Radical Migraine Treatment

Migraines are chronic headaches, lasting from a few hours to a few days. The root causes of migraines aren't fully understood, and many traditional treatments have little to no effect in some sufferers. As the causes of migraines come under greater scrutiny, radical new procedures show encouraging results.

History

• People have been suffering from migraines for centuries. In fact, according to historian Paul Duxbury, migraines are among the oldest diseases known to mankind. In 460 BC, Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, described a shining light in one eye followed by severe pain that started in the temples and worked its way to encompass the rest of the head. Duxbury insists that Hippocrates was describing a migraine.

Symptoms

• According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, symptoms of migraine include moderate to severe pain, often on just one side of the head; pain that increases with physical activity; nausea; visual aura; and sensitivity to light and sound.

Causes

• Until recently, migraines were thought to be a result of vascular (blood vessel) abnormalities, but recent research suggests the real problem could be in the central nervous system, according to the Mayo Clinic. The central nervous system regulates the vascular system, along with a variety of other systems and structures in the body.

Treatments

• Traditional treatments for migraines include: nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), triptans and opiates; but as experts learn more about the neurological causes of migraines, new treatments are being developed. Botox shots are one of the more radical treatments to relieve migraine pain. According to a recent study from the University of California, San Francisco, 75 percent of the patients followed experienced four to six months of pain relief following Botox injections to the muscles of the face and head. Surgery is another controversial and radical migraine treatment. According to a report on CNN.com, facial surgery to remove muscles that triggers migraines can offer permanent migraine relief for some patients. Bahman Guyuron, M.D., chair of the department of plastic surgery at the University Hospitals of Cleveland and Case Western Reserve University says, "Other migraine treatments either temporarily prevent the symptoms or they may reduce the symptoms after the migraine headaches start. What we are offering is essentially a cure."

Considerations

• Some of the doctors and professors involved in the surgical migraine studies were consultants for Allergan or have been paid speakers for other pharmaceutical companies.