Migraine

MIGRAINE

What is causing migraine?

Migraine is considered to be a primary headache disorder, meaning that it is not being caused by a brain tumor, blood vessel abnormalities, infection, etc.  There is a genetic predisposition involved that makes patients susceptible to experience migraine attacks whenever they encounter a trigger.

How does migraine present?

Classical migraine symptoms include moderate to severe, throbbing or pounding pain located in one of the temples, forehead, back of the head, or in the sinuses area. Due to the variability of migraine symptoms, we frequently see patients who had been misdiagnosed with “sinus headaches”. The pain may last for a few hours or sometimes days and is usually associated with sensitivity to light and noise as well as nausea or vomiting. Some patients may experience an aura – a relatively brief episode during which patients may experience visual changes, their vision may get blurry or even double. Patients may also experience numbness or tingling in the face or arm, followed by a headache. It is essential to recognize that migraine presentation varies from patient to patient. 

How is migraine diagnosed?

Diagnosis of a migraine headache is clinical and depends on your history, the symptoms that you experience, and the findings on the physical and neurological examinations.  We frequently perform certain blood tests or order neuroimaging (such as MRI or MRA of the brain) to make sure that we are not missing something, yet the diagnosis remains a clinical one, based on the specific clinical presentation. 

That is why we spend time asking you questions, listening to your story, and examining you to better understand your symptoms and arrive at the correct diagnosis.

How is migraine treated?

Migraine treatment is a multilayered process.  Multiple treatment options are available and may help not only to abort or stop an ongoing migraine attack (acute therapy) but also to reduce migraine/headache frequency overall (prophylactic therapy). 

As part of the prophylactic regimen, we may recommend patients adjust their diet and introduce specific vitamins and herbal supplements. We may recommend biofeedback or refer you to a physical therapist or acupuncturist. We may suggest Botox treatment or introduce a novel class of medications -  CGRP monoclonal antibodies (Aimovig, Emgality, Ajovy, or Vyepti). Alternatively, we may suggest patients start taking traditional oral prophylactic medications that we have been using for a couple of decades.

As part of acute therapy, we suggest patients use migraine-specific abortive medication such as triptans, ergotamine-containing medications, certain NSAIDs as well as recently introduced new classes of medications: gepants (Ubrelvy, Nurtec) and ditans (Reyvow).

Some patients may benefit from interventional approaches (trigger point injections, SPG, and other nerve blocks, etc.).

There is no universal “one size fits all” approach in migraine therapy.  At Synergy Integrative Headache Center, we strongly believe in an individualized and comprehensive approach to migraine management.

We offer our in-person and telemedicine services to all patients in the greater Chicago area and throughout the state of Illinois as well as to patients from all 50 states and those who live abroad!