Introduction
Our approach to treating and managing migraine headaches yielded gratifying results that encouraged us to re-evaluate the scientific literature. Simultaneous treatment of the trigeminal and occipital nerves had never been approached. Migraine headaches and craniofacial neuralgia in 90% of cases involve both the trigeminal and greater occipital nerves. Treating one nerve without the other did not prove helpful in any of our patients, while concurrent treatment resulted in the longest discontinuation of migraine headaches.
Recent studies hypothesise that genetic signals are silenced and de-silenced within the autonomic nervous system, balancing the stimulatory effect of the perivascular sympathetic and parasympathetic systems. External signals in the physical environment may trigger an original sympathetic hyper-expression that silences parasympathetic regulation in the peripheral nerves.
What is a migraine?
Migraine headaches are episodic neurovascular disorders characterised by recurrent headaches, often with nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light and sound, eye redness, tearing, loss of speech, jaw and dental pain. Popular theories describe migraine as a lifelong central nervous system disease with no cure. We do not follow this view. We treat migraine and have witnessed our patients' happiness for years.
How the body defends itself
The sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems are an internal, genetically designed defence mechanism shared by almost all species. They form an alert system that communicates with the physical world, and warning signals are expressed mainly through pain or symptoms such as nausea, spasm and visual disturbance.
Bright and ultraviolet light, flickering light, specific visual patterns, smells, noises and tastes may trigger migraines, as can lifestyle stressors. Visual cortical hyperexcitability has been hypothesised as one contributor.
Considering treatment?
A short consultation is the first step. We review your history, current medication and any prior imaging before recommending treatment.
The scale of the problem
Migraine is a common and potentially severe chronic disease. Roughly 30 million American adults live with migraine; more than 75% report one to 14 headaches a month, and over half of attacks force bed rest. Estimates reach 112 million bedridden days a year and a $14 billion annual cost to employers. About half of patients who seek medical help for migraine are never diagnosed.
Migraine in children
About 10% of school-age children suffer from migraine, and half of all sufferers have their first attack before age 12. Essential migraine types in children include migraine without aura, migraine with aura and hemiplegic migraine. Many parents are forced into homeschooling, and the trauma can continue into chronic anxiety and depression for both parents and children.
Our treatment is innovative and tolerable for children aged ten and older. Children may have a better chance of returning to everyday school life than those relying on abortive and preventive medications.
An imbalance, not a lifelong sentence
Migraine headache appears to reflect an imbalance between sympathetic and parasympathetic innervation of the brain's vascular system rather than a purely central cortical cause. The brain itself has no pain receptors; instead, periodic vasoconstrictive impulses in the parasympathetic ganglia and associated peripheral nerves predispose them to hypoxia, which the body registers as pain.
Modern screens and industrial light sources add their own wavelengths and intensities. Molecular studies show that prolonged or high-intensity exposure to light can lead to photoreceptor cell death, making phototoxicity a growing focus of research in our computerised lifestyle.
We cure migraines and have witnessed the happiness of our patients for years.Faro T. Owiesy, MD
Individual results vary. Outcomes described on this page reflect the clinic's own experience and published research. See our Disclaimer.