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Visiting a Headache Specialist

Does your pain require professional help?

If you're suffering from headache pain more than 15 days per month, most doctors would agree that you're experiencing chronic headache pain. You're not alone! In fact, approximately 45 million people in the United States suffer from severe headaches.

You've tried over-the-counter treatments, you've read the self-help books, you may have even seen your primary-care physician. If headache pain is affecting you, your job, family, friends or personal relationships, a headache specialist could be where you finally find the relief you've been looking for.

Specialized clinics located across the United States exist expressly for the study, diagnosis and treatment of headache pain. Usually headed by a headache specialist, you may also find a multidisciplinary team of physicians, psychologists, nurses, nutritionists and other clinicians whose goal is to find the best way to treat each patient's headache condition.

While no headache clinic can guarantee a "cure", a clinic's expert staff of specialists is ideally suited to diagnose and treat your headache pain.

Is your pain "normal" or does it require more serious attention? Each type of headache has its own characteristics and some may need to be treated in a specific manner. You may want to consider visiting a headache specialist if any of the following apply:

Headaches significantly interfere with your ability to function at work, at home, or socially.
Your physician has been unable to determine the type or cause of your headaches. (Mixed headache syndrome, for example, is particularly difficult to diagnose.)
A number of headache treatments have been prescribed for you but nothing has worked effectively.
You have another medical condition or take daily medication for a chronic medical condition.
You have become dependent on pain medication, or feel you take painkillers too often or in too-high doses.
You are often tense and anxious, or feel down and "blue", unable to shake feelings of depression and despair.

What to expect on your first visit. To learn how to treat your headache pain, a specialist will first learn specifics about you and your medical history using the following measurements.

Your complete medical and headache-pain history. The location, frequency and other characteristics of your headaches, as well as your sleep habits, family history, and other potential headache triggers will be examined.
A physical and neurological exam. Special diagnostic tests may reveal problems other prior tests have not.
A psychological assessment. These tests can help identify any stress related or other psychological triggers.
A nutritional assessment. A thorough investigation of your diet will help determine whether or not your eating habits are the cause of your headaches.
Review of previous and present headache therapies. A closer look at what's worked for you, and what hasn't, may reveal what areas a headache specialist should concentrate.
Starting a daily headache diary. You will be encouraged to keep a diary of your headaches, including their severity, frequency, pain relievers used and relief obtained, as well as any causes of each headache. Monitoring your pain and pattern could determine the path of treatment. A very good example of this can be obtained for free from The Excedrin Headache Resource Center, in a self-guided workbook titled Headache: What You Should Know, What You Can Do.

Success may not come overnight. Clinically comprehensive treatment, from initial consultations through comprehensive evaluations and complete implementation, could take a number of hours and clinic visits. This highly individualized approach has only one goal in mind: to determine the cause of your headache pain and give you a plan to help prevent and manage it. While you should visit a headache clinic and expect results, don't go expecting miracles.

What is a clinic's "success rate"? Joel R. Saper, M.D., F.A.C.P., Founder and Director of the Michigan Head Pain and Neurological Institute in Ann Arbor, explains that headache clinics success rates vary based on the type of headache patients they treat. According to Dr. Saper, "Ninety percent of patients with uncomplicated, intermittent headache problems who are evaluated and treated by experienced and knowledgeable physicians can expect significant success in controlling their symptoms. In the population of patients with more complicated headache problems (including those with frequent or daily pain), qualified headache centers can provide significant benefit to 75% to 85% of patients".

Because of the complexity of headaches, more than one treatment is often recommended. Each person's headache has its own characteristics and may be treated in a different way. Your customized plan might include different medications, relaxation techniques including biofeedback and physical therapy. Specialists might also recommend diet or exercise changes or other lifestyle alterations as part of your comprehensive treatment plan.

Considering making a headache clinic part of your treatment? Here's what to do. Find a program near you by contacting the American Council for Headache Education (ACHE) at (800) 255-ACHE. Headache treatment is usually covered by insurance companies, but check with your insurance agent or policy in advance to make sure.

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