Eugene Lipov

Last updated
Eugene G. Lipov
Born1958 (age 65–66)
Cherkasy, Ukraine
NationalityAmerican
EducationB.A, Northwestern University; M.D., Feinberg School of Medicine; University of Illinois; Rush St. Luke's
Occupation(s)Physician Researcher, Anesthesiologist & Pain Management Specialist
Years active30
Known forIntervention-based pain management & the use of the stellate ganglion block for hot flashes & PTSD

Eugene G. Lipov (born 1958) is a physician researcher and board-certified anesthesiologist who specializes in intervention-based pain management in the Chicago area. [1]

Contents

He is best known for his treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) using the stellate ganglion block (SGB). [2] The injection-based technique "seems to 'reboot' the body's sympathetic system and may help to reset a PTSD patient's overreaction to stimuli — their 'fight or flight' response—by resetting the sympathetic nervous system and central nervous system to the pre-trauma state. [3]

In 2016, the Pentagon approved funding for a study at three Army medical centers, citing SGB’s potential to be a huge game changer for many affected people with PTSD, whether from combat, sexual assault or other trauma. In 2017, the U.S. Army commissioned the first large-scale randomized trial of the procedure. [4] [5]

Published in 2019, an Army-funded study, conducted by RTI International, confirmed that SGB was more than two times as effective compared to a placebo in relieving PTSD symptoms. [6]

Background

Born in the Ukrainian SSR, Lipov and his family emigrated to the United States in 1973. [1] Once settled in Chicago, his father Gregory, [7] a cardiovascular surgeon, and his mother Mary, [7] an endocrinologist, were among the first group of physicians to take care of local Russian émigrés. [1] Both Lipov and his older brother Sergei [8] went on to have careers in medicine as adults.

Education

A Frances W. Parker School (Chicago) graduate, Lipov received his bachelor's in biochemistry from Northwestern University in 1980. A medical degree from Feinberg School of Medicine followed in 1984, and Lipov moved to Cook County Hospital/University of Illinois for a surgical residency. He spent two years in an anesthesiology residency at the University of Illinois before completing his training at Rush St Luke's with advanced training in pain management. [9]

Pain management research & treatment

Lipov's PTSD research earned him an invitation to testify before the U.S. House Committee on Veteran's Affairs in 2010. [10] His work also garnered references from former Congressman Rahm Emanuel, then Senator Barack Obama, and Senator Richard Durbin, among others. President Obama wrote: "There is a growing body of evidence to suggest that PTSD is afflicting a growing number of our heroic service members. [It] is important to consider any new approaches that may hold potential for helping our service members get the care they need." [11]

Lipov's scholarly research and interests include the development of new approaches for pain conditions, and old approaches for new indications. He has developed a new stimulator approach called the "Hybrid Stimulator" for back and leg pain. [12] He was also the first to report a successful use of stellate ganglion block for hot flashes and PTSD. [13]

Lipov has authored over 40 medical publications, including journal articles, book chapters and abstracts, [14] [15] as well as two theoretical papers explaining the mechanisms of the effects observed in the controversial and non-peer reviewed journal Medical Hypotheses . [16] [17] His "unified theory" explains the prolonged effects of local anesthetic placed on the stellate ganglion resolving complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). [16] It also predicts the positive effect of SGB on estrogen depletion, hot flashes, PTSD and other conditions.

Lipov has made numerous media appearances relating to his innovations in the treatment of chronic pain. Many have focused on state-of-the-art disk treatments, [18] implantable neuro-stimulators for lower back pain [19] and treatment of back and leg pain after surgery. His recent focus has been hot flash treatments and PTSD due to the lack of other effective treatments.

Personal life

Lipov lives with his wife and one son, who co-authored The Adventures of Captain Heart with him at the age of 4. [20] The book explains how three-to-seven year-olds can maintain a healthy heart.

