Headaches and migraines are common pain conditions that originate in the head. Though headaches and migraines cause different types of pain and symptoms, for those who struggle with them, these pain conditions can seriously affect their quality of life.
Ankur Patel, DO, RPH, and the team at Southern Pain and Spine in Gainesville, Jasper, and Athens, Georgia provide comprehensive headache treatment and migraine treatment to give patients the relief they deserve. Using a patient-focused, rehabilitative approach, they develop individualized treatment plans to help you find the best treatment for migraine and headache that works for your unique needs.
If you're ready to put an end to your head pain and get back to enjoying your life, we're ready to help you achieve your goals. Request your first appointment with the physiatrists at Southern Pain and Spine today.
One of the most effective ways to find relief from headaches and migraines is through physical therapy. Physical therapy can help to release muscle tension, increase blood flow and improve range of motion in the neck — all of which can help to lessen pain.
At Southern Pain and Spine, our team of highly skilled physical therapists will work with you to develop a physical therapy program that's tailored to your unique needs. We'll also provide you with at-home exercises and stretches that you can do on your own to help manage your pain.
In addition to physical therapy, our team also offers other non-invasive, drug-free treatments that can provide relief from headaches and migraines. These treatments include:
For some people, headaches and migraines may be caused or worsened by stress. If this is the case for you, our team may recommend psychological evaluation and counseling. During counseling, you'll work with a psychologist to identify and manage the stressors in your life that may be contributing to your pain.
Injections
If physical therapy, home exercise programs, and other non-invasive treatments haven't provided relief from your headaches or migraines, our team may recommend injections. Injections can help to relieve pain by reducing inflammation and releasing muscle tension.
Types of injections that we offer include:
Nerve blocks are another type of injection that can be used to relieve pain. Nerve blocks work by temporarily numbing the nerve that's causing pain. This can help to provide relief from headaches and migraines.
We perform many different types of nerve blocks, including:
Radiofrequency ablation is a treatment that uses heat to damage the nerve that's causing pain. During radiofrequency ablation, a needle is inserted into the nerve. Then, radio waves are used to generate heat and damage the nerve. This helps to relieve pain by preventing the nerve from sending pain signals to the brain.
Occipital nerve stimulation is a treatment that's used to relieve pain by stimulating the occipital nerves, which are the nerves that run from the back of the head to the scalp. During treatment, a device called a neurostimulator is implanted under the skin. The neurostimulator sends electrical signals to the occipital nerves, which helps to relieve pain.
A migraine is a type of headache. However, headaches and migraines are different and may require different approaches for pain management.
Headaches include any pain condition that affects the head. Tension headaches are the most common type of headache and cause mild to moderate pain. Cluster headaches cause severe stabbing pain behind one eye. The pain occurs in clusters, coming and going over days, weeks, or months.
Migraines cause head pain. However, these types of headaches also have other symptoms, such as sensitivity to light or nausea. Migraines may also cause symptoms before and after the head pain.
There are many potential causes of chronic abdominal pain, including (but not limited to):
Migraines, on the other hand, are thought to be caused by changes in the brainstem and its interaction with pain pathways. These changes can be triggered by:
Yes! In order to make leading-edge rehabilitative care accessible to as many patients as possible, Southern Pain and Spine proudly accepts insurance from most major providers across the state of Georgia. View our list of accepted providers on our Insurance page, and if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to our friendly and knowledgeable staff.