Muting migraines with BOTOX®

42-15530351They’re a pain in the neck – and head – literally. Those who suffer from migraine headaches report problems ranging from blurred vision and nausea to light sensitivity and debilitating head and neck pain. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, more than 37 million people suffer from migraines, and more than 11 million suffer moderate to severe disability due to migraines.

SIU’s plastic surgeon Dr. Nicole Sommer is using BOTOX® as a diagnostic tool to help patients who suffer from migraines. By injecting the offending muscle with BOTOX®, it becomes paralyzed and unable to compress the nerves causing the headaches. BOTOX® has been reported to provide benefit to patients for up to six months and may cause fewer side effects than many of the standard medications used to treat migraines.

BOTOX® to surgery

“If it works well for the migraine pain, in the specific area that’s a problem, there’s an 80-90% chance that nerve decompression surgery will successfully eliminate the migraines.” Dr. Sommer says.

Once the surgeon determines the specific trigger point of the pain, migraine surgery is usually performed on an outpatient basis with the patient under sedation and/or general anesthesia. Dr. Sommer is the only surgeon in Springfield offering this life-changing surgery.

The surgical technique varies depending on the trigger point. A nerve may be removed or in other cases, a small portion of muscle pinching a cranial nerve may be removed. The positive effects of the surgery are usually permanent.

The FDA has approved the use of BOTOX® to help those who suffer from the pain of certain migraine headaches, but it is reserved for those with severe cases. To qualify for BOTOX® injections for migraines, patients must

  • suffer from debilitating migraines at least 15 days a month
  • keep a diary of all symptoms
  • have migraines documented by their physician

Visit SIU’s migraine clinic online at siumed.edu/surgery/plastics/migraine-history.html

Read more about the medical uses of BOTOX® for pain and to read some of SIU’s patient success stories. siumed.edu/pubs/aspects/37-1/feature1.html

-rb