BOTOX for Migraine Treatment Staten Island
Make Your Head Pain Finally Stop
Many patients are referred to us by their dentist or doctor because they can’t seem to get their migraines under control. Why would someone visit an oral surgery center for this kind of problem? We’re often able to provide the relief so many people deserve because their migraines actually stem from an unlikely place—their jaw. To learn more about how this works and why Botox for migraine treatment might be the solution you’ve been looking for, keep reading or give our team at Staten Island Oral Surgery Center a call.
Why Choose Staten Island Oral Surgery Center for Migraine Treatment?
- Fast & Effective Botox Treatment for Migraines
- Dentist with 15+ Years of Oral Surgery Experience
- We Treat the Source of Migraines, Not Just Symptoms
The Link Between Migraines & Oral Health
If you move your mouth from side to side, you’ll feel two hinge joints in front of your ears. These are your temporomandibular joint, or TMJ. It allows you to move your lower jaw in all directions and plays a big part in your ability to eat, speak, laugh, yawn, etc.
Like every other joint in your body, the TMJ can become injured or strained (often due to nighttime teeth grinding or a misaligned bite), and this can cause pain to develop in the nearby muscles. Because your mouth, head, and neck are comprised of an interconnected network of muscles, a problem in one area can easily lead to issues in another. So, pain that originates in the jaw can often manifest as a migraine.
TMJ issues are one of the most underdiagnosed sources of chronic migraines, and it’s also why many patients don’t respond to more traditional treatments. They don’t have a head problem, but rather a jaw problem they are feeling in their head.
Dr. G’s Approach to Managing Migraines
The first thing Dr. G does with his migraine patients is the simplest but often the most impactful—he listens. Many people who have migraines due to TMJ problems are told their pain is psychosomatic, or “all in their head” because regular treatments aren’t helping. Dr. G acknowledges that what the patient is going through is real, and this is extremely validating.
He’ll start by performing an exam that involves looking at the teeth (certain wear patterns can indicate that the TMJ isn’t working properly) and taking an X-ray of the jaw. This will help him find the source of the imbalance, check the structural integrity of the joints, and see if any muscles in the face are particularly tense.
Once he has determined which muscles may be creating the migraines, he’ll inject small doses of Botox into them. This prevents them from overworking and tiring themselves out, stopping the chain reaction that leads to migraines. Most patients will start to notice a difference within two to three days, and the results can be trusted to last for about three to four months. In that time, a patient’s dentist or doctor can work to correct the imbalances that are impacting the TMJ.