Migraine Specialist

What is a migraine?

Often confused with regular headaches, migraines, in fact, are neurological conditions that cause several incapacitating symptoms, including:

• A throbbing, pulsing headache
• Sensitivity to light, sound, and smell
• Blurred vision
• Auras
• Nausea and vomiting

If you suffer from migraines, you may experience some or all of these symptoms.

What causes migraines?

Medical researchers and physicians are still studying migraines, and their causes aren’t fully understood. Currently, physicians know that abnormal brain activity that affects your brain chemistry and neural pathways causes migraines, but the origins of this unusual activity are still being identified and studied. Research indicates that your trigeminal nerve is partly responsible for migraines.

Everyone is different, but some of the potential migraine triggers include:

• Hormone fluctuations
• Caffeine withdrawal
• Alcohol
• Disrupted sleep patterns
• Stress and anxiety
• Loud noises or bright lights
• Certain foods such as chocolate, dairy, and peanuts
• Food chemicals such as monosodium glutamate (MSG) and tyramine

Learning your triggers is a critical part of migraine treatment to help you limit or avoid migraine attacks.

How are migraines treated?

The pain management experts at International Spine Pain & Performance Center begin your treatment with a comprehensive consultation and diagnostic testing. They develop an understanding of your condition and symptoms so they can offer highly personalized therapies.

In most cases, your physician begins with conservative treatments such as medication to either soothe or prevent migraines. They may also evaluate your diet and exercise habits and suggest modifications to reduce your migraine risk. For example, if your diagnosis reveals that dairy products trigger your migraines, your doctor can help you cut dairy from your diet and find dairy substitutes.

Your doctor may also suggest nerve blocks, spinal cord stimulation, or radiofrequency ablation treatments to close the nerve pathways that send pain signals and other migraine symptoms. Electrical impulse therapies and nerve blocks may be recommended if a medication causes intolerable side effects.

If you suffer from chronic migraines that disrupt your life, you don’t have to accept living with them any longer. Call International Spine Pain & Performance Center or schedule an appointment online today for expert diagnosis and customized treatments to reduce or eliminate your migraines.