Headaches are a very common complaint. There are very few people who have never experienced a headache in their lives, but the range of severity in pain is very broad – from rare occurrences that do not have any significant affect on the patient's life, to daily headaches that cause major damage to functioning and quality of life.
At Shaare Zedek Medical Center there is a multi-disciplinary clinic designated specifically for diagnosing and treating patients with different types of headaches. The clinic team includes doctors who have undergone specialized training in headaches in large medical centers in Israel and in the US. We also work closely with doctors and other professionals from other specialties, such as ophthalmologists, ENT specialists, sleep disturbance experts, psychologists, dieticians, and dentists, so we can provide solutions for patients with disorders connected to these areas that cause – or exacerbate – headaches.
The Headaches Unit at Shaare Zedek comprises a clinic for ambulatory patients, and hospital beds for those suffering badly and needing intensive treatment for chronic headaches. We also plan to open a day hospitalization unit soon to treat patients using intravenous drugs.
We treat all types of headaches. The patient first undergoes a comprehensive evaluation, with the aim of reaching a precise diagnosis of the headache type and any accompanying diseases or disorders. Then we determine a personalized treatment program including not only drugs-based treatment for the pain and the symptoms, but also advice regarding a lifestyle that can reduce the frequency of the headaches, and – if necessary – referral to other experts for treating any attendant disorders.
Treatment offered in our clinic includes:
- Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide (CGRP) – drugs treatment for sharp pain and for preventative treatment, including the very latest treatments such as protein antibodies.
- Treatment using injections of localized sedation substances for skull nerves. These are very effective in treating ongoing headache attacks that do not respond to drugs treatment.3.
- Treatment using botulinum toxin injected into the face, the head and the neck. This has proven effective in patients with chronic migraines.
- Neurostimulation of the trigeminal nerve, for sharp migraine attacks.
Summary
It is worth remembering that headaches can be caused by many other factors connected to diseases of the sinuses, eyes, jaw, Temporo-Mandibular Joint (TMJ), and more, such as large blood vessels or vascular diseases in the brain. Reaching an exact diagnosis, with the help of understanding the progression of the illness, a comprehensive examination of the patient, and – when needed – imaging tests such as CT or MRI, appropriate lab tests, are all critical for determining the best treatment for each patient. Through this approach, we are able to significantly reduce most patients' headaches and improve their daily lives.