How Botox Can Help Your Chronic Migraines

It’s all too common for people who don’t get migraines to think of them as just another headache. But if you live with migraines, you know that they’re so much more. The frequent, intense pain disrupts your days and gets in the way of work, relationships, and hobbies. Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be this way.

As a migraine specialist, Dr. Jonathan D. Carlson can connect you to a wide variety of treatment options to bring you relief. With expertise in everything from medication to trigger point injections, he can help you find the solution to your persistent migraine pain. That includes chronic migraines that haven’t responded to other types of treatment. 

At Hawai’i Pain and Spine, on the Windward side of Oʻahu in Kailua, Dr. Carlson offers medical Botox® injections to alleviate treatment-resistant, chronic migraines. 

How Botox works for migraines

When Dr. Carlson recommends this option, he injects the botulinum toxin (Botox for short) in strategic locations around your head and neck. He targets pain fibers, delivering the Botox where it can interrupt pain signals before they reach your brain. 

This is the same Botox that medical aesthetics specialists use to freeze wrinkles. When Dr. Carlson injects it to treat Botox, though, the tiny amounts affect the neurotransmission that causes pain. 

Specifically, researchers think that the Botox blocks the chemicals that transmit your migraine symptoms. This gives you a minimally invasive way to put something between yourself and the persistent pain that your migraines cause. 

Right now, Botox is FDA approved for chronic migraines, which means it’s approved for people who get migraines 15 or more days each month. 

What to expect with Botox for migraines

Studies have shown that getting Botox for chronic migraine headaches:

• Reduces the frequency and severity of migraines
• Improves the individual’s quality of life
• Comes with few side effects

Dr. Carlson works to make this treatment as quick, comfortable, and convenient for you as possible. He uses an extremely small needle, minimizing your discomfort. And you don’t need to worry about any downtime after your treatment.

For many people, it takes several weeks for the Botox to reduce migraine frequency. Once it does, some people maintain their results without more injections, while others choose to periodically get Botox to keep their migraine pain at bay. 

If you live with chronic migraines — if you have migraines 15 or more days each month — or your migraines haven’t responded to other treatment, talk to Dr. Carlson. To explore Botox and other options for finding relief, call our office to schedule your appointment today.