While we wish it never happened, an infrequent occurrence following migraine surgery is the return of headache pain. Just like any surgical procedure, migraine operations do have their rare failures, and in the case of migraine surgery, the failure rate is, fortunately, less than 10%. If you have a presence on social media, you may…
Read Full ArticleDizziness is often a symptom of migraines and occipital neuralgia, and can be seen both with and without associated pain. Because balance and dizziness are managed by a region of the inner ear called the vestibule, migraines that manifest in dizziness alone are termed “vestibular migraines”. Similar to “ocular migraines”, these episodes can manifest as…
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You don’t have to have COVID-19 to have a Coronavirus related headache. Headaches in the age of Covid may be related to the virus itself but are likely a result of stress and its effect on your occipital nerves. Headaches are a very nonspecific symptom and can occur from a great many sources. Viruses such…
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Listen to the podcast on our Headache 360 Podcast page here Welcome to the Headache 360 podcast, a place to listen and learn about the diagnosis and treatment of chronic headache and migraine pain, because information can be the best medicine. Dr. Lowenstein: Hello, and welcome to the Headache 360 podcast. This is your host,…
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Today on Facebook I got a great question that I think is important…. “Are ON flares also called migraines?” In fact the word “migraine” has a broad meaning, including many different kinds of severe headaches with different causes. Some migraines are caused by issues in or near the brain, such as dilated blood vessels or…
Read Full ArticleAs you might expect, one of the most common questions that we get at Migraine Surgery Specialty Center is regarding the issues surrounding health insurance and costs for the procedure. On social media, this is also one of the most questioned aspects of our care, and it is not unusual to get a comment such…
Read Full ArticleWith traffic like this it’s no wonder so many patients from Los Angeles suffer from migraine headaches. While several medical centers in and around the Los Angeles area treat patients with migraine headaches and occipital neuralgia, Dr. Lowenstein dedicates a significant part of his practice to the surgical treatment of these headaches and associated symptoms.…
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I spoke with another migraine patient today who told me that despite (and likely resulting from) weekly visits to the emergency room because of severe migraine pain, the doctors there have labeled her as drug seeking and refuse to give her pain medication. This is a very, very unfortunate but very very common report from…
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During the course of a great telephone conversation with a migraine headache patient from San Diego last week, it once again became evident to me that there is a misunderstanding of the differences in nerve blocks and Botoxinjections done by surgeons vs other medical professionals when it comes to the treatment of Migraine Headaches and…
Read Full ArticleThis article by the LA times investigates the efforts of the Sackler family (the owners of Purdue Pharma and makers of Oxycontin,) to open up world markets to the drug that has been one of the principal keystones in America’s opioid crisis. “In Brazil, China and elsewhere, the companies are running training seminars where doctors are…
Read Full ArticleWe have many patients with migraine headaches who see an opportunity for a surgical cure for their pain and want to proceed immediately to surgery at Migraine Surgery Specialty Center without any other workup- this is a mistake. Every patient who has surgery for their migraines needs a neurology workup including an MRI of the…
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As you can see from the photo above I took in San Diego this weekend, Coronado is quite a beautiful spot. Sometimes when visiting such a wonderful place it can be hard to believe that there are folks suffering even close by. Importantly, you can have a migraine in Coronado, or in any relative paradise. …
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It seems there is often much misunderstanding surrounding the terminology pertaining to headaches. While “migraine headache” is indeed a specific diagnosis, there are many subtypes of migraines with terminology that can get confusing. Additionally, many headache sufferers have not yet seen a neurologist to get a migraine diagnosis, and others have diagnoses such as “chronic…
Read Full ArticleWe are so fortunate to now have better medications and great surgical options for the treatment of migraine headaches. We have com a long way! This article talks about the surgeon Aulcasis in the 10th century who used to make incisions in the temples and put garlic inside them to cure his migraine patients. I’m…
