A Valley hospital is offering possible relief to those who suffer from chronic throbbing head pain knows as migraines.

Hillside Rehabilitation Hospital in Warren recently launched the Botox Clinic for treatment of chronic migraines and focal spasticity.

Migraine is often characterized by throbbing pain in one area of the head lasting 4 to 72 hours and is associated with symptoms such as sensitivity to light or sound, nausea, and vomiting, according to the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Impacting more than 10% of the population worldwide, Jama says some people experience visual disturbances (auras) that may present as zigzag lines or flashing lights either before or during a migraine.

Migraines occur most often among people aged 20 to 50 years and is about 3 times more common in women than in men. In a large US survey, 17.1% of women and 5.6% of men reported having migraine symptoms.

Overseen by Dr.  Megan Teeples, Hillside’s Outpatient Clinic is located at Hillside Rehabilitation Hospital, 8747 Squires Lane NE and offers Botulinum Toxin Therapy, an injectable medication that blocks the abnormal signals between the nerve and muscle, allowing the muscle to relax.

 The therapy is delivered in small doses directly into the muscle and according to a statement from Hillside Hospitaland is effective for both chronic migraines and focal spasticity.

Botox is injected around the pain fibers that cause headaches, enters the nerve endings, and blocks the release of chemicals involved in pain transmission, preventing future migraines.

The use of Botox to treat chronic migraines in adults 18 years of age and older is FDA approved.

A person must have at least 15 documented migraines per month and proof that other medications have failed in preventing migraines to qualify.

The Outpatient Clinic also offers the treatment for spasticity, which is the uncontrolled tightening of muscles along with the inability to relax or loosen them.

It is typically found in patients with cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, or stroke.

Spasticity can negatively affect a person’s functioning ability and quality of life. There is no cure, however Botox is a highly effective treatment option.

“A patient is first scheduled for an evaluation in the Botox Clinic at Hillside where I will assess the need for Botox” said Dr. Teeples. “If the patient meets the criteria and is approved for Botox, a separate appointment will be scheduled. The second appointment only takes about 15 minutes and Botox will be administered in the necessary areas” said Teeples.

After Botox is administered for migraines or spasticity a follow up appointment will be scheduled at the clinic three weeks after the first injection to ensure the injection was successful and the spasticity or migraines have improved.

If there is improvement, the patient will be scheduled for a repeat injection in three months. Botox can take up to three weeks to reach its peak effectiveness and usually lasts for about three months.