Cluster headaches are extremely painful. In fact, they are said to be one of the most excruciating types of headaches to deal with. Suddenly, a person gets an intensely sharp pain on one side of his head affecting both the face and neck area. It is called a cluster headache because it comes and goes. A cluster may typically last one week and be followed by a year that is headache-free. Then the next bout may seem to come out of nowhere. As many as 1 in every 1000 people around the globe have cluster headaches. There are limited methods of care that really work.
Botulinum toxin – Botox is being used by researchers in Norway to try to care for cluster headaches. It is hoped that this injection can help decrease the amount of headaches people are having and how intense they are. The injections are given through the nasal cavity with the goal of affecting the nerves behind the eye. These nerves are responsible for relaying pain signals to the brain. The hope is to numb these, dulling the pain of cluster headaches. It is important to note, that while some success has been seen, this procedure does come with a number of risks.
Many are beginning to seek the care of upper cervical doctors to better cope with cluster headaches. At The Head and Spine Pain Center, we take a close look at the upper neck vertebrae of patients to determine whether there is a misalignment to the C1 (atlas). A misalignment in this area can be setting off cluster headaches and other kinds of headaches. This is due to the fact that a misalignment of this bone can place pressure on the brainstem leading to a number of problems in the body. The brainstem is responsible for many of the processes that happen in the body on an automatic basis. By adjusting this bone, the brainstem can begin working better again. Communication and blood flow can be restored, and many see their headaches decrease. Some see them go away completely.
