.com/ and has a dedicated Reddit account on SPG Blocks. https://www.reddit.com/r/SPGBlocks/

Dr. Shapira has over 150 patient videos on treatment of TMJ disorders, SPG Blocks and Sleep Apnea:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk9Bfz6pklC7_UluWFHzLrg/videos

The use of Self-Administered SPG Blocks produce a major change in conditions that can be treated with SPG Blocks including:
Anxiety
Fibromyalgia
Trigeminal Neuralgia
Cluster Headaches
TMD
Migraine
Trigeminal Autonomic Cephalgias
Recent studies show they eliminate 1/3 of essential hypertension

Dr. Shapira has a practice dedicated to the treatment of Chronic Pain and Sleep Disorders including headaches, migraines and Sleep Apnea in Highland Park, IL. www.ThinkBetterLife.com

He has a General Dentistry practice in Gurnee, IL which provides both family dental care, Implants, reconstruction and cosmetic dentistry. www.DelanyDentalCare.com

He is a former Assistant Professor at Rush Medical School and worked at the Sleep Disorder Center with Dr. Rosalind Cartwright. He has utilized Oral Appliances and Dental Sleep Medicine for close to 40 years to treat sleep apnea and snoring with oral appliances for patient's who don't want or cannot tolerate CPAP.

Dr. Shapira is an Editor of Craniofacial Pain section of the CRANIO Journal.

He was a founding member of the Sleep Disorder Dental Society which became the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine (AADSM). He is a Diplomate of the AADSM, A Diplomate of ASBA, American Sleep and Breathing Association, A Diplomate of the American Academy of Integrative Pain Management and a Fellow and Master of ICCMO.

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