What Is The Reed Procedure®?

The Reed Procedure®: A Potentially Permanent Surgical Migraine Treatment

The Reed Procedure® is a revolutionary peripheral nerve stimulation treatment specifically developed by Kenneth Reed, M.D. for the treatment of chronic, severe migraine headaches. This type of migraine surgery involves implanting an advanced neurostimulator device beneath the skin at the target areas to control migraine headaches. With a documented success rate of over 80%, the Reed Procedure® has been shown to be effective for patients who have not responded to traditional migraine treatments.

The Reed Procedure® works by targeting the nerves in the supraorbital region and the occipital region of the head, which are often involved in the migraine process. The procedure involves the insertion of tiny electrodes under the skin, which are used to deliver mild electrical impulses to the affected nerves. This helps to disrupt the pain signals and reduce the frequency and severity of migraines.

Visualize The Reed Procedure®

The following schematic images of the Reed Procedure® show where the peripheral nerve stimulator device is implanted in the head to control severe migraine headaches. The components of the stimulator used in the Reed Procedure® include:

How The Reed Procedure® Controls Migraine Headaches

The underlying mechanism of the Reed Procedure® is the electrical stimulation of superficial nerves in the head that are significantly involved in the migraine headache process.

Patients can turn the neurostimulator device on and off using a remote control. For example, they usually turn the stimulator on when they start to feel the symptoms of a migraine. While the stimulator is on, the small battery pack in the patient’s chest generates electrical pulses and transmits them via thin wires to the leads implanted in the forehead and the back of the head. As a result, the patient instantly feels a pleasant tingling or massaging sensation in their head instead of pain. In addition, the patient can use the remote control to adjust the intensity of the stimulation so that it is at the appropriate level to sufficiently control the pain.

Medical studies show that while the device is stimulating the superficial nerves, it also stimulates deep brain centers related to the areas important in the modulation and genesis of migraine headaches. Thus, the neurostimulator works very safely to stop or prevent headaches from occurring altogether. An additional benefit of the procedure is that it reduces or eliminates the need for pain medication in patients who are candidates for this type of migraine treatment.