When you hear the term joint injections, you probably don’t think about headache relief. However, joint injections for migraines are becoming a popular solution to reduce painful headaches.
Often times, headaches and migraines originate from pain in the joints around the neck and spine. Treating the joints themselves helps to block the nerves from receiving the pain signals.
As a result, you get to go about your life without debilitating pain. Depending on the cause of the migraines, a single injection may last anywhere from days to months.
CAUSES OF MIGRAINES
Migraines are a special type of headache that can last for hours or even days. In addition to severe pain, you might also experience nausea, vision issues and sensitivity to sound and light. You might also see auras.
The biggest issue with migraines is there are numerous causes. This is why traditional OTC medications often don’t work well. Many people want to avoid prescription medications to prevent becoming addicted to opioids.
Anything from hormones and stress to poor diet and lack of sleep could all cause migraines. If you experience them frequently, it’s time to seek help. The problem could be issues with your joints. At the very least, joint injections for migraines can help reduce the number of migraines you get while you make lifestyle changes to prevent them in the future.
USING FACET JOINT INJECTIONS
Facet joint injections are just one of the possible injections that may relieve migraine pain. Your facet joints are on either side of the back of your spine. Inflammation in these joints can cause head, neck, back and shoulder pain. If you’re also experiencing any upper back, neck or shoulder pain in addition to migraines, facet joint inflammation may be to blame.
A facet joint injection contains a steroid. A local anesthetic is injected into the joint first to immediately reduce any pain so we know for certain which facet joint is the problem or if it’s the facet joint at all. If your pain lessens, we’ll know that we’ve found the source of your migraine pain.
The actual facet joint injection is then injected into the inflamed joint. We then use a fluoroscope to gently guide the needle directly into the joint. We’ll monitor you for at least 30 minutes after the procedure. In most cases, you can go back to your daily routine after your visit.
You’ll likely experience some pain after the anesthetic wears off, but this will subside as the steroid takes effect. These are more of a short term solution and you can only have several of these injections per year.
USING EPIDURAL INJECTIONS
Epidural injections are useful in treating migraines and cervicogenic headaches, which are similar to migraines. Much like with facet joint injections, we use fluoroscopy to guide the needle into the epidural space of the spine. We inject a local anesthetic along with a corticosteroid, which reduces inflammation to gradually reduce pressure and pain over a period of time.
These joint injections for migraines can last anywhere from a week to a year. They’re ideal for treating immediate pain and offering longer-lasting relief.
CREATING A LONG-TERM TREATMENT PLAN
Joint injections work well for short-term relief from migraines as we help you create a more long-term strategy for managing and reducing your migraines. By decreasing pain now, you’ll have more pain-free time to try lifestyle changes, such as reducing stress and getting more sleep.
In the meantime, you’ll have an easier time going about your days in Northern Utah without migraine issues. We’ll work with you to develop the right treatment plan for you.
If you’re suffering from migraine pain, you don’t have to just lie in bed and deal with it. Instead, contact Peak Health and Wellness (801) 689-3389 today to schedule a consultation to discuss your options.