Jul 4, 2008 6:59 pm US/Eastern
Surgeons Develop Procedure To Relieve Migraines
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
Millions of Americans suffer from migraines, but doctors in England claim to have developed a new procedure that can stop these painful headaches.
A cosmetic surgery for wrinkles is now be being used by British doctors to stop migraines.
Plastic surgeon Thomas Muehlberger says it involves a muscle in the forehead that's removed to reduce frown lines. "We discovered that taking out this particular muscle there were over the years, more and more patients who told us 'By the way my migraine had improved.'"
It's called the corrugator muscle, which lies between the branches of a nerve. Doctors say by taking out the muscle, pressure on the nerve is released, and with it, the cause of the headaches.
But it's not for everyone. To find out if a patient is a candidate, doctors first use another wrinkle fighter, Botox, to paralyze the muscle. If in a couple of weeks the patient feels migraine relief, they can have the surgery.
Small studies have shown the treatment is effective. "It changed my whole life. Basically it was completely different afterwards. I had no migraines," said migraine sufferer Ricki Nerreter.
Still, many experts aren't completely sold. "One of the precursors to the treatment is to have (a) Botox injection to see if that would have an effect on headache. When we give Botox in headache patients, we tend to give it in a much more wide area than just corrugator, so
I think the jury would be out from my perspective," said headache specialist Andy Dowson.
Experts say that many more procedures need to be done to see if the surgery is effective. And if it is, you may likely see the procedure being performed here in the States in a few years.
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