The battery generates a mild, electromagnetic field at the tip of a long wire, connected to the small battery pack and emits electrical pulses to the superficial nerves in the forehead and back of the head. Headache pain is then replaced with a tingling or massaging sensation almost instantly. Medical studies show that while the device is stimulating the superficial nerves, it is also stimulating deep centers in the brain related to the areas important in the modulation and genesis of headaches. Thus, the neurostimulator works in a very safe fashion to stop or prevent headaches from occurring altogether. For patients who positively respond to the trial procedure and move forward with the permanent unit, the response is dramatic and results are often immediate.

They are exactly the same procedure. Both the Reed Procedure ® and the Omega Procedure are registered and non-registered trade names that refer to the same medical procedure, specifically Occipital Nerve Stimulation and “Combined Supraorbital and Occipital Nerve Stimulation”, noting that Dr. Reed was the first in the world to have performed both procedures (in 1992 and 2004 respectively). This is described in more detail in this post on the “Reed and Omega Procedures.”

The RP is recommended for patients who have frequent, severe headaches that have not responded to other treatments. We generally ask that two criteria be met:

• You have 2 or more severe headaches a week, and
• You have tried at least 3 months of medical management (headache medications) and nothing is working.

Occipital Nerve Stimulation (ONS), which is an implanted unit that stimulates the nerves over the back of the head (occiput), is actually a component of the full Reed Procedure. The other component of the full procedure is Supraorbital Nerve Stimulation (SONS), which results in stimulation of the nerves over the forehead (supraorbital region). Therefore, the medical term for a full Reed Procedure is “Combined Supraorbital and Occipital Nerve Stimulation.”

In actual practice the decision of what modality to use in an individual patient — ONS, SONS, or “Combined ON-SONS” — is based on where the patient feels the pain. If the pain is confined to solely the back of the head, then ONS alone should suffice. However, for patients that experience pain over both the back and front of the head, the “Combined ON-SONS” procedure (full Reed Procedure) is recommended.

Dr. Reed was actually the first physician in the world to do both procedures – ONS in 1992 and “Combined ON-SONS” in 2004. As such, he and the other RMC physicians that he personally trained are the world’s most experienced in both ONS and “Combined ON-SONS” (Full Reed Procedure).

The implantable neurostimulator devices that we use today are manufactured by St. Jude Medical, Boston Scientific and Medtronic Corp and have been fully FDA approved devices for over 40 years for chronic back and neck pain.

And, after over 2 decades of use, the neurostimulator implant procedures that we use are accepted as a standard of care across the medical community, as an “off label” application for chronic head pain.

Further, Medicare and most commercial and national carriers now approve implantable peripheral neurostimulation for various types of chronic head pain and/or headaches. For example, Medicare’s national policy indeed now fully approves implantable neurostimulation for treatment resistant chronic migraines.

Yes, there is a large and growing body of research with over 100 papers published to date in peer-reviewed journals.

In fact Dr. Reed published the original paper on the subject in his 1999 publication of “Occipital Nerve Stimulation for Occipital Neuralgia.” That paper started things out, as since Dr. Reed’s original paper, there have been a total of 111 published clinical reports on research conducted by 398 researchers representing 144 research institutions (71 in the US, and 73 from across Europe and elsewhere). You may download the details of the papers, researchers and institutions can be reviewed by clicking this link: “Reed Procedure Research.”

Further, of these authors and institutions, Reed Migraine has taken a leadership position, noting the following landmarks:

Reed published the original paper on “Occipital Nerve Stimulation” (a component of the Reed Procedure) in 1999. All of the other papers follow his original report.
Reed published the original paper on “Combined Occipital and Supraorbital Nerve Stimulation” (the Full Reed Procedure) in 2009.
Reed partnered with several in institutions including the Mayo Clinic SW and Duke Medical Center in the foundational prospective multi-center study on “Occipital Neurostimulation and Chronic Migraine” underwritten by St. Jude Medical and published in 2014.

Research by Kenneth Reed, M.D earned the prestigious Cephalalgia Award, presented by the editors of Cephalalgia, the medical journal of the International Headache Society. In addition to receiving a certificate of award, Dr. Reed and Dr. Will were invited to present the paper to the annual congress of the International Headache Society, which occurred in September 2009.

The International Headache Society comprises top neurology headache specialists from around the world. The journal receives hundreds of original articles each year from top academic centers, including Stanford, Cambridge and Johns Hopkins.

The significance of the award and the publication of The Reed Procedure® paper, combined with the recognition it received from the medical community, shows the promise this procedure holds for future treatment of head pain.