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Recently one of the Facebook groups for migraine headaches and occipital neuralgia contained and interesting post. A migraine headache patient began by saying that she did not mean to insult anyone, but she could not understand how some migraine headache sufferers could have severe pain and still go about their lives. She alluded that such…
Read Full ArticleJohn Oliver does a great piece on the overuse of opioid pain killers- an epidemic that is causing incredible morbidity and mortality in the United States. Patients with chronic headaches are often prescribed these pain killers when nothing else works, and opioid addiction can become a major problem for headache patients. The potential for surgery…
Read Full ArticleThoroughness in surgical technique can make the difference in a successful nerve decompression operation. (Why the tree photo? Read on….) Earlier this week we saw a woman with over 20 years of headache pain from occipital neuralgia who had been operated on previously by another surgeon. She reports that her surgery was unsuccessful. The surgeon…
Read Full ArticleBotox is being increasingly used for off-label treatments, particularly in the treatment of migraine headaches and occipital neuralgia like we do at Migraine Surgery Specialty Center. This is a nice little video from the Plastic Surgery Channel that discusses some off-label uses of Botox.But what does “off label” mean? When something like Botox is “approved” by…
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For better or for worse, nerve decompression to provide relief from headaches and neck aches has been come to be known as “migraine surgery” because many chronic headache patients carry a diagnosis of migraine disease. It’s true that “Migraine Surgery” rolls off of the tongue better than “Peripheral Nerve Decompression Surgery for the Treatment of…
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Recently I have found a lot of confusion between migraine surgery and nerve stimulator placement. When discussing surgery with patients or answering their questions online, it seems clear that some patients think they have had migraine surgery but describe the placement of wires and the use of remotes… none of this is used in migraine…
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Ever have that dream where you are in crazy Los Angeles traffic and need to be somewhere but can’t get there and then… you wake up to a migraine? Out in the desert outside of Phoenix or Las Vegas and it’s crazy hot and you cant get cool or water and you wake up to…
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Introduction: Welcome to the Headache 360 podcast, a place to listen and learn about the diagnosis and treatment of chronic headache and migraine pain because information can be the best medicine. Dr. Lowenstein: Hello and welcome to the Headache 360 podcast. I am your host Dr. Adam Lowenstein. I am a board certified plastic surgeon…
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A traffic accident in Los Angeles? Football injury in college? Even the recent surge in popularity of kickboxing has produced too many head trauma patients that experience chronic migraine headaches after their injury. I recently had an interesting conversation with a woman who had “post-concussion” headaches, but when I asked if she had isolated trauma…
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Dr. Lowenstein: Hi, and welcome to the Headache 360 Podcast. I’m your host, Dr. Adam Lowenstein. Again, what we’re doing here is trying to take a 360 degree view of headache and migraine pain. As such, some of you will know that I am a migraine and headache surgeon. I do nerve decompression, but people…
Read Full ArticleIn the course of my aesthetic plastic surgery practice, many patients are of course interested and concerned about where the incisions will be placed for their surgery. With migraine headache and neuralgia patients, however, there is more interest surrounding pain relief than incision sites. That said, I have seen several revisions of migraine surgery necessary from…
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A young lady was in my office recently, and like so many patients with pain from migraine headaches and/or occipital neuralgia, she had been too many many doctors before me. We discussed the possibility of doing Targeted Injection Mapping, and she became very emotional. She had been through so much over the past three years…
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Dr. Lowenstein: Hi. Welcome back to the Headache 360 Podcast. I’m your host, Dr. Adam Lowenstein, and I’ve got a amazing guest today. As I think many of you know, I’m a migraine surgeon. I do peripheral nerve decompression for migraines, and a lot of my patients have spent time in emergency rooms, and so…
