Migraines are never pleasant. If you get them regularly, the situation can be nightmarish.
If you experience headaches 15 or more days a month, you have what’s medically defined as chronic migraines. Fortunately, the right treatment can help you break that cycle, preventing your migraines from recurring or at least lessening their severity.
Dr. Jonathan Carlson specializes in treating migraines. Even if your persistent head pain hasn’t tipped into chronic territory, don’t wait to visit him at Hawai’i Pain & Spine on the Windward side of O’ahu in Kailua, Hawai’i.
He and our team work to help you get relief from your recurring migraines. Usually, that means pulling treatment from a combination of categories:
Migraines have triggers. Learning yours and avoiding them helps you break the cycle of recurring headaches. Common triggers you can control include:
Dr. Carlson and our team work with you to identify your triggers. Then, we help you develop a plan to avoid them.
Sometimes, lifestyle changes alone alleviate the persistent head pain. If you still get migraines, Dr. Carlson explores medication with you.
Options that soothe migraines for some people include:
Clearly, you have a lot of choices here. Dr. Carlson helps you identify which medication might offer the most relief based on your specific migraine symptoms and triggers.
As people got Botox® for cosmetic reasons, a trend emerged: Those folks reported fewer headaches. From there, researchers learned how to use Botox injections to address migraine symptoms.
Specifically, they think that Botox interrupts the neurotransmitters that send pain signals to your brain. The FDA cleared Botox for chronic migraines in 2010.
The actual injection process only takes about 15 minutes. Most people report that each Botox injection feels like a quick pinch.
People usually need a few rounds of Botox to see optimal results. If Botox works for your migraines, each session tends to bring an increased measure of relief lasting about three months.
You have many options for breaking the cycle of persistent migraines. To work with Dr. Carlson on a personalized treatment plan, call our office today to schedule your appointment.
