For over 40 years, Dr. Sana Bloch, assistant clinical professor emeritus in neurology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine has been treating patients who suffer from chronic headaches in his New York office. Now, he’s bringing his decades of expertise, along with his groundbreaking and innovative patented technique for headache sufferers, called Spheno Palatine Block, to New Jersey.
Acutely aware that the pain and discomfort that migraine sufferers live with can range from mild or excruciating, Bloch came up with a newly patented procedure that has an astonishing 75% success rate. His revolutionary treatment for migraines, chronic headaches and all types of facial pain is said to be completely safe and effective, with patients experiencing significantly less discomfort than they would from a COVID test.
The process involves passing a special catheter called a Sphenocath® into each nostril at the lowest point of the nose. The flexibility of the Sphenocath® allows Bloch to reach the precise area where medication is sprayed to provide long-term relief. Because the patient is given nasal spray anesthesia, there is minimal discomfort. The entire appointment takes less than an hour including prep time and observation time following the procedure. The actual treatment takes 15-30 seconds per nostril.
“I’ve done my homework on this procedure,” he said, and is set to publish a clinical study on the efficacy of this procedure in the near future.
The procedure might be daunting to people who feel they can simply take a pill or a quick monthly injection. But unlike other options, this treatment has a substantially higher success rate with only 3% of patients reporting the one possible side effect, dizziness.
Other medications used to treat migraines can also have a higher incidence of causing more serious side effects, including nausea, lower blood pressure and extreme fatigue.
Before the Sphenocath® was available he had to explain to his pregnant patients that there was little he could do for them by way of relief that was considered safe and effective. Prescription migraine medications have been linked to birth defects. However, Dr. Bloch’s patented procedure is said to be completely safe for pregnant women.
Although there is a long list of medicines and treatment options for headache sufferers, they don’t always work. Oftentimes patients are required to first try a number of different medications before insurance companies will consider covering the cost of treatments like Emgality and Aimovig. The process can then take several months or longer, and even then, there is no guarantee that those other treatments will work right away or be effective at all.
As for Botox, Bloch said, “It’s uncomfortable, to say the least.” The last thing chronic headache sufferers want is more pain in their heads. “And it does not have the same success rate as my procedure,” he added. “Botox is also an insurance nightmare,” he said, explaining that it could take months before insurance companies even agree to reimburse for the cost of that treatment, if they do at all.
Bloch has performed this procedure on over 2,500 patients so far. Although the treatment is safe, he does require that his patients first obtain an MRI to rule out other possible causes for migraines. Patients must also be at least 18 years old in order to undergo the Sphenocath®.
The cost for the patented procedure is $650, but the relief from migraines is priceless.
Another service that Bloch offers is neuro-psychological testing. The testing is done for several reasons, including obtaining necessary documentation for those who have experienced neurological problems like “brain fog” after recovering from COVID. The testing is also used for people experiencing memory problems and may require medication or other courses of treatment for those who have suffered from a head trauma. Testing is also performed to document adult attention deficit disorder that would afford someone special dispensations as outlined in the criteria of the Americans With Disabilities Act. High school aged patients can also get tested to determine if they have any learning disabilities that, if documented, would afford them privileges such as quiet rooms and extra time on tests.
The testing, which only takes an hour, is performed by a seasoned technologist, and costs $500. It is available at Bloch’s Union City, New Jersey office on Sundays.
For more information or to set up an appointment call Bloch’s office at 646-522-0261.
By Jewish Link Staff