Read Full ArticleOn December 28th basketball superstar Dwayne Wade had to come out of the Chicago Bulls basketball game because of a migraine headache. This video is really worth watching, as Wade’s description of what it’s like to have “different levels of migraines” is a fantastic insight into the day to day life of someone who suffers…
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Welcome to the Headache 360 Podcast, a place to listen and learn about the diagnosis and treatment of chronic headache and migraine pain, because information can be the best medicine. Hey, and welcome again to our podcast. I’m your host, Dr. Adam Lowenstein. And today, we are … Today, you just got me. We are…
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Migraine headaches can ruin a life. Added frustrations from bouncing between different unsuccessful treatments and doctors can create a perfect storm of helplessness and hopelessness. Migraine Surgery aims to break that cycle and provide long-lasting, significant relief from migraine pain. Los Angeles now has access to that therapy. Let’s do some math. Nearly 1/4 of…
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Dr. Lowenstein: Hi, and welcome to the Headache 360 Podcast, I’m your host, Dr. Adam Lowenstein. And as I’ve said many times before, I am a migraine and chronic headache surgeon. I do nerve decompression of peripheral nerves for chronic headaches and migraines. Dr. Lowenstein: And the purpose of this podcast, that I call the…
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A common question we are asked as migraine surgeons is whether or not obtaining pain relief with a nerve block is necessary to be a candidate for migraine surgery. In other words, if your neurologist or pain doctor gives you a nerve block and it does not change your pain or symptoms at all, might…
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There seem to be quite a number of questions online about instructions and expectations before and after surgery. With that in mind, I thought I would share our “guidelines” for migraine surgery. Please call our Center at 805-969-9004 with any questions you might have….. Guidelines for Headache Surgery Before your surgery • Maintaining a well…
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Dr. Lowenstein: Hi, and welcome to the Headache 360 podcast. I’m your host, Dr. Adam Lowenstein. As we’ve discussed many times before on this podcast, my goal here is to try and get some expertise from specialists who patients with chronic headaches and migraines will often see during a course of their care. Today, we…
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I”m very excited about our newest venture, which will involve bringing our successes in providing migraine relief to Denver Colorado. This will provide a more central access point to so many migraine sufferers in the central part of the United States, including Arizona, Kansas, Wyoming, and Utah. I was fortunate enough to live and practice…
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A great case yesterday had some anatomic features that I thought worth showing. This gentleman was a firefighter who had an accident at work and following this developed debilitating migraines. For privacy purposes we will call him Frank here. Frank is from Denver, and as such he had seen several doctors including Denver neurologists who…
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The term “migraine surgery” was coined as a simplified way for the public to understand that there is a surgical procedure to improve migraine headache symptoms. In fact, the more appropriate name for this procedure is “nerve decompression surgery for the relief of headache and migraine symptoms.” That’s a bit too wordy, but unfortunately, the…
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There are going to be a lot of folks who respond to this without reading further, who will insist that there is no cure for migraine headaches, and who don’t want to consider things outside of their personal experience. The following discussion is for everyone else…. Google the word “cure” and you will find the…
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Adam Lowenstein: Hi and welcome to the Headache 360 Podcast. I’m your host, Dr. Adam Lowenstein, and today I have a great guest who is arguably overqualified to be talking to me. Dr. Prabu Raman is a physiologic neuromuscular dentist, and I have to admit that I did not know such a specialized specialty existed…
Read Full ArticleIn my perusing around Facebook and the forums dedicated to headaches and occipital neuralgia, I see so many who find comfort that they are not alone, and in fact one of my previous posts highlighted that even NBA basketball stars get migraines. Patients who have suffered long and felt alone should find comfort in the fact…
Read Full ArticleThis is a quick little video to help explain the differences between using local anesthesia for a diagnostic nerve block and using Botox for a longer term therapeutic nerve block. Please ask questions if you are interested in more information… Call us at 805-969-9004 so we can help clear things up!
