Headache

Sara Goel, DO

Board Certified Interventional Pain Management Physician & Board Certified Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Physician located in Inner Loop, Medical Center, Rice Village, Houston, TX

At least half of adults say they’ve endured a headache in the past year — but if you have the type of headaches that are persistent, intensely painful, and often disabling, you’re in an entirely different category, one that other people typically don’t really understand. That’s where double board-certified pain management and rehabilitation specialist Sara Goel, DO, comes in. She’s highly educated in the complex inner-body interactions that cause headaches, and she is an expert in cutting-edge pain management protocols that relieve pain and diminish headache frequency. Call the Houston, Texas, office or click the online appointment scheduler now.

Headache Q & A

What are migraine headaches?

Migraines are headaches that cause severe throbbing or pulsing pain, typically on one side of your head. Often, migraines cause significant sensitivity to light and sound. Nausea and vomiting are also common.

A migraine headache attack typically lasts 4-72 hours. Some migraine sufferers also experience auras prior to the actual headache. Auras cause sensory symptoms like seeing bright lights, having temporary vision loss, hearing nonexistent sounds, or feeling tingling in arms or legs.

What causes migraines?

The exact cause of migraines remains a mystery. Researchers believe that imbalances in serotonin and other brain hormones may play a major role, and genetics can also contribute. If you’re prone to migraines, many different triggers could be launching the headache symptoms.

Common migraine triggers include:

Stress
Alcohol consumption, particularly wine
Caffeine consumption
Estrogen fluctuations during menstruation, pregnancy, or menopause
Lack of sleep
Weather changes
Some foods, including aged cheeses and salty foods
Certain food additives, such as artificial sweeteners

Although you can control most triggers to some degree, being vulnerable to migraines may still lead to frequent and debilitating headaches. Fortunately, pain management can help.

How does pain management for migraine headaches work?

Dr. Goel is a board-certified pain management specialist who uses a personalized approach to end your migraine pain.

Medication management

If you’re already taking migraine medication, Dr. Goel can help with medication management. If current medications aren’t working, she can change your dosage or recommend another option to manage your symptoms. You may need both a preventive (daily) medication or anti-cgrp injection, as well as a rescue (as-needed) medication.

Botox® therapy

Botox can treat migraines that occur at least 15 days each month. Dr. Goel injects Botox into specific pain fibers in the head using an ultrathin needle. Botox prevents migraines by blocking release of pain chemicals in the brain and paralyzing the nerve terminals that send pain signals.

Nerve block

In a nerve block injection, Dr. Goel uses a slim syringe to inject medication into specific nerves involved in migraine headaches. The anesthetic medication numbs the area to prevent pain signaling for a long period of time.

Trigger points

Trigger point injections are local anesthetics that numb specific small areas of muscle irritation and pain. Sometimes trigger points spasm when pressed, or they may cause spasms in another unconnected muscle. Trigger points are common with migraine headaches, and can occur anywhere in the head or neck.

Dr. Goel also offers other interventional pain management treatments, and she can help you make lifestyle changes to minimize your migraines.

There’s no reason to live in constant fear of headaches with so many effective nonsurgical treatment options available. Call Dr. Sara Goel or click the online appointment maker to book your consultation now.