Best Solutions for Your Pain

For migraines, Botox is injected directly into various muscles around the head and neck to reduce and prevent pain, including the temporalis muscles, which reside on the sides of the head. Botox takes about a week to work and its effects can last up to 2-3 months."

The main side effect of Botox is also its benefit – muscle weakness – so it’s important to have the exact muscle injected. Make sure to select an experienced physician. Talk to your primary care provider for a referral. Botox is FDA-approved to treat migraines, so many insurance companies cover this treatment.

3. Neck and Shoulder Pain: HVLA

Osteopathic practitioners are trained to use the musculoskeletal system as its own self-regulating tool for healing the body. They are trained to use their hands to actually find areas in the body holding tension. Like MDs, doctors of osteopathic medicine have full medical licenses.

Since not all causes of pain can be identified on an x-ray, osteopathic treatments can be very helpful.

The osteopathic treatment HVLA – high-velocity, low-amplitude articulation – aims to realign the spine so there’s less stress and tension on the muscles. In this treatment, the physician uses his or her hands to locate joints that are not moving with other joints. Similar to chiropractic manipulation, it’s a way of releasing tension and muscle knots.

4. Pain From Head to Toe: Radiofrequency Ablation

Radiofrequency ablation can treat headaches, neck pain, back pain and foot pain. Radiofrequency ablation involves a radio wave that gets transmitted to the tip of a needle to create heat. This heat gently warms the affected nerve to reduce or eliminate pain.

During treatment, a probe is inserted under X-ray guidance and you’re placed under sedation for comfort. The procedure take about half an hour, can provide pain relief for up to a year, and is covered under most insurance. To try radiofrequency ablation, contact a board-certified fellowship trained pain physician.