More than a headache

3.2 million Americans live with Chronic Migraine- a neurological condition that amounts to much more than just frequent headaches and migraines. Migraine headaches are sometimes called “sick headaches” because they are often accompanied by nausea and sensitivity to light and sound. Patients with chronic migraine experience a headache more than 15 days of the month lasting more than 4 hours. This condition can greatly affect family, work, and social life, so it is important to have a variety of effective treatment options available.

Treatments for Chronic Migraine fall into 2 categories:

1. Acute treatment - done with medications taken to reduce pain once a migraine has started. 2. Preventative treatment – medication or therapy used before a migraine starts You may be a candidate for preventive therapy if: You have 15 debilitating attacks a month If attacks last more than 4 hours If pain-relieving medications aren’t helping If your migraine symptoms include a prolonged aura or numbness and weakness Preventive medications can reduce the frequency, severity and length of migraines and may increase the effectiveness of symptom-relieving medicines used during migraine attacks. There is now a new preventative option to reduce the days and hours spent in pain as a result of this condition. BOTOX neurotoxin injections, famous for smoothing out wrinkles on the face, is the first and only FDA-approved treatment for chronic migraine that prevents headaches and migraines before they even start. The FDA’s approval for use of Botox to fight migraines was based on the results of two studies involving 1,384 adults. The studies report that patients treated with Botox experienced a major decrease in the frequency of headache days. When treating chronic migraine, a qualified medical specialist administers 31 Botox injections into seven specific head and neck sites. Botox to treat chronic migraines is administered every 12 weeks. This treatment is now reviewed and, when warranted, approved by approximate 95% of medical insurance carriers. More detailed information regarding Botox for chronic migraine and the medical specialists trained in your area is available at www.botoxchronicmigraine.com.