The Orofacial Pain Center
Phone: 773.873.OFPC
Migraine Therapy
Do You Really Have A Migraine?
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Many times, people complain that they have migraines. However, many people don't realize that not all headaches are actually migraines.
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So, what exactly is a migraine? Migraines are intense headaches that cause pain (sometimes severe and debilitating), light and/or sound sensitivity, and nausea and/or vomiting.
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Conventional Migraine Therapy
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Primary care physicians or neurologists usually diagnose and treat migraines. Common migraine treatment options include a variety of medications, including over-the-counter drugs containing aspirin, acetaminophen and caffeine, antidepressant or anticonvulsant medications. These medications aim to minimize or to eliminate migraine symptoms to allow you to return to your daily routine.
If you are interested in alternative treatment options for migraine relief, or if your current medications are no longer working, please continue reading about the therapies that we offer. We can work with you to find effective ways to avoid spending your evening in the emergency room.
Non-Invasive, Non-Medicated Migraine Therapies
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Identifying Your Triggers
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The first step in preventing a migraine is to identify specific triggers that can contribute to your migraines and to find ways to avoid these triggers. We can teach you how to identify and to manage your migraine triggers. Headache diaries (noting the duration of each attack, number of headache days per month, associated symptoms and dietary/environmental triggers) can be helpful for identifying individual triggers.
Some examples of ways to avoid common triggers include:
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Avoiding processed foods
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Getting 6-8 hours of uninterrupted sleep each night
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Going to bed at consistent times each night
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Limiting daily caffeine intake
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Exercising daily
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Staying well hydrated
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gammaCore™ Non-Invasive Vagus Nerve Stimulation
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gammaCore™ is a FDA-approved handheld non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation device used to self-administer treatment at the first sign of a migraine or cluster headache. It can also be used on a daily basis to prevent migraine or cluster headaches and is available by prescription only.
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TX360® SPG (Sphenopalatine Ganglion) Nerve Block
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The Tx360® is a FDA-approved medical device for administering the SPG (sphenopalatine ganglion) nerve block. The Tx360® is designed to administer tiny amounts of fluids (typically anesthetic) via a thin catheter inside the nose. The fluid temporarily numbs the SPG, which is a nerve relay center linked to the trigeminal nerve (involved in many headache and facial pain disorders). The Tx360® offers an effective, non-invasive, pain-free and mostly drug-free (technically anesthetic is a drug) way to treat and to prevent migraines, as well as many other facial pains.
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