Flyers Simon Gagne gets headace relief

CHERRY HILL, N.J.; May 14, 2008

All this season, Flyers forward Simon Gagne has been in & out of the lineup with concussions.

A few weeks after his last one in february, the concussion symptoms went away, but he was left with severe headaches.

Gagne told Action News, "I could take Tylenol every 4 hours, and nothing was getting better."

That's when Gagne saw our special report on prolotherapy.

It uses injections of an anesthetic solution to reduce inflammation and jump-start healing in injured tendons and ligaments. It helped a South Jersey woman suffering chronic migraines.

He said, "I watched that and said - that's a little bit like what I have."

Gagne and his trainer looked into it, and decide to give it a try.

Dr. Scott Greenberg says when he first saw the player, he had trouble in his neck, back, hips, and even his jaw. The joints, and the tissue around them, were damaged and misaligned.

"His neck problem were causing difficulty with balance and coordination and his movement."

Dr. Greenberg says it was all due to 2 decades of wear and tear from. The doctor knows first-hand, as he is a long-time amateur player. "Playing hockey is similar to having repeated car accidents, and whiplashes and back injuries, over and over again. It's a brutal sport, but that's why we love it."

Gagne winces as the needles go in, particularly around the jaw. But now, relief.

"It's been a good 3 weeks and no headaches. It's making a big difference," he says with a smile.

Dr. Greenberg says Gagne should be good-as-new by the time next season rolls around. "These things are going to be fixed, so they really will be good as new, as if he didn't have any injury there."

Gagne says being in pain, and not able to play, especially during the playoffs, has been the toughest time of his career.

But he's rid of his headaches, and now getting fit.

He told Action News, "I think it's going to pay off next year."

And he saluted his teammates, "Last year, we were dead last, the worst team in the league, and going from the last place to the conference final, it's a big plus."