Chronic and recurring headaches and migraines cause distress to millions of people every year. Board-certified pain specialist Nikhil Verma, MD, of Essential Sports and Spine Solutions, understands the pain and inconvenience of these headaches and works with you to find the best solution.
Dr. Verma offers treatments such as non-opioid medication management, medical Botox® injections, and nerve blocks to help relieve and prevent headaches and migraines. Contact the Essential Sports and Spine Solutions office in Columbus or Marion, Ohio, to find relief from your headaches. Call the nearest office or request an appointment online today.
Headaches FAQs
Headaches occur when nerves in your head transmit pain messages to your brain. The reasons why this might happen are often clear, for example, hitting your head. Headaches are also a symptom of numerous common conditions, from sinusitis and colds to allergies and fevers, as well as chronic disorders like fibromyalgia.
Other common reasons for developing a headache include stress, which makes the muscles in your head and neck too tense, insufficient or poor-quality sleep, and dehydration. Conditions that affect the main nerves in your head and face, like occipital neuralgia and trigeminal neuralgia, can also cause severe pain. However, many types of headaches develop for no identifiable reason.
There are many different types of headaches, over 150 altogether. Examples include:
- Cluster headaches
- Ice pick headaches
- Chronic daily headaches
- Hormone headaches
- Rebound headaches
- Spinal headaches
- Thunderclap headaches
- Cervicogenic headaches
- Migraine headaches
One of the most well-known types of headache is a migraine. Migraines cause pain of such intensity that you may be unable to move or think clearly for hours and sometimes days. A migraine attack can make you feel nauseous and vomit, get severely fatigued, have blurred vision, and develop a sensitivity to light or other stimuli.
Visual disturbances like seeing shapes or spots before your eyes, which is known as an aura, are also a problem for some people before and/or during a migraine. Many people get recurring migraines, some as often as eight a month or more, while others can go years between attacks.
The treatment you need for your headache might vary depending on the type of headache, its source, and its severity. If over-the-counter medications aren’t easing your pain, Dr. Verma offers effective alternatives at Essential Sports and Spine Solutions that could help, such as:
- Muscle relaxant medication
- Blood pressure medicine
- Tricyclic antidepressants
- Anti-seizure medications
- Triptans
- Ergotamine and caffeine
- Anti-nausea medicine
- Glucocorticoids
- Beta-blockers
- Calcium channel blockers
- ACE (angiotensin-converting enzyme) inhibitors
- Trigger point injections
- Botox injections
One of the most effective therapies for patients who are getting a lot of migraines a month (15 headaches, of which at least eight are migraines) is injections of medical Botox®. Dr. Verma uses Botox to reduce the likelihood of a migraine developing, while other treatments help make migraines less intense if they do occur.
You can also do a lot to help yourself; for example, learning relaxation techniques can relieve stress and enable you to avoid tension headaches. Identifying anything that triggers your headaches or migraines and avoiding them is also vital.
As with most health problems, eating a nutritious diet, getting plenty of exercise, avoiding alcohol and caffeine, and getting enough good quality sleep can have a significant impact on your risk of getting headaches. Dr. Verma also specializes in easing migraines and other headaches by treating underlying neck disorders.
If you’re having problems with migraines or other recurring headaches, call Essential Sports and Spine Solutions or request an appointment online today.