For those suffering from chronic daily headaches, surgery could be the answer, the Houston Chronicle reported.
The procedure, called nerve decompression surgery, isn't performed in too many areas, according to Dr. Pamela Blake, but it is in Houston, where she's the director of the Headache Center at the Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital. Dr. Jason Hall (also of Houston, TX) endorsed surgery in his April 2013 blog entry on Migraine.com, but cautioned that it is a "growing field" and that what he writes "could change with time."
Headaches must occur at least 15 days out of the month for a period of three months for a true chronic daily headache diagnosis, according to the Mayo Clinic. Sufferers experience one of four types of headache: chronic migraine, chronic tension-type headache, new daily persistent headache, and hemicrania continua. The Mayo Clinic does not list surgery as a treatment for chronic daily headaches.
Chronic daily headaches are a nerve issue, The Chronicle reported. Though they can be temporarily treated with nerve-block injections, Blake believes surgery is a more permanent solution.
"In some people, the nerve becomes flattened out and compressed within the muscles, leading to an inflammatory response," Blake told the Chronicle. "This irritation causes pain in the back of the head that may radiate to the forehead or temples. It can hurt just to lay your head on a pillow at night."
"Is it a cure? I think it could be," she added. "I think it's going to dramatically change how we treat people with chronic daily headaches in the future. It's a new way of thinking about headaches."
Not everyone is a candidate for surgery. Those with the greatest chance of success must either suffer from a defined set of symptoms, be responsive to Botox therapy, or both, according to Hall, who practices plastic and craniofacial surgery in Houston, Migraine.com reported. Hall pointed out that Botox can be painful, and, if the medical professional administers it incorrectly, can yield a negative test result even if the patient is actually a positive responder. Matching symptoms, thus, is another way to determine if surgery is an option.
In a previous study, 88 percent of those polled reported a positive response following surgery and 30 percent said they were completely symptom-free, according to migraine.com. For those suffering from chronic daily headaches, surgery could be the answer, the Chronicle reported.
