The Facts About Migraines
If you suffer from migraines, you’ll know that the condition can be debilitating and can have a negative impact on your quality of life.
Often associated with intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and even nausea, migraines are an unpleasant and painful condition to have to endure.
Fortunately, there are ways to treat recurring migraines. At Ashbury Cosmetics, we make use of strategically placed muscle relaxant injections to ease pain and control migraines and headaches.
Here’s what you should know about migraines, some of the most common warning signs and symptoms, what factors can trigger the condition, and how we can help you manage the pain …
What is a migraine, exactly?
A migraine is a kind of neurological condition often characterised by very intense headaches. Although symptoms vary according to the type of migraine, many people experience warning signs before the actual headache occurs. Some warning signs include fatigue, a stiff neck, visual disturbances, and feelings of confusion or irritability. These warning signs are followed by what is known as the attack phase, in which the migraine itself occurs.
What are the symptoms?
Symptoms of a migraine differ from person to person, although some common symptoms include sensitivity to light and sound, nausea, dizziness, intense head pain, excessive sweating, and even vomiting. For many people, experiencing a migraine can make them physically sick and unable to tolerate any movement. The pain is generally described as throbbing and pulsating, although it can also feel like a dull ache for an extended period of time. The pain associated with a migraine most commonly affects the forehead and usually occurs on one side of the head. It can, however, occur on both sides of the head, or shift from one side to the other during the course of a migraine.
What causes migraines?
No one cause has been identified, but there are a number of factors that can trigger a migraine. These include changes in brain chemicals like serotonin, bright lights, extreme heat, dehydration, hormonal changes, stress, intense exercise, certain medications, alcohol, and smoking. Certain foods may also trigger the condition — these include caffeine, artificial sweeteners, chocolate, aged cheeses, and pickled and salty foods. There is some evidence to suggest that foods containing monosodium glutamate (MSG) and other preservatives may also trigger migraines in some people.
How can we help?
At Ashbury Cosmetics, we offer injections to provide pain relief from migraines, which are often very useful for individuals who are not responding to other medications. The injected formula works by decreasing or stopping information that one nerve passes to another nerve, muscle, ligament, bone or skin receptor in the central nervous system. This means that muscle activity is temporarily paralysed and nerve signals to certain muscles are blocked.
The treatment is an effective option for treating various kinds of migraines, as well as cluster and tension-type headaches. If you suffer from chronic headaches, we recommend that you come in for a treatment every 12 weeks or so as a form of preventative therapy. The effect of the treatment typically provides relief for weeks or even months.
What does the treatment involve?
If you come in for treatment by way of targeted injections, you can expect multiple doses to 7 key areas of the neck with the use of very fine needles. The areas of treatment include the temples, forehead, neck, upper back, back of the head, and bridge of the nose. While it’s quite normal to experience some mild discomfort when the injections are administered, side effects from the treatment (such as pain, rash and nausea) are rare.
If you’re interested in a migraine treatment, please get in touch to arrange a consultation with our friendly and experienced doctors. At your consultation, your doctor will determine if this treatment is the best course of action for your particular needs.
Our team includes three doctors—Dr James Chen, Dr Pearl Fitzgerald, and Dr Robert Boyle—all of whom are highly experienced medical professionals. To find out more about each of our doctors, have a look here.
If you have a question about any of the treatments we have on offer, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. We love hearing from you!