What Does Occipital Nerve Stimulation For Migraines Cost

If you suffer from chronic migraines, the effects can be devastating. Long-term pain has dramatic effects on your physical, emotional, and social well-being, making you less able to engage with others and to fulfill your responsibilities. The chance at long-term relief through a cutting-edge therapy like occipital nerve stimulation is a blessing, but unfortunately many people have to worry about what it might cost. Below, we'll explore what to expect.

About Occipital Nerve Stimulation

When you have migraines or any type of pain or sensation, it is nerves that carry that pain to your brain, and nerves that process that information once it's arrived. Nerves transmit information through electrical impulses created by the cells themselves.

Occipital nerve stimulation takes advantage of this fact. During this procedure, a stimulator and leads are permanently implanted, with the leads traveling into the spinal canal so that they'll interact directly with the occipital nerve. For several hours a day, you use the stimulator to transmit its own electrical impulse through the nerves. This impulse interrupts the pain impulse, providing much-needed relief.

Your doctor may recommend occipital nerve stimulation if you suffer from chronic migraines, or from other types of chronic headaches, like cluster headaches. The procedure won't be considered as the first course of treatment, but instead will only be used if you do not respond to medication and other types of treatment.

Insurance Coverage

Nerve stimulation is still a relatively new procedure, so insurance coverage is not a given. You should contact your insurance company to find out whether or not they reimburse for nerve stimulation. If they do, most of the cost should be covered. However, your exact out-of-pocket cost will be determined by your insurance plan; deductibles and copays vary so much that it is hard to give a firm estimate.

It's normal to worry about how you'll fit a medical treatment into the budget. However, most people who need nerve stimulation are able to afford it, and they find that the relief from pain is well worth the cost.

To learn more about whether or not occipital nerve stimulation is right for you, please click below and enter your information or call the Datta Endoscopic Back Surgery and Pain Center at (646) 374-1799.