Related Research Articles

Local anesthesia is any technique to induce the absence of sensation in a specific part of the body, generally for the aim of inducing local analgesia, i.e. local insensitivity to pain, although other local senses may be affected as well. It allows patients to undergo surgical and dental procedures with reduced pain and distress. In many situations, such as cesarean section, it is safer and therefore superior to general anesthesia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sympathetic nervous system</span> Part of the autonomic nervous system which stimulates fight-or-flight responses

The sympathetic nervous system (SNS) is one of the three divisions of the autonomic nervous system, the others being the parasympathetic nervous system and the enteric nervous system. The enteric nervous system is sometimes considered part of the autonomic nervous system, and sometimes considered an independent system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pain management</span> Interdisciplinary approach for easing pain

Pain management is an aspect of medicine and health care involving relief of pain in various dimensions, from acute and simple to chronic and challenging. Most physicians and other health professionals provide some pain control in the normal course of their practice, and for the more complex instances of pain, they also call on additional help from a specific medical specialty devoted to pain, which is called pain medicine.

Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) is a form of psychotherapy that is controversial within the psychological community. It was devised by Francine Shapiro in 1987 and originally designed to alleviate the distress associated with traumatic memories such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leuprorelin</span> Manufactured (artificial) injectable hormone

Leuprorelin, also known as leuprolide, is a manufactured version of a hormone used to treat prostate cancer, breast cancer, endometriosis, uterine fibroids, as part of transgender hormone therapy, for early puberty, or to perform chemical castration of violent sex offenders. It is given by injection into a muscle or under the skin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stellate ganglion</span>

The stellate ganglion is a sympathetic ganglion formed by the fusion of the inferior cervical ganglion and the first thoracic ganglion, which is present in 80% of individuals. Sometimes, the second and the third thoracic ganglia are included in this fusion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pterygopalatine ganglion</span> Parasympathetic ganglion in the pterygopalatine fossa

The pterygopalatine ganglion is a parasympathetic ganglion in the pterygopalatine fossa. It is one of four parasympathetic ganglia of the head and neck,.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nerve block</span> Deliberate inhibition of nerve impulses

Nerve block or regional nerve blockade is any deliberate interruption of signals traveling along a nerve, often for the purpose of pain relief. Local anesthetic nerve block is a short-term block, usually lasting hours or days, involving the injection of an anesthetic, a corticosteroid, and other agents onto or near a nerve. Neurolytic block, the deliberate temporary degeneration of nerve fibers through the application of chemicals, heat, or freezing, produces a block that may persist for weeks, months, or indefinitely. Neurectomy, the cutting through or removal of a nerve or a section of a nerve, usually produces a permanent block. Because neurectomy of a sensory nerve is often followed, months later, by the emergence of new, more intense pain, sensory nerve neurectomy is rarely performed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yoga as therapy</span> Yoga in the use of physical and mental therapy

Yoga as therapy is the use of yoga as exercise, consisting mainly of postures called asanas, as a gentle form of exercise and relaxation applied specifically with the intention of improving health. This form of yoga is widely practised in classes, and may involve meditation, imagery, breath work (pranayama) and calming music as well as postural yoga.

Complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) is a stress-related mental disorder generally occurring in response to complex traumas, i.e., commonly prolonged or repetitive exposures to a series of traumatic events, within which individuals perceive little or no chance to escape.

Proctalgia fugax, a variant of levator ani syndrome, is a severe, episodic pain in the regions of the rectum and anus. It can be caused by cramping of the levator ani muscle, particularly in the pubococcygeal part.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pelvic pain</span> Medical condition

Pelvic pain is pain in the area of the pelvis. Acute pain is more common than chronic pain. If the pain lasts for more than six months, it is deemed to be chronic pelvic pain. It can affect both the male and female pelvis.

Dark therapy is the practice of keeping people in complete darkness for extended periods of time in an attempt to treat psychological conditions. The human body produces the melatonin hormone, which is responsible for supporting the circadian rhythms. Darkness seems to help keep these circadian rhythms stable.

