Restoring a Sense of Peace

Migraines affect more than thirty-five million people in America and cause significant morbidity, leading to work and home life interference. Despite the availability of various medical treatments, some patients cannot achieve complete relief. In these patients, Botox treatment or surgery can be a life-altering alternative. Some migraines are caused by pressure points or areas of irritation corresponding to sensory nerves within the head and neck. Alleviation of this pressure through muscle relaxation via Botox or surgical decompression can resolve or improve migraine symptoms.

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Is Migraine Treatment Right for Me?

Usually, patients will choose treatment with Botox or surgery due to intolerance to medication side effects and incomplete or lack of response after a medication trial.

The best candidates are people who meet the following criteria:

  • You’ve seen a neurologist, headache specialist, or primary care provider to evaluate your headaches. Not all headaches are migraines; a thorough history and physical exam are needed to determine the cause and type.
  • You’ve tried medications for the treatment of migraine.
  • You are generally healthy.
  • You have physical exam findings that correlate with one or more trigger sites.

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Migraine Treatment FAQ

Who gets migraines?

What causes migraines?

What are the potential complications of treatment?

Who gets migraines?

Anyone can have symptoms of a migraine headache. Approximately thirteen percent of Americans will experience symptoms of a migraine. Migraines occur about three times more commonly in women than men.

What causes migraines?

The exact cause of migraine headaches is still unknown but thought to be multifactorial and partly hereditary. Some potential triggers include stress, hormones, certain foods, alcohol, and weather.

What are the potential complications of treatment?

One complication is that the migraines may persist. The vast majority of patients will experience complete resolution or significant improvement, but some may not get better. This situation may be due to scar formation after surgery, a second trigger site, or an unknown or unrelated cause of the migraine. There may be a period of numbness followed by a tingling sensation in the weeks following the surgery. This symptom is usually temporary and resolves over weeks to months.

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Your Initial Consultation

There are various causes of migraines; therefore, it is necessary to see a specialist for a complete evaluation to determine the appropriate treatment. Dr. Thompson will meet with you in his Denver office to understand your history and goals for this process. An initial consultation aims to review pertinent medical history, perform a physical exam to identify possible trigger points, review treatment goals, and create a tailored treatment plan for each patient.

Dr. Thompson seeks to relieve the debilitating migraine symptoms with non-surgical and surgical methods based on the patient’s preference and response to therapy. If the patient has an excellent response to BOTOX and wants to avoid surgery, then serial BOTOX injections are a good option. However, some patients prefer a more definitive strategy and elect to proceed with surgical intervention.

The Day of Your Procedure

The surgery targets one or more sensory nerves in the forehead, temple, and back of the head. It is usually an outpatient procedure performed under general anesthesia. Occasionally, surgery is done inside the nose to relieve pressure points from a deviated septum or other sites responsible for the headache. The details of each procedure will be discussed with each patient during the consultation. Dr. Thompson will ensure that all questions are answered and that patients feel comfortable before treatment.

Recovery and Results

Patients are usually back to work within two to three weeks from the surgery date. Most can resume routine activity shortly after the procedure and return to exercise within two to three weeks.

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Why Choose Us for Migraine Surgery in Denver?

Dr. Thompson is board-certified by the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and is dedicated to making patients feel seen and cared for during every step of their journey. Set up a consultation for your migraine treatment in Denver today.

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