Migraines. They're more than just headaches; they're debilitating experiences that can disrupt your entire life. If you've ever suffered from a migraine, you know the crushing pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and the sheer frustration of feeling powerless. In the United States, migraines are incredibly common, and they disproportionately affect women. Botox for migraines offers a non-invasive, highly effective treatment that has helped many of our patients get back to enjoying their lives. So what do you need to know about these injections?
Why are migraines more prevalent in women? The answer lies in a complex interplay of hormones, stress, and societal pressures. Did you know that 43% percent of women, compared to 18% of men, have experienced migraines at some point in their lives? Hormonal fluctuations during menstrual cycles, pregnancy, and menopause can trigger migraines. Add to that the stress of juggling work, family, and caregiving responsibilities, and it's no wonder women are more susceptible. Often, neck and shoulder tension, a common byproduct of stress, can further exacerbate these headaches.
Many people hesitate to consider Botox for migraines due to misconceptions. Let's set the record straight: Botox for migraines is not the same as aesthetic Botox. The injections are strategically placed at specific points around the head and neck, not just the forehead (like in aesthetic botox). This targeted approach aims to prevent migraines, not change your facial appearance.
That said, at PSA, we go the extra mile. Lindsey Bellinger, FNP-C, understands the importance of both therapeutic and natural-looking results. "I pride myself on going to all the classes," she says, including specialized aesthetic Botox training. This ensures that while you're receiving effective migraine relief, you can also feel confident in your appearance, and look like yourself. It’s crucial to seek treatment from a qualified professional like Lindsey, who understands the nuances of this procedure.
How does Botox work for migraines? It blocks neurotransmitters that transmit pain signals to the brain, effectively preventing migraines before they start. The treatment involves 31 specific injection points, and it's essential to receive all of them for optimal results – similar to completing a full course of antibiotics.
Typically, patients undergo treatments every 90 days. After two or three sessions, many experience significant and long-lasting relief. While some may require ongoing treatments, others find their migraines are significantly reduced or even eliminated. Because your body metabolizes it, it is important to continue treatments.
The potential benefits are profound: reduced frequency, intensity, and duration of migraines, leading to a significant improvement in quality of life.
Lindsey Bellinger is more than just a healthcare provider; she's a compassionate partner in your journey to migraine relief. Her expertise in Botox for migraines, combined with her dedication to patient care, sets her apart. "I work with an algorithm specific to each patient," Lindsey explains. "I dig deep to understand the root cause of their migraines."
Many migraine sufferers experience long wait times to see specialists such as a neurologist, often waiting months for an initial appointment. Even after the first visit, it can take multiple appointments to find an effective treatment plan, with further delays before follow-ups. This can result in a frustrating cycle of waiting and potentially still not finding relief even after many months.
At Pain Specialists of America, our goal is to get patients out of the clinic and back to doing what they love.
If you're tired of living with migraines, it's time to take action. Don't feel alone; there are people who take your pain seriously and want to find a solution. "It genuinely makes me happy to make people better," Lindsey says.
If you live in the greater North Austin area, we encourage you to schedule a consultation with Lindsey Bellinger at our pain clinic in Georgetown.
Don't feel alone, the providers at Pain Specialist of America take it seriously and want to find a solution.
Request an appointment today.
In a move that’s created a network of fifteen clinics and ambulatory surgery centers, Central Texas Pain Center and Pain Specialists of Austin have merged under the name Pain Specialists of America. This network includes locations ranging from Waco down to San Antonio.
While every location will change its name and logo, this expanded ecosystem gives our team a more comprehensive set of resources to rely on. This means that though you may only see one doctor, you’ll have the experience and expertise of a much bigger staff.
If you suffer from chronic pain, call any of our 15 locations for a consultation. At Pain Specialists of America, we offer expert pain care, now even closer to home.
