Treatment Options for Chronic Neck Pain

Approximately 12% of Americans suffer from migraines. However, only 1% of the population suffer from chronic migraines. A chronic migraine is defined as a severe headache occurring 15 or more times a month, for more than three months.

When diagnosing chronic migraines, it is important to know the exact number of days every month that a person suffers from a headache of any kind. This can be done by keeping a headache diary or marks on a calendar. Many patients only take note of their severe, debilitating headaches, but it is important to keep track of every headache. Even the most minor headaches can help a physician make a proper diagnosis.

There are many treatments for chronic headaches, and your doctor may use a variety of treatment options in order to help you find the relief you are searching for.

Treatment Options for Chronic Migraines

Acute Treatments for Chronic Migraines

Acute treatments typically involve medications that are taken at the first sign of migraine headaches. They don’t prevent migraines, but help reduce the pain and symptoms that accompany chronic migraines.

These medications frequently include:

• NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs)
• Dopamine antagonists
• Triptans: Triptans are prescription drugs that block pain pathways to the brain. It can be taken as pills, shots, or nasal spray.
• Antidepressants: A tricyclic antidepressant can prevent migraines.

Preventative Treatments

Currently, Botox is the only FDA-approved preventative treatment for chronic migraines. Botox works for migraine headaches because it blocks chemicals called neurotransmitters that carry pain signals from your brain. Botox acts as a roadblock in that pathway. It prevents the pain from getting to your nerve endings around your head and neck.

Interventional Treatments

If conventional methods to treating chronic migraines is ineffective at reducing your pain, there are alternative treatment options.

• Biofeedback: Biofeedback teaches you relaxation techniques to monitor and control certain responses to pain and things related to pain, such as stress or muscle tension.
• Acupuncture: acupuncture is helpful for headache pain. The needles are inserted into specific areas to help relieve pain.
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: This type of psychotherapy teaches patients how their behavior and thoughts affect the way they perceive pain.
• Peripheral Nerve Blocks: Nerve blocks prevent the pain signals from traveling along peripheral nerves and are administered via injection at the back of the skull, the temples, or above the eyebrows.