How To Use Botox To Treat Migraines & Chronic Headaches
You’ll never truly understand migraines unless you’ve had one yourself. It’s so much more than just a ‘bad headache.’ Our founder Dr. Dheshnie knows this from experience.
Already an accomplished, board-certified anesthesiologist, Dr. Dheshnie first began researching Botox because she was eager to find relief from her own migraines.
Several years later and thanks to regular Botox injections, Dr. Dheshnie has her migraines under control. Discovering a new passion, she now incorporates both pain management and cosmetic treatments into our clinical practice.
We’ll explain exactly how Dr. Dheshnie uses Botox injections to treat migraines below. But first, let’s cover the basics of migraines themselves.
Understanding Migraines
To reiterate: a migraine is not simply a bad headache, and it usually can’t be treated with over the counter medication alone. In fact, overusing OTC pain medication can actually lead to more headaches.
Instead, migraine is a common, neurological condition that is characterized by severe, debilitating headaches, often on one side of the head. Other common symptoms include nausea, vomiting, dizziness, increased sensitivity to light and sound, and irritability. Migraines can last for hours or days, often disrupting your daily life.
Migraines can affect people of all ages, and they run in families. The condition affects more women than men, often tied to hormonal changes surrounding menstruation, pregnancy and menopause.
If you suffer from chronic headaches or migraines, some standard tips for preventing and treating them include:
- Rest in a dark room
- Drink a small amount of caffeine
- Be consistent with meals
- Avoid triggers, paying special attention to trigger foods
- Get regular exercise
If, as was the case for Dr. Dheshnie, living a healthy lifestyle and watching triggers does not provide real relief, then you may want to consider injectables to treat your migraines and chronic headaches.
How To Use Botox To Treat Migraines in Vancouver
As a Master Injector, Dr. Dheshnie is passionate about using a holistic approach to treating chronic pain. In our Vancouver clinic, she regularly treats patients for migraine headaches using Botox injections.
You’re probably familiar with Botox, but you may not be aware that it can be a powerful painful reliever, too. It works by blocking the neurotransmitters that carry pain signals from your brain, thereby reducing symptoms of migraines including pain, nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light, sound and smells.
A Botox treatment for migraines typically lasts 3 months. As you continue with treatment, you may find you need it less and less frequently.
In fact, Dr. Dheshnie remembers that after using Botox for awhile, she forgot to get one of her regular treatments. It took her 9 months to realize she’d forgotten – because that’s how long it took her to have another migraine.
She also reports that this migraine was much less severe than ones she’d suffered pre-treatment, which is a common experience for many patients.
Of course, results vary depending on the patient. Sometimes, patients stop experiencing migraines with treatment. Many other patients will enjoy a reduction in the severity or frequency of migraines, or both. It normally takes about 2 weeks after treatment to see a difference.
Why endure the pain of migraines when there’s such a simple solution? We offer Botox injections at our clinic in Vancouver that can help you get rid of your migraines for good.
Medical Coverage For Botox Injections in British Columbia
Migraines are a serious, often underdiagnosed medical condition that require medical attention. If you are experiencing migraines, you should speak to your family doctor.
Start a journal of your symptoms before your appointment, so that you can more clearly illustrate your condition to your doctor. Your doctor will likely ask you to keep taking track of your migraines, to help determine your best treatment plan.
If you have 15 or more migraine headaches in a month, then MSP in British Columbia will cover your Botox injections. A complete Botox treatment for migraines covers injections to the front and back of the head, as well as the neck.
If you do not qualify for MSP coverage, and if you also cannot afford a full treatment, don’t worry. There are still affordable treatment options for you.
Specifically, a regular Botox injection in your forehead can be a cost-effective treatment, as it also dovetails as a cosmetic treatment as well. In fact, it was these types of cosmetic treatments that lead to the discovery that Botox could work for migraines in the first place.
And because Dr. Dheshnie brings an artistic, careful eye to her work, the result is beautiful and natural-looking. To learn more about the cosmetic uses and benefits of Botox, please see here.
Migraines and cluster headaches are just some of the chronic pain we treat at our clinic. If you are interested in non-surgical treatments for chronic pain associated with fibromyalgia, arthritis, spinal conditions or joint or ligament injuries, please see here.
If you are in the Vancouver area and are ready to take the next step in your migraine treatment, please contact us for more information.