More than 47 million Americans suffer from migraines according to recent reports from the medical sector. They vary in type, cause, and severity, but they’re all debilitating. They can be incredibly disruptive to people’s lives and bring about misery that doesn’t seem like it will ever end. Numerous treatments are available for managing migraines though some are more effective than others. If you’re among the millions who are regularly forced to power through migraines, consider the following five treatment options.
1) Intravenous Solutions
Intravenous treatments are among the more recently developed options for treating migraines. These IV treatments come in several varieties, each offering a blend of medications that can potentially reduce the severity and duration of a migraine. You can even have them administered by a medical professional in the comfort of your own home. Having an IV at home means you don’t have to leave to get migraine treatment. Instead, the treatment comes to you, so you can simply relax and wait for the relief to come.
2) Injectables
Injectable migraine medications are also an option. Two of the most common choices here are Botox and greater occipital nerve blocks. Both are injected into the head to help prevent migraines. Botox is known for its ability to paralyze muscles. Experts believe it works for migraines by blocking neurotransmitters that carry pain signals. Greater occipital nerve blocks treat migraines that are caused by hypersensitivity in the greater occipital nerves running along the back of the head.
3) Prescription Medications for Pain
Prescription pain medications are among the more traditional treatments for migraines. While conventional opioid painkillers aren’t recommended for migraine pain, other options are available. Those include triptans and ergotamine, both of which cause cranial blood vessels to constrict. That, in turn, reduces pain caused by the vasodilation that occurs during migraine attacks.
4) Preventative Medications
While some prescription medications help to ease pain during a migraine attack, others are designed to prevent migraines. A couple of common choices in this category are valproate and topiramate. Whereas those are anti-convulsants, preventative medications like candesartan are angiotensin II receptor blockers relax the veins and arteries. Beta-blockers like those used to treat high blood pressure and CGRP MABs may also help prevent migraines before they arise.
5) Electronic Devices
A few electronic devices have been approved by the FDA to treat migraines as well. Nerivio uses electrical pulses to alleviate migraine pain. It delivers the pulses to the upper arm, and you can adjust their intensity as needed. Cefaly is applied to the forehead, and it delivers electrical stimulation to facial sensory nerves that are associated with migraine pain. This device can be used for migraine prevention and treatment.
Mitigating Migraine Pain
Several options are available for mitigating migraine pain, including electronic devices, injections, intravenous medications, and traditional prescription medications. Some are meant to prevent the pain while others are used to alleviate it once it strikes. Keep in mind that not all of them are effective for everyone.
Which solutions are right for you depends on several factors, such as the types of migraines you suffer from, their causes, and your sensitivity to different types of treatments. You may need to use multiple treatments in tandem to find full relief from the pain. With so many options available, though, there’s likely to be a solution that works for you.