Headaches
As a Scottsdale & Phoenix area pain management center, we focus on treatment of headaches as well as the other contributing factors. We are a leading provider of headache diagnosis and treatment.
Identification of the type of headache is crucial to treatment; many headaches are triggered and maintained by muscle, nerve, or joint problems. Decreasing and controlling these triggers can decrease the frequency and/or intensity of the headaches.
The Trigeminal Nucleus Caudalis (TNC) is the head & necks’ pain relay system. Most pain signals from the head and neck are passed through it. Pain signals can get crossed and create pain referral patterns. This is how patients suffer from TMJ problems that may contribute to tooth pain, headache or other facial pains.
Do You Suffer From Migraine Headaches?
- Do you have moderate to severe pain in the head, face or neck?
- Have you ever had a headache upon awakening?
- Does activity make your headaches worse?
- Do you feel better after lying down in a dark room?
- Do your headaches interfere with family life or work?
- Do you have a mild sensitivity to light, noise or odors?
- Do you frequently have blurred vision, nausea or vomiting, upset stomach, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, or dizziness?
- Do you see bright flashing dots or lights, blind spots, wavy or jagged lines (aura)?
The more times you answered “yes,” the more likely it is that you suffer from migraine headaches. Identification of the type of headache is crucial to treatment.
Migraines and headaches are commonly triggered by head and neck pains such as those associated with TMD. If a trigger is un-treated, the pain may become chronic, and centralized within the nervous system and thus more difficult to treat.
Many medications help to control the activity in this area. Therefore, many patients with TMJ problems, migraine or tension type headaches have significant relief from their headaches when jaw pain or other head or neck pain is reduced. It is our philosophy to limit the amount of input in this area to ultimately help patients with their pain management.
Our headache and pain management doctors, Dr. Stan Farrell and Dr. Antonia Teruel, have extensive training and are highly qualified in the area of treating head pain. Their state-of-the-art treatments are proven to alleviate pain over the long-term without the complications of addiction to prescribed medications.
