News
Keep up to date with all the latest news from S4S. Click here to subscribe to our FREE fortnightly update.
Fri 13th Jan Giving Hope to Migraine Sufferers
By Dr Pav Khaira, Founder & Director of The Migraine Care Institute
Migraine is a chronic condition that affects thousands of people across the UK every day. It is characterised by moderate to severe headaches lasting more than two hours and is often accompanied by nausea, dizziness and even lethargy. While for many people, migraine is a painful, and distressing condition, all too many people suffer in silence, and many are unaware that their problems may well be associated with sleeping disorders and conditions of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) – conditions that can readily be treated using occlusal splint technology. We must also be aware of the importance of ligament insertion injuries and how this affects our diagnosis and treatment.
A recent patient of mine, Sue, was a long-term migraine sufferer with symptoms stretching back over 15 years. Aside from migraines Sue also suffered from ear pain and a range of other symptoms including numbness and a scraping, tingling sensation, which can be attributed to tension in her neck and shoulders.
For Sue, the pain she was suffering was completely debilitating, and was ultimately taking over her life. Working full time she was finding it more and more difficult to concentrate on her job and often have to take time off sick. Away from the working environment her life was also becoming increasingly unbearable as she struggled to do even simple things such as playing with her grandchildren through sheer pain and exhaustion.
In an attempt to try and solve her problems, Sue tried many different options including visits to the doctor and the local neurologist – she even tried acupuncture!
I encounter patients with similar symptoms to Sue on a regular basis. For some people their condition has really taken over their lives to the point where many find they can no longer cope. There is of course a major psychological element to be considered here as well. In many cases a life of constant pain leads to depression, which can in turn further aggravate the condition and cause real suffering on the part of the patient.
Like many patients, initially Sue was doubtful as to the effects NTI-tss splint treatment could have. After many years of suffering this is quite a natural response. Though she had her doubts, after a few weeks Sue was already starting to notice the difference. Ear and head pains reduced substantially, and the numbness and scraping / tingling sensations all but disappeared. In as little as 6 weeks her pain was reduced by as much as 90%. We’re at a stage in the treatment now where I am now writing to Sue’s GP to suggest a review of her current medication. Such has been the success of the NTI-tss treatment she is now at the point no longer needs the pills her doctor has prescribed.
Like so many of the cases I deal with on a regular basis, this case demonstrates the real hope we can give to patients with severe headaches and migraines. With proper understanding and effective treatments such as NTI-tss, not only can we tackle one of the main influencing factors of migraines, we can also help patients reduce their medications, or even stop them completely. This is very important for patient care and general wellbeing. Many anti-migraine drugs for example are very aggressive, very heavy medications that can often make people feel sick, while many patients just don’t get on with them. What’s even worse is these drugs don’t actually address the issue at hand – they merely help alleviate some of the symptoms.
For this reason I think there is a great deal we as dentists can learn in this field if we as a profession are to offer patients the level of care they deserve.
From my work at The Migraine Care Institute for example I am achieving over 90% success rates treating patients with chronic headaches / Migraines, which is a significantly higher success rate than our medical colleagues are attaining.
It is clear then, that as an industry, we still have a lot to learn. With an expansion in splint technology, and the number of practitioners adopting it in the treatment of Bruxism, TMD, Migraines, and other conditions, there should be no reason for patients suffering in silence. Solutions are out there – we just need to embrace them.
