Quote:
Originally Posted by iguanabill
Here is a smattering of publications (there are others) that answer your questions:
Miller SM, Ngo TT. 2007. Studies of caloric vestibular stimulation: implications for the cognitive neurosciences, the clinical neurosciences and neurophilosophy. Acta Neuropsychiatrica 2007: 19: 183–203
full review article available here: http://www.pcng.org.au/IMG/pdf/CVSreview2007.pdf
McGeoch PD, Williams LE, Lee RR, Ramachandran VS. 2007. Behavioural evidence for vestibular stimulation as a treatment for central post-stroke pain. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2008;79:1298–1301.
abstract here: http://jnnp.bmj.com/content/79/11/1298.abstract
Williams LE, Ramachandran VS. 2006. Novel experimental approaches to reflex sympathetic dystrophy/complex regional pain syndrome type 1 (RSD/CRPS -1) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). ABSTRACT. Neuroscience Meeting Planner. Atlanta, GA: Society for Neuroscience, 2006.
excerpt from the abstract (only the abstract was published): " ...we irrigated the ear of a patient with RSD with cold water to produce vestibular caloric stimulation accompanied by nystagmus. The procedure produced a striking reduction of pain from a 7 to 4 on a visual analog scale. No such reduction occurred in two placebo controls, lukewarm water in the ear or ice cube placed on the forehead. This patient reported no reduction in pain from previous treatments with a spinal cord stimulator, a pain pump, ganglion blocks, or a transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) unit. We postulate the caloric stimulation activates the vestibular cortex and other areas which then “mask” the sympathetic pain in the adjacent insular cortex."
Ramachandran VS, McGeoch PD, Williams L, Arcilla G. 2007. Rapid Relief of Thalamic Pain Syndrome Induced by Vestibular Caloric Stimulation. Neurocase (2007) 13, 185–188.
full article available here: http://cbc.ucsd.edu/pdf/rapid%20relief%20caloric.pdf |
Yesterday evening I dug up some research on this form of brain stimulation and decided to try it since it is very low risk. (vertigo, nausea and headache-no big deal)
Unfortunately this did not work for me. It ignited a nasty pain flare in my jaw, an area of neuropathic pain that had been down to a dull roar. My balance worsened, as I suspected it might, to the point that I could not even sit up for dinner. Although I did not have nausea I developed a searing headache which I still have this morning. I am planting myself in a chair this morning because my balance is so impaired that I fear falling.
This was certainly worth a shot for me to try based on a quick lit review, and I hope it works for others. I would exercise caution, however, if you have balance issues or are prone to headaches.