How Botox® Can Treat Your Headaches

Did you know over 38 million American adults struggle with migraines? If you’re one of them, you know how terrible migraine headaches can be.

Even though millions of people get migraines, effective treatment isn’t always straightforward. We understand the frustration, since migraine headaches affect your quality of life.

At Integrated Spine & Pain Care, with offices in Farmingdale and Deer Park on Long Island, New York, Dr. Mikael Sarij and our team understand. We specialize in helping patients manage chronic pain, including the pain triggered by migraines.

Dr. Sarij offers personalized migraine pain management with the latest treatments available. One effective treatment is Botox® injections. Keep reading to learn how Botox can help and whether you’re a candidate.

How does Botox help headaches?

The goal of Botox for migraines is to reduce how many headaches you get. On average, after two Botox treatments, patients report a 50% drop in the number of days they get migraine headaches.

Scientists created Botox injections from a neurotoxin called botulinum toxin A. Neurotoxins affect communication between your nerves and brain.

At Integrated Spine & Pain Care, we inject Botox into nerves and muscles in your neck and head. Botox then enters your nerve endings. It blocks pain signals to your brain. This helps stop migraine pain before it starts.

How long does it take to get headache relief?

It takes less than 30 minutes for Dr. Sarij to inject Botox into the targeted treatment sites. Most patients say they notice fewer headaches about four weeks after their first Botox treatment. But everyone is different, so you may notice results sooner or later than this.

You also need to be patient with Botox for migraines. It takes time to establish your personal frequency for injections. Different people need different spacing between injections for effective and lasting relief.

At Integrated Spine & Pain Care, we generally recommend spacing initial Botox treatments about 10-12 weeks apart. This helps us gauge how well Botox works for you and what schedule might work best.

Am I a candidate for Botox for headaches?

Just because you get migraine headaches doesn’t mean you’re a candidate for Botox treatments. At Integrated Spine & Pain Care, we evaluate your medical history and symptoms to determine the best treatment for your needs.

As we mentioned, everyone is different, but in general, the best candidates for Botox for migraine:

• Have a history of migraines
• Experience at least 15 headache days per month, eight of which are migraine days
• Have migraine headaches that last at least four hours

You don’t need to meet these guidelines exactly to qualify for Botox for migraine. But the treatment works best for people with at least 15 headache days each month and a history of migraine.

If you aren’t a Botox candidate, we at Integrated Spine & Pain Care team can help you find lasting relief with different treatments. These migraine treatments may include but aren’t limited to:

• Medications
• Lifestyle changes
• Behavioral therapy

If you’re ready to stop migraine pain and want to know if Botox is right for you, schedule an appointment online or over the phone at the New York office nearest you.