Suffering From Chronic Migraine Pain? Here's How Botox Can Help
Dr. Nichelle C. Renk is a board-certified and fellowship-trained anesthesiologist and pain medicine specialist practicing in Anchorage, AK at the Algone Interventional Pain Clinic. Dr. Renk performs a thorough evaluation of a patient's symptoms, imaging, and physical exam to create an individualized plan for the patient.... more
Migraine headaches are more common than you might realize, affecting about 12% of Americans. When you have a migraine, disabling symptoms like pain, light and sound sensitivity, nausea, and aura often become overwhelming.
If you have at least 15 migraine days a month, your condition qualifies as chronic.
Turn to Dr. Nichelle Renk and her team of interventional pain management specialists for migraine management and support. Dr. Renk provides expert treatment for migraines from her office at Alpenglow Pain & Wellness in Anchorage, Alaska.
If headache days are interfering with your ability to live a full life, and other treatments haven’t worked for you, you should know about the promise of Botox® injections for chronic migraines, available to you through Alpenglow Pain & Wellness.
With Botox, you may be able to prevent migraines, significantly reducing your number of migraine days each month.
Addressing your migraine symptoms
Migraine symptoms can be complex, as well as difficult to live with. Your brain stem, and a major nerve pathway in your face and neck known as the trigeminal nerve, may play a role in your migraine symptoms.
No two people have the exact same symptoms, but common effects of chronic migraines include:
Before the onset of a migraine, many people notice warning signs like vision changes or tingling sensations on one side of the face, or in an arm or leg.
The benefits of Botox for migraines
While Botox is most known for its cosmetic uses, Botox injections are a proven treatment for chronic migraines. Botox has been FDA-approved for chronic migraine treatment in adults aged 18 and older since 2010. Botox treatment typically works best for patients who have more frequent chronic headaches.
Botox treatment is derived from botulinum toxin. Injected in small, safe doses, Botox reduces muscle contractions in targeted areas for about three months at a time.
Dr. Renk uses Botox injections to address the nerve fibers that are connected to your migraines, blocking pain transmission chemicals from reaching your brain.
Your Botox treatment session takes less than half an hour. Injections aren’t significantly painful. Treatment typically involves a series of injections to targeted areas of your head and neck. You may experience some soreness in your neck after treatment that can be addressed with an ice pack.
Botox works as a preventive treatment for migraines, but it takes some time to reach full effect. Each injection treatment session provides results lasting for 10-12 weeks.
After two Botox treatment sessions, the frequency of your headache days could be reduced by half. You may need as long as six months for maximum anti-migraine benefits.
Putting together your migraine management plan
Work with Dr. Renk to create your custom migraine management plan. That could include:
- Preventive Botox injections
- Lifestyle changes to avoid triggers
- Physical therapy
- Alternative medicine
If needed, your provider at Alpenglow Pain & Wellness can also prescribe anti-inflammatory and preventive medications for your chronic migraines.
You don’t need to discontinue medications as part of Botox therapy for your chronic migraines.
For the migraine management support you need, contact Dr. Renk at Alpenglow Pain & Wellness today. Schedule your initial consultation appointment online or over the phone now.
