North Carolina residents are faced with humid summer weather which can cause some people to experience migraines due to changes in barometric pressure.
Migraines are moderate to severe headaches classically characterized by throbbing pain on one side of the head, nausea, and/or sensitivity to light and sound. Those who suffer from migraines may modify their lifestyle by avoiding dietary triggers, reducing caffeine or nicotine consumption, or improving sleep hygiene. Those with frequent migraines may take preventive medications. Fortunately, there may be one more preventive step you can take: receiving medical Botox.
"Botox injections for migraines involves injecting clostridium botulinum into the head and neck muscles with a fine needle," explains Dr. Kristyn M. Pocock, a neurologist at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. "This procedure can alleviate migraine pain by blocking the nerve signals responsible for transmitting pain to the brain and relaxing pericranial muscles, which can ultimately reduce migraine frequency.”
To experience ongoing migraine relief, you will need to receive Botox every 12 weeks. You may need to undergo multiple sessions before you notice improvement.
“Cosmetic Botox is administered differently than Medical Botox,” cautions Dr. Pocock, who is a part of the Comprehensive Headache Program at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist. “Medical Botox is FDA-approved specifically for treating several conditions, including chronic migraines. A neurologist or headache specialist is best suited to administer Botox for chronic migraines as they are well versed in migraine treatment options and are trained in the exact Botox injection protocol for chronic migraines, called the PREEMPT protocol.”
Another difference is that medical Botox often uses more units of clostridium botulinum per injection (a total of 155 units for chronic migraine) whereas cosmetic Botox requires less units to address fine lines and wrinkles (less than 50 units).
Botox for migraines may be right for you if:
- You are at least 18 years old
- Other migraine treatments have been unsuccessful
- You have 15 or more headache days per month with 8 days or more being migraines
Discuss with your neurologist whether you may benefit from medical Botox.