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 ArticleFor those who suffer migraines, management is the name of the game. The recent, temporary halt in the production of Excedrin Migraine and Excedrin Extra Strength by GlaxoSmithKline just made that a little more difficult. Here, we discuss why this recall happened and how it may have the silver lining of prompting you to find…
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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…
Read Full ArticleAt the beginning of the 21st Century, we understood little about the relationship between smoking and migraines. The scientific community had determined that smoking poses several health concerns, but some still believed that this habit might even decrease migraines. This theory relates to the idea that smoking decreases stress and anxiety. More recently, data suggest…
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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 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…
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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…
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Yesterday I saw yet another migraine headache patient who was a week out from her migraine surgery, and yet again this patient was thrilled with the migraine relief. She told me she felt that the migraine surgery changed her life. She was all smiles in the followup appointment, as opposed to completely dreary when I…
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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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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 ArticleMillions of Americans experience frequent headaches. Migraines, and sometimes cluster headaches, may occur with such intensity that one must retreat from their daily activities for a time. The migraines that occur are as unique as each individual who experiences them. They can have multiple triggers and may respond differently to management strategies at different times.…
Read Full ArticleMigraines can be an enormous obstacle to living your best life. Still, many of the people who experience these intense headaches feel somewhat lost when it comes to finding “the right” treatment. Migraine surgery might offer a glimmer of hope but, also, is migraine surgery brain surgery? Is it risky? Is it effective? The real…
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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…
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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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Dr. Lowenstein: Hello and welcome to The Headache 360 Podcast. This is your host, Dr. Adam Lowenstein. And as I’m imagining most of you know by now, I’m a migraine surgeon. I do nerve decompression for migraine and chronic headaches. And my goal here is to try and get some information from lots of different…
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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…
Read Full ArticleMigraine pain can affect every aspect of life. The more frequent these headaches are, the worse their repercussions can be. A study published in the Journal of Headache and Pain has shed light on the short- and long-term impact experienced by those who suffer migraines. More than 11,000 patients participated in this study, which ended…
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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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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 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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Dizziness, imbalance, and disorientation in headache and neck pain patients One of the most frequent questions posted to facebook on migraine headaches and tension headaches forums involves some aspect of dizziness, imbalance, and disorientation. While headache patients may be used to pain, waking up dizzy or having balance issues with or without pain can be…
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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…
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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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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…
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Speaker 1: Welcome to the Headache 360 Podcast, a place to 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 our next episode of the Headache 360 Podcast. I’m your host, Dr. Adam Lowenstein. I have a very special…
Read Full ArticleMigraine pain can interfere with your ability to engage in life the way you’d like. It doesn’t take much effort to find a variety of remedies and treatments aimed at reducing the frequency and severity of migraine headaches. What may take a little more effort than expected is finding a solution that works. Here, we…
Read Full ArticleFor the body to function properly, it relies on several vitamins and minerals. Magnesium is a mineral that supports nerve function, heart rhythm, blood pressure regulation, and bone health. Studies suggest that magnesium deficiency, which affects nearly 75% of Americans, can cause muscle cramps, nausea, low appetite, fatigue, and other symptoms. Some studies also suggest…
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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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