How Serious Are Chronic Headaches?

Chronic headaches cause debilitating symptoms for many men and women nationwide. At Aether Medicine, board-certified physical medicine and rehabilitation physician Dr. Asare Christian helps patients throughout Wayne, PA manage their headaches with innovative treatment options. Dr. Christian and his medical team are highly trained in administering neurotoxin medicine to alleviate chronic headaches symptoms and a wide array of musculoskeletal and neurological conditions.

What are chronic headaches?

Headaches are considered chronic if they occur 15 days or more in one month for three or more months at a time. Chronic headaches can be both short-lasting and long-lasting and display adverse symptoms, including:

• Head and eye pain

• Visual disturbances

• Nausea or vomiting

• Pulsating, throbbing sensations on one or both sides of the head

• Sensitivity to light and sound

At Aether Medicine, Dr. Christian assists patients in identifying symptoms of chronic headaches, utilizing their medical histories and a series of standardized assessments.

What’s the difference between headaches and migraines?

A migraine is a type of headache disorder that presents with more intense symptoms than other types of chronic headaches. Moderate to severe head pain, visual disturbances, nausea, and sensitivity to light or sound can last anywhere from a few hours to a few days. Without routine treatment, migraines can cause significant disruption to daily function.

What triggers chronic headache symptoms?

Headaches can be caused by one or more of the following factors:

• Stress

• Dehydration

• Poor diet

• Weather changes

• Poor body positioning

• High or low blood pressure

• Head or neck injury

• Photosensitivity

• Specific scents (perfume, smoke)

• Allergies

• Viral or bacterial infections

• Reactions to medication

Dr. Christian helps his patients navigate through their headaches and identify potential triggers to help minimize chronic headache symptoms.

How serious are chronic headaches?

Since the symptoms of chronic headaches are not easy to observe, this makes it challenging to understand the severity of each episode. Although painful and disruptive, many chronic headaches pose little threat to a person’s overall health. However, headaches could also be an indication of a serious medical condition, including:

• Stroke

• Blood clot

• Tumor

• Neurological damage

Dr. Christian recommends that individuals living with chronic headaches seek testing and intervention early to help minimize undesirable symptoms and prevent devastating illness.

What is neurotoxin medicine?

Neurotoxin medicine involves the use of botulinum toxin, including BOTOX?, MYOBLOC?, Dysport?, and XEOMIN?, to treat painful musculoskeletal and neurological conditions. When botulinum toxin is injected into specific target areas around the neck and head, it triggers chemical processes that block pain signals from the brain. Overall, neurotoxin medicine injections can reduce pain associated with chronic headaches.

What does a neurotoxin medicine treatment look like?

One neurotoxin injection can take as little as 15 minutes to complete and is conducted in the comforts of one of our private treatment rooms at Aether Medicine. One of our medical team members sanitizes each injection site carefully selected by Dr. Christian. Patients generally experience little to no discomfort during their treatment sessions. Once the injections are finished, patients may leave the clinic and resume normal daily activities.

How often should I receive neurotoxin injections for chronic headaches?

Depending on the type of headache being treated and the number of injection sites, patients may start to notice reduced symptoms within 1 – 2 weeks after their treatment session. Neurotoxin medicine provides temporary relief with the effects lasting approximately 3 – 6 months. Consult with Dr. Christian to develop a customized treatment plan and ascertain your treatment frequency.

Learn more about neurotoxin medicine for chronic headaches

If you reside in or near Wayne, PA, and wish to learn more about the benefits of neurotoxin medicine for chronic headaches, contact our team at Aether Medicine and schedule a consultation today. Dr. Asare Christian is a board-certified physical medicine and rehabilitation physician who can work with you to create a customized neurotoxin medicine treatment plan so that your participation in daily activities is less hindered by chronic headaches.