When to Consider a Nerve Block for Your Migraines

Nearly 40 million Americans suffer from migraines, severe headaches that can cause debilitating symptoms. About 25% of American households include at least one member who suffers from migraines, and worldwide, more than a billion people are affected.

While some headaches can be relieved with over-the-counter medication, migraines are far more complicated to treat. Without a prevention and management plan in place, people with migraines can find their symptoms interfere with all sorts of activities, including work- and school-related activities.

At Advanced Spine and Pain Center, our team helps patients manage migraines with nerve blocks, special injections designed to block the nerve signals that trigger migraines and their symptoms. Here’s how nerve blocks work and how to decide if they might be right for you.

Migraines 101

Migraines are a severe type of headache that’s often accompanied by other symptoms, like nausea, vomiting, or extreme sensitivity to light, smells, or sounds. Some people have vision changes, like tunnel vision, blind spots, or shimmering areas in their field of vision.

Migraines often occur in stages. The prodrome stage occurs a day or two before your headache, and subtle changes can include fatigue, neck stiffness, food cravings, moodiness, and changes in bowel or urination habits. 

The second stage, called the aura, occurs shortly before or even during the headache. This is when vision-related symptoms usually occur.

The headache is the third stage, followed by the fourth stage or postdrome. Many people feel fatigued or worn out at this stage, but some may feel a heightened mood, perhaps because their pain has finally subsided.

Not everyone experiences distinct stages. It’s entirely possible to have a migraine headache without experiencing the other stages.

The role of nerve blocks

Migraines are considered a neurological disorder because they involve the nerves in and around the face and skull—specifically, the nerves that carry sensations to and from the brain, face, and scalp.

Researchers believe migraines happen when inflammation affects these nerves, either directly or by compressing them. Inflammation and swelling interrupt nerve signaling, causing the pain sensations and other symptoms associated with migraines. Inflammation also releases chemicals that can irritate these nerves and trigger pain sensations.

Nerve blocks are injections of substances designed to block pain signals along specific nerves. Most nerve blocks contain anesthetics, like lidocaine, to provide a numbing effect that relieves pain.

Nerve blocks are used to treat chronic pain in many areas of the body. For migraines, they can provide fast relief for protracted headaches and help decrease the frequency and severity of future headaches.

Deciding if nerve blocks are the right choice

Nerve blocks are performed right in our office and provide immediate relief from pain. When traditional medications aren't effective, our team usually recommends nerve blocks or other interventional treatments, like Botox® injections.

If you have chronic or severe migraines or if you haven’t found other migraine treatments to be effective, nerve blocks could provide the relief you’ve been looking for. To learn more about interventional migraine therapies, book an appointment online or over the phone with the team at our two locations in San Antonio, Texas, today.