Headache and Chronic Craniofacial Pain Unit

Migraine is a frequent and very disabling neurological disease. It affects 12% of the population in Spain (18% in women), represents the most frequent reason for consultation in Neurology and is the most important cause of disability in patients between 16-50 years.

The diagnosis of migraine is clinical, that is to say, it is based on a series of well-defined symptoms that the patient describes during the episodes of pain. 

The migraine is characterized by episodes of headache of between 4-72 hours that usually affects of predominant form to a side of the head (hemicraneal), that most of the patients describe like a beat (pulsatile) and that can be associated to nauseas, vomits, and hypersensitivity to the light and the noise. The headache is of moderate-severe intensity and typically worsens with routine physical activity, forcing the patient to lie down.

The treatment of the migraine includes to avoid the possible triggers, to treat the crises of pain, fundamentally with anti-inflammatory or triptans, and in patients with frequent migraines it is recommended to initiate preventive treatment.

The Clinic has neurologists experienced in the diagnosis of migraine and they are supported by a multidisciplinary team composed of specialists from the Pain Unit, Psychology, Psychiatry and Speech Therapy.

The most advanced treatments for migraine are available, including local or botulinum toxin infiltrations and monoclonal antibodies against CGRP or its receptor.

Cluster headache is a type of headache that affects mostly young males. It is characterized by crises of orbital pain always on the same side of the head of great intensity and that is located nromally in the region of the eye or the temple.

The pain typically lasts between 15-180 minutes and patients suffer several episodes each day. During the crises, patients may experience redness of the eye, tearing or nasal congestion on the side of the pain.

Unlike the migraine, the patients with headache in clusters are restless, and tend to move during the crisis 

The Clinic has neurologists experienced in the diagnosis of cluster headache and is supported by a multidisciplinary team composed of specialists from the Pain Unit, Neurosurgery, Psychology, Psychiatry and Speech Therapy.

Surgical treatment can be an alternative in patients who do not respond to medical treatment with drugs such as verapamil, topiramate, lithium or botulinum toxin. The performance of occipital blocks is also beneficial in this type of headache.

Tension headache is the most common type of headache among the general population. It is characterized by headache episodes that last between 30 minutes to 7 days, of bilateral location, that the patients describe as a pressure of slight or moderate intensity.

Unlike the migraine it worsens with the physical activity of routine, like walking or climbing stairs and it is not accompanied by nauseas or vomits. 

It is frequent that the tensional headache is associated with anxiety, upheavals of dream and muscular contractures in neck. 

As in the migraine the diagnosis is clinical.

The simple analgesics (paracetamol or anti-inflammatory) have little effectiveness and when the headache is frequent preventive treatment is used, generally with a group of antidepressants

The Clinic has neurologists experienced in the diagnosis of tension headache and is supported by a multidisciplinary team composed of specialists from the Pain Unit, Psychology, Psychiatry and Speech Therapy.

Neuralgia and other facial pains are characterized by recurrent episodes of paroxysmal pain (intense, described as an electric shock), affecting the area of the affected nerve.

Pharmacological treatment is effective in a high percentage of patients but sometimes surgical treatment is required.

The Clinic has neurologists experienced in the diagnosis of neuralgias and facial pain and they are supported by a multidisciplinary team composed of specialists from the Pain Unit, Psychology, Psychiatry and Speech Therapy.

In addition, we have neurosurgeons experienced in the application of different surgical alternatives.