If you’ve had a migraine, you know firsthand how painful and debilitating they can be. Common signs of migraine include:
If you live with any of these symptoms for 15 or more days each month, your migraine condition is considered chronic. The good news is Vladimir Fiks, MD, of Advanced Pain Management Center in Portland, Oregon, can provide relief, even if you haven’t found results with other treatments, also serving the surrounding areas of Aloha, Hillsboro, Beaverton, Tigart & Lake Oswego.
Dr. Fiks specializes in interventional pain management techniques, and one highly effective injection therapy he offers for chronic migraines involves Botox. If you have these chronic headaches, here’s how Botox could help.
It may be confusing to think of a wrinkle treatment as a solution for headache pain. However, this medication actually causes two important responses in the treatment site, which makes it a highly effective solution for chronic migraines.
You may know that Botox temporarily paralyzes and relaxes muscles in the face, making wrinkles disappear. However, it does far more. Botox also blocks nerve endings from releasing the chemicals that play a role in pain transmission to the brain. This unique effect on the nerves makes Botox a potent option in preventing migraine pain.
In most cases, Dr. Fiks administers around 30 tiny doses of Botox to specific areas of your body, such as your:
This may sound like a lot of shots, but the needle is very small, and the process is practically painless. It’s also well-tolerated, though it can cause some stiffness, neck pain, temporary muscle weakness in the neck and shoulders, and headache pain. However, these symptoms usually fade within a few days.
Botox sessions for chronic headaches usually take 10-15 minutes, and one treatment typically lasts 10-12 weeks. The treatment works to reduce the frequency of migraines, and patients usually experience fewer and fewer headaches the longer they undergo treatment.
It can take up to six months to experience maximum results, but it’s common for people undergoing ongoing Botox therapy for migraines to see a 50% reduction in the number of headaches they experience each month. Furthermore, treatments usually continue to be well-tolerated after three years.
Do you have chronic headaches? Botox injections may be able to help you. To learn more, call 503-405-8718 or book an appointment online with Advanced Pain Management Center today.
