Linda Grubb, who has
suffered from chronic
pain since having a
stroke, celebrates fin-
ishing a so-called zero
K, a race of less than
50 feet, on the patio of
Buckeye Lake Brewery
near Columbus, Ohio.
Grubb was treated at
the Cleveland Clinic
with deep brain stimu-
lation by neurosurgeon
Andre Machado. She
said it didn’t cure her
pain but did help her
get off the couch and
resume many activities.
“It’s not like I’m jump-
ing rope now,” she said,
“but I’m going lots more
places.” Machado said
other patients who
were treated reported
similar improvement
in their sense of well-
being. In the procedure,
two microelectrodes
were implanted in
Grubb’s brain (above)
and electrical pulses
sent to areas that
process the emotional
component of pain.
RIGHT: DAVID GUTTENFELDER; ABOVE:
STEPHEN JONES, CLEVELAND CLINIC,
COMPOSITE OF CT AND MRI SCANS
66 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC