MRI Migraine Specialist Treatment Center
Relieving pressure from a nerve is an accepted treatment for migraine headaches. This study observed patients who went through surgery to relieve the pressure of a nerve located above the eye responsible for feeling and movement in the face and to decrease the thickness of the frowning muscles. Decreased pressure in the nerve was achieved by strengthening one of the small muscles between the eyebrows responsible for frowning. 92% of patients who have had pressure relieved from this facial nerve had at least 50% improvement on migraine headaches. Only two-thirds had migraine symptoms eliminated completely. This study looked at the effects of other pressure relieving techniques.
In a period from 2002-2010, there were 43 patients who had surgery to reduce the thickness of their frowning muscle and 43 patients who had surgery to remove the muscle thickness as well as surgery to relieve pressure from a nerve in the forehead. Patients were examined and statistically analyzed for how often they got migraines, migraine severity, duration, and forehead pain. Age, number of surgical sites and headache characteristics before the operation were the same for both groups.
The reduced muscle thickness only group experienced 7.8 headaches per month compared to 4.1 of the reduced muscle thickness and reduced nerve pressure group after the operation. Headache severity decreased more in patients that had both surgeries; 4.4 compared to 5.6. The migraine headache index was less for patients that had both surgeries; 11.1 compared to 26.5, as well as a greater decrease in persistent forehead pain; 25.6% compared to 48.8%. Headache duration remained the same in the two groups.
The results of this study show that the best outcomes can be achieved by relieving pressure in specific forehead nerves and what should also be considered is relieving pressure in the forehead muscles.
View the original migraine surgery study at this link: Relieving pressure in the nerve above the eye treats migraine headache.
