Headache and migraine

Spire Dunedin Hospital, Reading, offers diagnosis, support and treatment for headache sufferers. The service is led by our neurologists in collaboration with pain management consultants.

The service includes:

• consultant-led care
• thorough assessment and individualised treatment
• rapid access to scanning facilities
• private consultation rooms and personalised care
• no waiting lists
• multi-disciplinary team approach

Your first step is to obtain a referral from a GP or specialist for a consultation conducted by a consultant neurologist.

The categorisation of your headache is critical to establishing what further treatment may be required.

• Primary headache – benign and not related to another condition
• Secondary headache – the result of another condition.

Although the cause of headaches may require investigation by a consultant neurologist, it is important to remember that the most common headache by far is of a primary nature and, therefore, not a serious threat to your health. Early intervention can help to reassure patients whilst alerting your consultant to any serious underlying cause.

Specialists in migraine treatment

Migraines are one of the most common causes of primary headache, occurring in 10% - 15% of the UK adult population (source: British Association for the Study of Headache, 2007).

Migraines are usually characterised by a severe pain, throbbing on one or both sides of the head, nausea and sickness, sensitivity to light, noise and smell, and can be made worse by movement. If you have been suffering with migraines for longer than three months, we advise that you contact your GP for a referral to Spire Dunedin Hospital where one of our consultants can help you.

At Spire Dunedin Hospital, we are proud to one of the few UK hospitals to provide an injection therapy treatment for the management of migraines.

NICE approved, the use of injection treatment is a treatment alternative for sufferers of this disabling condition. Studies have shown after a cycle of treatment, sufferers reported symptoms to be reduced by up to 50% (Diener HC, Holle D, Dodick D. 2011).

What are we able to treat?

Tension-type headache (TTH)

TTH is another common primary headache, which can be difficult to treat. Unlike a migraine, it is not associated with other symptoms like nausea or intolerance to bright light. The pain often presents itself as a pressure or tightness around the head. The headache may last for many hours and may not respond to usual painkillers. Sometimes they can become chronic and occur on a daily basis for weeks or even months at a time.

Medication overuse headache

Medication overuse headache is the third most common cause of headaches after migraine and tension-type headaches. Medication overuse headache typically occurs in patients with an underlying headache disorder such as migraines or tension headaches that transforms over time from an episodic condition to a chronic daily headache which is made worse by the repeated intake of acute headache relief medications.

Secondary headaches

This type of headache is less common. Caused by an underlying structural problem in the head or neck, they can often be successfully treated when diagnosed early. There are numerous causes for this type of headache including arthritis in the neck, problems with inflammation or damage to blood vessels; rarely can they be caused by more serious pathology such as tumours. An important part of your consultation will be to exclude any serious underlying cause.

About the treatment

Following your consultation with a neurologist, if your consultant feels that injection therapy would be an appropriate treatment for your condition, you will be seen by a pain management specialist.

Your pain specialist will discuss the treatment with you, which involves a series of injections around the head and neck. They will also provide you with a ‘migraine diary’ to allow you to monitor your headaches during and after the treatment.

Most patients find the frequency of their migraine episodes reduce, as does the need to take migraine medication prescribed by your doctor. Sufferers have found the treatment helped improve their quality of life and achieve greater fulfilment.