A sympatholytic (sympathoplegic) drug is a medication that opposes the downstream effects of postganglionic nerve firing in effector organs innervated by the sympathetic nervous system (SNS). They are indicated for various functions; for example, they may be used as antihypertensives. They are also used to treat anxiety, such as generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder and PTSD. In some cases, such as with guanfacine, they have also shown to be beneficial in the treatment of ADHD.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lumbar ganglia</span>

The lumbar ganglia are paravertebral ganglia located in the inferior portion of the sympathetic trunk. The lumbar portion of the sympathetic trunk typically has 4 lumbar ganglia. The lumbar splanchnic nerves arise from the ganglia here, and contribute sympathetic efferent fibers to the nearby plexuses. The first two lumbar ganglia have both white and gray rami communicates.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sympathicolysis</span>

Sympathicolysis is a procedure for temporary or long-term elimination of sympathetic innervation. It is used to improve blood circulation in the legs or arms. The sympathetic nervous system causes the balance of the autonomic system to lean towards narrowing of blood vessels, with elimination of its function resulting in vasodilatation. Completely blocked arteries are not opened again, but the collaterals are better supplied with blood.

Interventional pain management or interventional pain medicine is a medical subspecialty defined by the National Uniforms Claims Committee (NUCC) as, " invasive interventions such as the discipline of medicine devoted to the diagnosis and treatment of pain related disorders principally with the application of interventional techniques in managing sub acute, chronic, persistent, and intractable pain, independently or in conjunction with other modalities of treatment". Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) defined interventional techniques as, "minimally invasive procedures including, percutaneous precision needle placement, with placement of drugs in targeted areas or ablation of targeted nerves; and some surgical techniques such as laser or endoscopic diskectomy, intrathecal infusion pumps and spinal cord stimulators, for the diagnosis and management of chronic, persistent or intractable pain". Minimally invasive interventions such as facet joint injections, nerve blocks, neuroaugmentation, vertebroplasty, kyphoplasty, nucleoplasty, endoscopic discectomy, and implantable drug delivery systems are utilized in managing subacute or chronic pain.

PTSD or post-traumatic stress disorder, is a psychiatric disorder characterised by intrusive thoughts and memories, dreams or flashbacks of the event; avoidance of people, places and activities that remind the individual of the event; ongoing negative beliefs about oneself or the world, mood changes and persistent feelings of anger, guilt or fear; alterations in arousal such as increased irritability, angry outbursts, being hypervigilant, or having difficulty with concentration and sleep.

Epigenetics of chronic pain is the study of how epigenetic modifications of genes affect the development and maintenance of chronic pain. Chromatin modifications have been found to affect neural function, such as synaptic plasticity and memory formation, which are important mechanisms of chronic pain. In 2019, 20% of adults dealt with chronic pain. Epigenetics can provide a new perspective on the biological mechanisms and potential treatments of chronic pain.