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Dr. Lowenstein: Hi and welcome to the Headache 360 podcast. I am your host, Dr. Adam Lowenstein. We have a fantastic repeat guest today, Dr. Hossein Ansari, who is the head of the headache clinic at University of California, San Diego. This is our second in hopefully a series with Dr. Ansari, but you can…
Read Full ArticleThis week I’m spending time in Colorado with my family and as usual, dealing with a migraine on arrival to altitude. Altitude headaches are not uncommon for both migraine headache patients as well as those who don’t suffer from migraines. There are 2 main issues that our heads need to deal with at altitude- oxygen…
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As many now know, microvascular decompression of several nerves in the head and neck is a proven successful therapy for the relief of migraine headaches. I was very happy to read the recent Policy Statement put forth but the American Society of Plastic Surgeons and the Plastic Surgery Research Foundation. This important paper provides an…
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Dr. Lowenstein: Hi and welcome to the Headache 360 Podcast. I’m your host, Dr. Adam Lowenstein. I have a really interesting guest today and a very unique one. Jamie Sanders is a blogger and I guess I personally think even more importantly, a patient and migraine advocate, an advocate for patients with migraine. She has…
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Last week I did several Facebook Live “events” about the newest migraine drug Aimovig, a CGRP antagonist released last week from Amgen. (You can see those and other videos here.) There is much to be excited about. Aimovig is the first drug specifically developed for migraines. The other migraine drugs that are used for migraines…
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Weather can be a trigger for migraines as well as several other headache syndromes. I’m finding that this time of year in Southern California, and even in Colorado where my Denver office is located, can be the worst time of year for those yearning for headache relief. Los Angeles recorded record-breaking temperatures of 121 degrees…
Read Full ArticleI recently saw a post on our FaceBook page that disparaged migraine surgery because all migraines could be cured by a diet with some catchy name. While it never feels great to have my hard work attacked by someone who doesn’t have an in-depth knowledge of what I do, I decided not to hide the…
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In answering questions from Facebook groups and patients here in the office, it is becoming clear to me that many migraine sufferers may not understand that there is a BIG difference between cervical decompression surgery and the type of nerve decompression that we migraine surgeons perform in order to provide migraine relief. What is Cervical…
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Speaker 1: Welcome to Headache 360 podcast, a place to listen and learn about the diagnosis and treatment of chronic headache and migraine pain, because information can be the best medicine. Dr. Lowenstein: Hello and welcome to the Headache 360 podcast. I’m your host, Dr. Adam Lowenstein. Today we’re going to talk about migraine surgery.…
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Speaker 1: Welcome to the Headache 360 Podcast. A place to listen and learn about the diagnosis and treatment of chronic headache and migraine pain, because information can be the best medicine. Dr. Lowenstein: Hello, and welcome to the Headache 360 Podcast. I am your host, Dr. Adam Lowenstein, and today we are again, speaking…
Read Full ArticleHeadaches represent one of the most common health complaints expressed by adults all around the world. We may call them tension headaches or migraines and we may try to find ways to cope with frequent bouts of pain. Rarely, though, do most people explore what’s going on beneath the surface of their pain. Here, we…
Read Full ArticleMy mother tells a story about me when I was 9 and had a headache so bad I would not stop crying and would not leave my room. I don’t remember that, but I know that I have had severe headaches as long as I can remember. As a child, I took so much aspirin…
Read Full ArticleBecause of the relatively new ability for surgeons such as myself to impact migraine headaches and occipital neuralgia with outpatient surgery, we often get the question of whether nerve decompression for headache surgery is “experimental surgery.” Let me assure you that this is not the case. While scientific descriptions of success rates can be found…
Read Full ArticleCottage health has added an article highlighting migraine surgery and the way it can help patients with occipital neuralgia and migraine headaches. You can find the short article here and at the link below. I’m very appreciative of their assistance in getting the word out about this outpatient surgical option that helps so many migraine headache pain…
Read Full ArticleThe following is a transcript of the latest podcast that can be found at the Headache 360 podcast on Apple or wherever you get your podcasts. The video can be found on our website at headachesurgery.com or on our YouTube channel for the Migraine Surgery Specialty Center. Migraine Surgery Specialty Center Youtube Channel. The following…
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A frequent question I get asked involves nerve injections that make things worse rather than better. Many times nerves blocks work just as they are supposed to but when they don’t, patients are often left trying to figure out why??? So what happens when nerve blocks make the pain worse? Remember that nerve blocks…
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Why ME? So often a question I get from migraine headache patients is a derivative of “Why me?” “What did I do to bring on these migraines?” “What can I change so these migraine headaches stop?” “Why are these migraines so bad for me but nobody else?” So just to address the last question specifically,…
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