Migraine Treatment Options for When Over-the-Counter Medications Don’t Work

It sometimes starts with a warning: a dull pain in the forehead, flashes of light or even a tingling sensation in the arms or legs. Twenty to sixty minutes later, it hits, and it hits hard. It’s debilitating in intensity: pounding, throbbing head pain, nausea, blurred vision and severe sensitivity to light and sound that lasts anywhere from four to 72 hours. Forget anything you’ve had planned that day: that vital meeting with an important client, or picking the kids up after school, or even catching dinner and a movie with friends. All you can think about is finding a quiet, dark place to lie down until it’s finally, finally over. This isn’t just a headache. This is a migraine.

Prevalence of Migraines

Migraines affect thirty-six million Americans, including children. Categorized by chronic episodes of intense throbbing or pulsing pain in one area of the head, often accompanied by nausea and light and sound sensitivity, migraines are a serious illness. Their causes are many and varied: a change in your sleep cycle, strenuous exercise, missing a meal, stress from daily life, or just watching TV. No matter what the cause, episodes are crippling, causing sufferers to avoid work, school, and outings with friends: according to the Migraine Research Foundation 90% of sufferers report that migraines interfere with their educational and professional lives. Sick days reduce productivity, and catching up on missed schoolwork is always difficult, possibly ruining some sufferers’ careers or diplomas. The costs however aren’t just financial: 70% of migraine sufferers in a Canadian study stated that their migraines even cause problems with their personal relationships.

With the impact of migraines as severe as they are, it’s no wonder sufferers turn to over-the-counter medications for migraine treatment. Common pain-reliving drugs such as aspirin and acetaminophen are often used as a quick, cheap migraine treatment option. Some brands are even marketed to specifically treat migraines by using a combination of these two drugs and caffeine. However, migraines are reoccurring, and taking these medications for long periods of time can cause ulcers, gastrointestinal bleeding or even a medication-overuse headache: the last thing you want when you’re already suffering from migraines. Lastly, these medications treat only the pain symptoms, and can’t stop migraines from arriving or prevent new ones from starting.

Migraine Treatment

The best way to relieve your migraine pain starts with proper diagnosis, and that’s something that only comes from a health care center with experience and doctors well versed in diagnosis and migraine treatment. Complete Neurological Care is that solution. With a doctoral staff of dedicated, board certified neurologists and neurophysiologists, Complete Neurological Care is the only health center in the New York City area that can provide the expertise you need to discover the underlying cause of your migraines and end them for good.

Using state of the art diagnosis techniques, such as non-invasive transcranial doppler imaging, and conveniently located in Queens, Manhattan and Long Island, Complete Neurological Care will provide you with the migraine treatment options you need to address the causes of your migraines. Don’t let your migraine pain control your life – schedule an appointment today to start receiving care from one of the best migraine treatment centers in the New York City area.