March 25-31 will mark the sixth annual National Physicians Week, seven days of acknowledgment ending in Doctor’s Day, a celebration of physicians’ dedication, hard work, impact on lives, and sacrifices for the public good.
The weeklong holiday not only recognizes the work of medical professionals in the present, but also commemorates the longstanding history of physicians, a story 27,000 years in the making.
Historians tell us that the first known healers showed up in cave paintings in what is now France, with ancient drawings depicting individuals using plants for medicinal purposes and performing rudimentary medical procedures.
With the Enlightenment Period of the 17th Century came a surge in the natural sciences and a new knowledge of chemistry that disputed the premise that all things were made up of earth, air, fire, and water. By the 20th Century, past strides and exponential growth in medical knowledge, techniques and tools combined to empower the modern physician in ways once unthought-of and inspire the scientific community to reach even greater heights in the fight against infirmity, injury and disease.
A lot happened in between, of course. Still, the point is that there have always been people who chose to dedicate their time and effort to relieving the pain and improving the lives of others, using whatever tools and knowledge available. The healers of the past would be astonished by the resources available to their counterparts today, but likely not by their dedication to their profession and patients.
Perhaps this is why we love to imagine physicians as superheroes in white coats, without capes but with the same fervent drive to correct what is wrong. This humble recognition of the positive impact physicians make has only further increased since the start of 2020 and the emergence of the global pandemic.
National Physicians Week marks a special time to reflect on the stresses these everyday heroes undergo, the years spent in training, the student debts they may have accrued, the increasingly hectic world of the ever-changing modern healthcare system and other sacrifices and obstacles they have to overcome.
With that top of mind, we recognize our own team members, who show up each day with smiling faces, a deep enthusiasm for positively impacting patient’s lives, and unmatched skills every day in their chosen field of pain management. We appreciate all they’ve done to get to this point, what they do for our patients and the ways in which they work diligently to advance our practices.
We’re proud of our doctors, and we encourage our patients to give them a shout-out, as well. Whether it be giving a carnation, writing a thank you note, or perhaps giving them a great online review, we really appreciate all of the kind remarks.
Happy National Physicians Week and Doctors Day to all medical practitioners and the people they serve!
Millions of Americans suffer from chronic pain. Many don’t have to. Are you one of them?
The truth is, people can become so used to being in pain that they accept it. They structure their lives around the discomfort or agony, which governs everything they do. They may have even sought some help in the beginning, but when “nothing worked,” they gave up trying. If this sounds all too familiar, take action now to make 2021 the year you took back control.
According to the National Institutes of Health, medical knowledge doubles every 73 days. That means constant introduction of new techniques and deeper insights into ailments and injuries, their causes and treatments. The science of understanding pain has benefited from this rapid advancement, resulting in the development of new therapies and multi-disciplinary approaches to pain management.
For instance, we recently wrote about the VERTIFLEX® implant for lumbar spinal stenosis, a 30-minute procedure with the potential to provide lifetime pain relief in the affected area of the back for many patients. As it was approved by the FDA just five years ago, it may not have been an option when sufferers last sought solutions.
At PSA, we treat both acute and chronic pain. Treatment plans may include minimally invasive procedures, joint injections, regenerative medicine and sometimes medication. Through an extended portfolio of resources, interventional therapies and advanced technologies, our experts at clinics across Central Texas customize targeted pain management solutions for speeding a patient’s return to a functional life.
Another example is Degenerative Disc Disease, which there are a number of treatment options for depending on its severity and naturally occurs with age. Treatments may include physical therapy, targeted interventional procedures, or more advanced spinal therapies. There are also more novel approaches, such as stem cell therapy.
The operative word here is “choice.”
This New Year, let us work with you to make the right choices to address your pain. From your head to your toes, from migraines to plantar fasciitis, our experienced and highly trained physicians and advanced practitioners will look at the condition – and you – to create an individualized roadmap to better days and greater health.
Call today for a free consultation, and from there, we will work together to get to back to life.