You don’t have to let headaches or the anxiety they can cause slow you down. Trinity Health Michigan is home to headache specialists who help you get much-needed relief. We offer a broad range of therapies that calm even the most stubborn symptoms.
Board-certified neurologists specializing in headache medicine, some of whom are internationally recognized, guide your care. They have a depth of experience treating common and complex forms of headache and facial pain. Trinity Health Michigan is home to the nation’s first hospital-based head pain unit. We have been caring for our community’s most complex cases since the 1970s.
Our team approach helps you receive seamless care, enabling you to focus on healing. Headache specialists regularly communicate with nurses, physical therapists, psychologists, social workers and other providers to coordinate your care. These efforts also include discussing your treatment progress and adjusting therapies as necessary.
We perform a thorough exam to accurately diagnose the type of headache you are experiencing. It involves listening carefully as you describe your symptoms and performing a neurologic exam. Sometimes imaging studies, such as a CT scan or MRI, are necessary. Read more about neurodiagnostics.
Headache treatments we offer include:
Medications are a common headache treatment. We prescribe the appropriate option for your needs and explain when and how to take it. Our participation in research gives you access to new headache medications before they become widely available.
Infusions are a method of delivering large doses of medication through a vein in your arm. We often prescribe infusions for severe headaches, such as migraine. Infusions are available on short notice when necessary — sometimes the same day.
Complementary and alternative medicine treats headaches without medications. Trinity Health Michigan is home to experienced complementary and alternative medicine providers, so you can get more of the services you need in one program. We may recommend these therapies instead of drugs or to help you get the most out of medical therapy.
Treatment may include relaxation, biofeedback (learning to recognize the early symptoms of headache episodes), massage or diet changes. You may also benefit from cognitive behavioral therapy, which may change your perception of pain and how you respond to it.
If you experience migraine symptoms four hours a day for more than 15 days a month, Botox may be right for you. Injecting small doses of this purified toxin into select head and neck muscles can reduce symptom severity and frequency.
We inject pain medication and other substances into tissue near a nerve. The injection site depends on the type and location of your symptoms.
Your care may include:
Physical therapists use a variety of techniques to reduce symptom severity:
For electric shock-like facial pain due to trigeminal neuralgia, you may benefit from a procedure called microvascular decompression. Neurosurgeons remove or relocate blood vessels that are pressing against the trigeminal nerve. Get more information about neurosurgery.