A Migraine is more than just a headache. It can be a debilitating condition which has a considerable impact on the quality of life of sufferers and their families. Attacks can be completely disabling,
forcing the sufferer to abandon everyday activities for up to 3 days. Even in symptom-free periods, sufferers may live in fear of the next attack.
Despite the fact that 1 in 4 households in Canada have someone affected by migraine headaches, a migraine is still not considered by many employers to be a legitimate medical problem. A Migraine, however, can cause significant disability and costs the Canadian work force 7 million workdays each year!
Traditionally migraine sufferers who have been correctly diagnosed have been treated with medications. In addition to this physiotherapy, massage, pain injections and other modalities do help. However recently Health Canada approved another tool that can be very helpful for treating chronic migraines. Botox® (onabotulinum toxin A) was licensed specifically for the treatment of chronic migraine recently by Health Canada.
Dr Takhar’s Cosmetic Clinic has had great luck with this treatment option. “Over the years, we have had many many women who were having Botox to soften lines on their face reporting the pleasant side effect of their migraines being significantly reduced” says Dr Deepa Takhar. “So I was not surprised that Health Canada gave the approval as all of us doctors had seen it work in practice”.
Botox has been used for over a decade for cosmetic purposes and for other medical reasons such as hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating) and eye problems. With its approval for migraine treatment it will be a significant relief and cost saving for patients. “Currently all insurance companies cover the cost of the drug , which is good as it can run into thousands of dollars” says Natalie, the Clinic head nurse. “And even if you have no coverage, the product for a trial treatment is provided at no cost”.
In the past, patients that had their lines treated noticed that their migraine symptoms reduced, it is now reversed. When Botox is given for migraines, patients notice that their facial lines are significantly reduced. “Patients are pleasantly surprised that they look relaxed and the harshness of their lines is significantly reduced. They certainly do not look plastic or frozen” says Dr Takhar who has been doing this for many years now.
Patients do not need a referral and their family doctor will not be impacted by the visit. For a free consultation call 519 653 4490 and ask for Anamarija.