Treatments
Botox injections for headache & other reasons
Migraine is the most common disabling headache syndrome, usually felt as a throbbing pain on one side of the head. It affects about 15% of the population and the majority of sufferers are aged 30-50, affecting them during their most productive years. Twice as many women than men are affected. A migraine is not ‘just a headache’, it typically also causes other symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light and sound.
Trigger Point Injections
Trigger points are tight bands or knots that form when a muscle fails to relax after a contraction. These areas of pain and muscle spasm may develop due to acute trauma, overuse injuries or chronic muscular disorders. They usually occur in the upper back and shoulder muscles and may irritate adjacent nerves causing pain to radiate to the surrounding regions.Trigger point injections or TPI may contain an anesthetic, steroid or a combination of the two. They are administered to relieve pain and improve mobility.
Nerve Block Injections
A greater occipital nerve block involves injecting medication around the greater occipital nerve to relieve pain. The greater occipital nerve travels through the muscles at the back of the head and into the scalp providing sensation to the back and top of the scalp.
Greater occipital nerve blocks are commonly used for patients with a unilateral headache, mainly at the back of the head. This block may also be used in patients with occipital neuralgia experiencing shooting, zapping, stinging, or burning pain in the back of the head. Patients with migraines, cluster headaches, and other painful conditions may also obtain temporary relief with this block.
