Migraines are the third-most common disease in the world, , affecting 1 out of every 7 people globally. Migraine is a chronic condition, often accompanied by intense pain, difficulty thinking, changes in vision, dizziness, nausea, and increased sensitivity to light, noise, and smells. Migraines can affect more than just your head and can disrupt your entire life. According to Harvard Business Review, 47 million Americans suffer from migraines and, on average, miss 4.4 workdays per year from migraine attacks. Living with recurring headaches can significantly impact your daily life. If you’ve been struggling to manage your headaches, it may be time to consult a migraine doctor.
Premier Medical Group understands the challenges of chronic headaches and offers comprehensive pain management in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. In this guide, we’ll explain when you should seek specialized care for migraines and what to expect from treatment.
You should consider consulting a migraine specialist or migraine doctor if you experience:
- Headaches More Than Twice a Week – When headaches become this frequent, they often start to interfere with your work, relationships, and daily activities. A specialist can help determine the type of headache disorder and specific treatment approaches.
- Headaches That Don’t Respond to Over-the-Counter Medications – When standard pain relievers no longer work, it’s time to consult a specialist. A pain management doctor can develop a comprehensive treatment plan that may include preventive medications, lifestyle changes, and specific acute treatments for migraine attacks.
- Migraines Lasting Longer Than 24 Hours – Known as status migrainosus, require immediate medical attention. These extended episodes can be particularly debilitating and may indicate a need for preventive treatment strategies. A headache specialist can provide emergency treatments to break these long-lasting episodes and develop strategies to prevent them from recurring.
- Presence of Neurological Symptoms – Visual disturbances, numbness, weakness, or difficulty speaking during migraines could indicate more serious conditions. Common neurological symptoms that warrant immediate medical attention include:
- Aura symptoms like flashing lights or zigzag lines in your vision
- Temporary loss of vision in one or both eyes
- Numbness or tingling in the face, arms, or legs
- Difficulty finding words or slurred speech
- Weaknesses on one side of your body
- Dizziness or vertigo
- Problems with balance or coordination
- Confusion or difficulty concentrating
- Ringing in the ears or hearing changes
- Memory problems during or after migraine episodes
These symptoms can sometimes mimic other serious neurological conditions like stroke or multiple sclerosis. Proper evaluation by a qualified migraine specialist helps ensure an accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment plan. Early intervention for neurological symptoms may prevent complications and improve your long-term outlook.
Headaches Impacting Your Daily Activities – Symptoms like severe nausea, light sensitivity, or sound sensitivity can significantly affect your quality of life and deserve specialized attention. If your migraines constantly interfere with work, family life, or social activities, professional intervention may help.
How a Migraine Specialist Can Help Identify Your Triggers
A migraine specialist uses their expertise to help you understand your unique migraine triggers. Without knowing this, you may spend more money on ineffective treatment and other remedies. Common triggers your doctor may help you identify include:
- Stress and anxiety
- Certain foods and beverages
- Environmental factors
- Sleep disturbances
- Hormonal changes
By understanding these triggers allows for the creation of a personalized treatment plan.
Advanced Treatment Options for Chronic Migraines
A qualified migraine doctor will develop a personalized treatment plan. This may include:
- Preventive medications, like beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, and anti-seizure drugs, which can reduce the frequency and severity of your migraine attacks when taken regularly under a specialist’s supervision. According to clinical research, preventative migraine therapy can reduce headache frequency by 50%.
- Acute treatment options, such as triptans, NSAIDs, and anti-nausea medications, to target your symptoms during an active migraine attack.
- Lifestyle modifications, including regular sleep schedules, stress management techniques, dietary changes, and exercise routines, to help reduce migraine triggers and improve your overall quality of life.
- Specialized therapies, like Botox injections, nerve blocks, cognitive behavioral therapy, and biofeedback when traditional approaches aren’t providing adequate relief.
Premier Medical Group: Your Partner in Migraine Relief
Understanding when you’re having a migraine versus headache is the first step to knowing when you need to see a specialist to improve your health.
Premier Medical Group offers comprehensive migraine treatment solutions tailored to your needs. Our doctors accept most insurance plans, including workers’ compensation, no-fault, and PIP (personal injury protection). Same-day appointments may be available.
For expert care from an experienced migraine doctor in New Jersey, call Premier Medical Group at (908) 904-1900.
FAQs About Migraine Care:
1. What’s the Difference Between a Regular Doctor and a Migraine Specialist?
A migraine specialist has additional training in headache disorders and offers more specialized treatment options than primary care physicians.
2. How often should I see a Pain Management Doctor for migraines?
How often you see a pain management doctor for migraines depends on your symptoms and treatment plan, but most patients start with monthly visits until their migraines are under control.
3. When should I consider seeing a Migraine doctor?
You should consult a migraine doctor if your headaches interfere with daily activities, occur frequently, or don’t respond to over-the-counter treatments.
4.How many days can I take acute migraine headache medications in a month?
Providers recommend taking acute headache treatments no more than 10 days per month.
5. What is rebound headache?
Rebound headache or medication overuse headache (MOH), which is common in people who overuse medications to treat headaches like migraines or tension-type headaches. The exact frequency of taking pain relievers before developing a rebound headache depends on the type of medication.
6. Can I stop my headache medications suddenly?
You should talk to your doctor before stopping any medications, as some can be stopped right away while others need to be tapered slowly. After stopping the medication, your headaches may worsen for a few days.
7. What are the newer medications for migraines?
There are numerous new drugs available to treat acute migraine and migraine prevention. Please consult Premier Medical Group experienced migraine doctor in New Jersey, Premier Medical Group at (908) 904-1900 for more details.
- Gepants – These small molecule CGRP receptor antagonists are used to treat migraines both acutely and preventatively. Examples include:
- Ubrelvy (ubrogepant): Used to treat acute migraines
- Nurtec (rimegepant): Can be used for both acute treatment and prevention.
- Atogepant (Qulipta): Used for migraine prevention
- Monoclonal antibodies– These are used to prevent migraines and include:
- Erenumab, Eptinezumab, Galcanezumab, Fremanezumab (Ajovy)
- Lasmiditan (Reyvow) – Targets serotonin receptors on brain nerve endings to stop migraine attacks
- Zavegepant – A nasal spray used to treat acute migraines