Yes. Some of our patients have said they’ve been given their life back after having the neurostimulator implanted and are now stepping outdoors for the first time, spending time with friends and family and are simply overjoyed by the whole process. While the major focus is our patients no longer have headaches, there are a lot of complementary benefits included, as well. As professionals in pain management, we also find it to be very gratifying to know our patients are now able to experience their life in a brand new way and participate in normal, daily activities they never thought were possible before having The Reed Procedure ®.

A Patient Ambassador is a patient who has undergone The Reed Procedure ® and can offer insight to other patients who are thinking about both the trial and permanent implant. Our Patient Ambassadors are happy to meet patients and share their own experiences about having gone through the procedure themselves. We encourage any candidates or patients of The Reed Procedure® to look into this program and share their story with others.

Implanted Neurostimulation (Occipital Nerve Stimulation, the Reed Procedure, the Omega Procedure) have been demonstrated successful for virtually all types of chronic head pain including:

• Migraine Headaches (all types)
• Chronic Migraine
• Chronic Daily Migraine
• Hemiplegic Migraine
• Migraine with Aura and without Aura
• Refractory Migraine
• Any other type of Migraine Headache
• New Persistent Daily Headache
• Migraine (or any Headache) that occurs after head or neck injury
• Cluster Headache
• Pseudotumor Cerebri (Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus; Elevated Intracranial Pressure)
• Arnold-Chiari Syndrome
• Occipital Neuralgia
• Post-herpetic Neuralgia
• Any other type of Neuralgia of the Face and Head
• Brain Aneurysm

While you should consult with the physician about the specifics of any medical condition, in general, yes, implanted stimulators have proven very successfully in patients with:

• Diabetes
• Any type of shunt, including “VP Shunt” or spinal fluid shunt
• Have undergone repeated Lumbar Punctures (LPs)
• Aneurysms
• Pseudotumor Cerebri (Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus)
• Seizures
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Nerve Damage
• Had prior surgery on any nerves
• Any type of arthritis, including Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Fibromyalgia
• Have another implanted stimulator, e.g., spinal cord stimulator
• Heart Conditions, including pacemakers

Yes. We have treated many patients with Hemiplegic Migraine, and they have seen excellent results. In addition to reporting relief from their migraines, they also found that the associated hemiplegic weakness or numbness was also relieved.

Yes, in addition to relieving the migraine pain, the RP typically also relieves associated symptoms, including auras.

Neurostimulation is a standard, well-accepted treatment that’s been around for a long time. While it involves a relatively small battery under the skin, there are minimal risks or downsides involved. The Reed Procedure® is a two-step process, with the trial being the first step. The upside to the trial is very clear, in that if it works, the patient will be very happy with the end result. There’s also no physical downside or limitations that come along with the trial or permanent procedure. It cannot make headaches worse or hurt the nerves. However, one downside is if the patient falls into the twenty percent of those in which the trial does not work. Then, of course, the patient is disappointed. As for the permanent procedure, there is a small risk of infection, much like with any surgical procedure, but it is treatable.

No, you cannot have an MRI if you have any implanted metal unit, such as a stimulator. However, while certainly a consideration, the issue rarely poses any problem, as alternative radiographic options can often be used in place of the MRI – such as the CT and PET scans. In fact, having performed hundreds of implants over the past 25 years, we have only encountered one instance where the patient specifically required an MRI. In that case we were able to remove the stimulator temporarily, enabling the patient to have the MRI, whereupon we promptly replaced the stimulator afterwards.

• Trip 1. This is for placement of the Trial Stimulator and it requires you to be stay in a Dallas hotel for 2 nights. After these first 2 days, you may return to your hometown for the duration of the 7-day trial. (Any nurse or physician in your hometown can easily remove the trial stimulator in the office.)
• Trip 2. This is for placement of the Permanent Stimulator, and it requires you to stay in a Dallas hotel for 3 nights. After placement of the permanent unit, there is generally no need for any planned further trips to Dallas, as your local physician can handle everything from there. Basically, once the unit is implanted and has healed, then there typically is actually no reason to see a physician. That is one of the many beauties of an implanted stimulator – you simply do not need to go back and forth to the doctor’s office. Now, we are available 24/7 should you have any questions or issues, but barring something very unusual and unexpected, there will be simply no reason to return.

Important Note: The trial stimulator procedure may be performed in Dallas, New York City, Chicago and Miami. All permanent stimulator placements are performed only in Dallas.