Brainspotting is a psychotherapy technique that attempts to help people process psychological trauma or other problems via eye movements. Practitioners of this technique use a pointer to direct a client’s eye gaze in order to send signals to the brain to resolve psychological or physical concerns. Brainspotting has not been rigorously studied and has frequently been characterized as a pseudoscience or fringe medicine.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "BBS Radio". BBS Radio. Retrieved Feb 5, 2019.
  2. ↑ "'I don't know if it's a miracle, but it's working for me.' Treatment may help with PTSD". The Sacramento Bee. ISSN   0890-5738 . Retrieved 2019-04-30.
  3. ↑ Kime, Patricia (Nov 19, 2014). "Neck injections a viable treatment for PTSD, researchers say". Military Times. Retrieved Feb 3, 2019.
  4. ↑ Phillips, Michael M. (June 12, 2017). "Can a Single Injection Conquer PTSD? The Army Wants to Find Out". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved Feb 3, 2019.
  5. ↑ "Doctor: PTSD injection can work miracles, but DOD won't fund it". Stars and Stripes. Retrieved 2019-04-30.
  6. ↑ Olmsted, Kristine L. Rae; Bartoszek, Michael; Mulvaney, Sean; McLean, Brian; Turabi, Ali; Young, Ryan; Kim, Eugene; Vandermaas-Peeler, Russ; Morgan, Jessica Kelley; Constantinescu, Octav; Kane, Shawn (2019-11-06). "Effect of Stellate Ganglion Block Treatment on Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms: A Randomized Clinical Trial". JAMA Psychiatry. 77 (2): 130–138. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2019.3474. PMC   6865253 . PMID   31693083.
  7. 1 2 Chicago, Tribune (Apr 3, 2006). "Lipov Obituary - Chicago, IL". Legacy.com. Retrieved Feb 5, 2019.
  8. ↑ "Dr. Sergei G Lipov, MD - Reviews". Vitals. Retrieved Feb 3, 2019.
  9. ↑ Lipov, Eugene. "Eugene G. Lipov, M.D." (PDF). LexVisio. Retrieved Feb 5, 2019.[ dead link ]
  10. ↑ "House Committee on Veteran's Affairs". Roundtable on Innovative Treatments. Retrieved Feb 3, 2019.
  11. ↑ Drummond, Katie (July 19, 2010). "Obama Loves This Freaky PTSD Treatment; the Pentagon, Not So Much". Wired. Retrieved Feb 3, 2019.
  12. ↑ Lipov, Eugene G. (Nov 2013). "Peripheral nerve field stimulation for the management of localized chronic intractable back pain: results from a randomized controlled study". Neuromodulation: Technology at the Neural Interface. 16 (6): 565–575. doi:10.1111/ner.12055. PMID   23577773. S2CID   23807663 – via Google Scholar Citations.
  13. ↑ Mulvaney, Sean W.; Lynch, James H.; Hickey, Matthew J.; Rahman-Rawlins, Tabassum; Schroeder, Matthew; Kane, Shawn; Lipov, Eugene (2014). "Stellate Ganglion Block Used to Treat Symptoms Associated With Combat-Related Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: A Case Series of 166 Patients". Military Medicine. 179 (10): 1133–1140. doi: 10.7205/milmed-d-14-00151 . PMID   25269132.
  14. ↑ Lipov, Eugene G. "University of Illinois at Chicago | UIC · Department of Anesthesiology (Chicago)". Researchgate. Retrieved Feb 3, 2019.
  15. ↑ Lipov, Eugene. "eugene lipov MD". Google Scholar Citations. Retrieved Feb 3, 2019.
  16. 1 2 Lipov, Eugene G. (June 2009). "A unifying theory linking the prolonged efficacy of the stellate ganglion block for the treatment of chronic regional pain syndrome (CRPS), hot flashes, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)". Medical Hypotheses. 72 (6): 657–661. doi:10.1016/j.mehy.2009.01.009. PMID   19237252.
  17. ↑ Lipov, Eugene (2013). "More evidence supporting unified theory of stellate ganglion block". Medical Hypotheses. 81 (1): 146. doi:10.1016/j.mehy.2013.04.018. PMID   23657137 – via Google Scholar Citations.
  18. ↑ Lipov, Eugene G. (Feb 1, 2010). "a Randomized Controlled Feasibility Trial to Evaluate Peripheral Nerve Field Stimulation Using Subcutaneous Placement of Neurostimulation Leads in the Treatment of Localized Chronic Intractable Pain of the Back: 146". Pain Medicine. 11: 146 – via Google Scholar Citations.
  19. ↑ Lipov, Eugene (2011). 'Hybrid neurostimulator': simultaneous use of spinal cord and peripheral nerve field stimulation to treat low back and leg pain. Progress in Neurological Surgery. Vol. 24. pp. 147–155. doi:10.1159/000323047. ISBN   978-3-8055-9489-9. PMID   21422785 – via Google Scholar Citations.{{cite book}}: |journal= ignored (help)
  20. ↑ Fuller, Ruth (Sep 9, 2009). "Doctor pens children's book about heart health, obesity". The Chicago Tribune. Retrieved Feb 3, 2019.
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