Get Vancouver Botox® for migraines and chronic headaches in Surrey, at our medical clinic

Our lead doctor, Dr. Shah, is not just experienced as a Botox® injector. He also studied pain medicine, including medical acupuncture at UCLA. He worked for the Thorson Pain Clinic in North Vancouver in his early career. His knowledge goes beyond understanding Botox® injection sites for wrinkles; he is well-versed in pain points and pain management, too.

Moreover, it’s important to know that when injecting Botox® for pain relief, it also affects wrinkles and facial muscles. It works this way as it does for aesthetic procedures. This is because it is the same product, used in some of the same spots, but for different reasons.

Knowing what the typical facial reactions are when using this product helps to keep your face symmetrical after treatments. It also avoids any droopy eyelids or adverse side effects. Dr. Shah is regarded for his aptitude in cosmetic injections. He is even called on to train others, due to his reputation in the industry. You can rest assured you’ll be in good hands when receiving Botox® injections at our clinic.

More on Dr. Shah’s training and qualifications can be seen here.

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Our Surrey Botox® treatments for migraines start with a free consultation at our medical clinic next door (Amari Medical Practice).

Since migraines can be indicators of other health issues, we will want to learn some essential information about your case, before resorting to Botox® injections. This will help to qualify you for Botox®, before you spend on this procedure without realizing your root cause can be fixed another way.

During a treatment session, you’ll be in a private room with a doctor, and sometimes, a trained medical office assistant. Only doctors do these injections at our clinic. The second person is present to assist, and to ensure you are comfortable during the procedure.

Migraines require many more units of Botox® than they do for wrinkles. The term “units” is the way practitioners measure the amount of liquid Botox® that is used for a given purpose. Our doctors will assess your needs, and prescribe a number of units and injection points required to solve your migraines.

Using a needle, small amounts of Botox® are inserted into your head’s pain points (possibly leading down to your neck and shoulders, too). These will feel like quick, ‘in-and-out’ pokes. They will be done about 30 or 40 times in a single session. No anaesthetic is needed.

Thereafter, it will take about two or three weeks to notice signs of improvement with your headaches.

Botox® works for migraines by blocking pain signals from neurotransmitters (or so it is believed). These neurotransmitters are unable to reach your nerve endings when Botox® stops them.

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No, Botox® is a substance that is metabolized by your body. It will dissipate over time. Most people need to be re-injected every 3 to 4 months. Some people experience a ‘wearing off’ effect sooner than that. If you need more frequent intervals of injections, we will need to assess your case further.

Nonetheless, Botox® is not known to prevent all migraines or headaches. However, it can significantly reduce the amount of severe ‘pain days’ that you experience. This reduction effect can be different for every person; it all depends on how your own body reacts to this drug. Studies have shown that the number of days migraines occur can be reduced by up to 50% with Botox®.

We also know that the more rounds of Botox® a person has, the more their pain can decrease over time (up to about 70% less migraine days per month). In other words, the effects are likely to get better and better, if you continue with this treatment.

A small minority of people may not experience pain reduction from Botox®. This is near-impossible to predict, and – again – has to do with your own body’s reaction to the drug.

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Typically, no. Although, whether or not you experience common side-effects of Botox®, such as temporary facial paralysis, depends largely on the knowledge and experience of the practitioner doing the injections. This is why it is so important to use a trained, qualified injector for any botulinum toxin treatments (which Botox® is made of).

Other, more serious side-effects to Botox® are extremely rare, as they are with many other drugs. These reactions could also stem from pre-existing allergies or conditions. Before your treatment, we will ask for your entire health history, to avoid these issues as much as possible. It will be important to disclose all medications, allergies and conditions you have, or have had, even if you think they are unrelated to your treatments with us. We will also let you know of all the possible side-effects of Botox® before your treatment.

As a last note on this topic, we will mention that some people do experience headaches from the procedure itself. This is temporary, and can be because of the tensity some people have towards needle injections, in general. If you are worried about needles, know that the insertions for this procedure are like quick, in-and-out ‘pokes.’ They don’t usually hurt after they are removed.

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Migraines are not just headaches (though headaches can be bad too). People with migraines experience debilitating, pulsating pain in their head. It can get so bad that they are unable to work or do simple activities, like climb stairs. Migraines come with other symptoms too, such as nausea, blurry or spotty vision, sleeplessness, light sensitivity and more. Each ‘attack’ can last up to 72 hours, and they can happen 15 days out of the month, or more.

If you have excruciating, chronic head pain, you will probably have already seen your doctor about this issue. It’s not something you bypass as ‘no big deal.’

However, people may get frequent, non-migraine headaches and not realize they have a diagnosable problem. Usually, these episodic, but semi-regular headaches can be solved, somehow.

For that reason, it’s good to know what the common classifications are for other types of headaches. While there are too many to name them all here, the ones you’ll hear most about are:

Tension headaches

Cluster headaches

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Headaches can have many known causes. For example, they can stem from injury, sinus pressure, dental or jaw problems, stress, infection, neurological conditions, hormone changes, medicine use, and more. However, migraines and headaches can also be a mystery; sometimes, there is just no explanation for why a person gets these painful attacks in the head, neck and shoulders.

If you experience frequent tension headaches or migraines, it will be important to know what your triggers are. For example, stress, teeth clenching, caffeine, exercise, lighting or odour changes – all of these can cause headaches in some people. In fact, even over-using pain medications can cause headaches. This is why they should be used cautiously.

Without knowing whether you have an underlying problem, or without identifying your triggers, it can be hard to prevent headaches. The first step is to see a doctor.

Botox® is one solution for headache prevention. However, if you are new to the world of chronic headaches, your journey may involve lifestyle changes and trying different things, first.

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The options for treating chronic migraines or headaches in Vancouver can abound. As mentioned above, people can see success with acupuncture, massage or physical therapy exercises. If the problem is related to a dental condition, then a dentist may be able to help. Some even claim that certain herbs can relieve head pain. Using a hot or cold compress in a dark room can do the trick for others.

However, when it comes to the realm of mainstream medicine, the typical road to managing this type of pain will be with drugs. Drugs for migraines are not just pain killers. They can be antidepressants, anti-inflammatories, blood pressure medications, seizure medications or other drugs commonly used for other conditions. For one reason or another, they also relieve headaches. They can be prescribed as preventative, or reactive solutions.

But again – we can’t stress this enough: you’ll need to see your doctor to find a root cause for your pain, first. Otherwise, you could be treating the wrong problem, and thus not getting results.

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The cost of treating migraines with Botox® in Vancouver (and Surrey) can depend largely on your case, the practitioner you go to, and any coverage you have, or are eligible for. At our Surrey clinic, we can give more precise quotes after seeing you in person for a consultation. This is because the number of Botox® units you’ll need for your specific headaches can be unique to you.

Our pricing includes the initial consultation, the doctor’s service time, all equipment and materials, and the Botox® itself.

Botox® is not covered by MSP in B.C. for migraines or headaches. If your private insurance carrier covers this treatment, we can get you the proper documentation to claim your reimbursements.

To get started with your Botox® treatments for migraines and headaches, please book an appointment with our medical clinic, which is adjacent to Beautiful Canadian Laser and Skincare Clinic in Surrey.