Migraines Q & A

A migraine is throbbing headache that is more serious than a normal headache. It’s a neurological disease that can cause debilitating pain and can be so severe that it interferes with your daily activities. A migraine can be accompanied by nausea, vomiting and sensitivity to light and sound

What are migraines?

A migraine is a primarily a headache. About 12% of Americans have this neurological disease. Much about migraines are still not fully understood. Patients typically suffering with 15 or more severe headaches per month and lasts 4 hours or more can classify this condition as a migraine. This frequency is different than someone living with a once in a while or episodic, severe headache.

What causes migraines?

Although what causes a migraine is still not fully understood, it is believed that people have more sensitivity to their surrounding than others who do not. Triggers for migraines can include stress, bright lights, certain smells, medications or lack of sleep. Symptoms of a migraine includes a throbbing and pulsing headache typically on side of your head or sensitivity to light and sound. At Racz Pain Centers, we complete a thorough diagnosis based on family history, daily routine and migraine experience to develop a treatment plan.

What treatments are there for migraines?

At Racz Pain Centers, we take a multidisciplinary medical perspective for your treatment options. Treatment options can include massage, physical therapy, and medication management. If needed, we’ll also look at nerve blocks, steroid injection and implantation devices to block the plan. Each patient is different and Dr. Racz works closely with his patient to develop a personalized treatment plan to fight this neurological disease.

Botox

Although it’s not clear exactly how it works, Botox seems to act by interfering with the chemical messages in your brain that carry pain signals.

If you regularly get 15 or more migraines every month, then Botox could help. About every three months, your provider at Racz Pain Center injects a series of doses into the:

• Bridge of the nose
• Temples
• Forehead
• Back of the head
• Back of the neck
• Upper back

It can take 10 to 14 days for the Botox to take effect, but for many patients, the injections significantly reduce the intensity of their migraines when the next attack takes place.

Sphenopalatine ganglion block

The sphenopalatine ganglion (SPG) is a bundle of nerves connected to the trigeminal nerve, which has close links to headaches and migraines. A sphenopalatine ganglion block is an injection of local anesthetic with a neurolytic agent to relieve migraine pain.

If you need help managing migraines, call Dr. Racz today, or book an appointment online.