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The interdisciplinary team at Headache Care Center is comprised of physicians, nurses, psychologists, and physical therapists. All are located on site, allowing for close communication to develop the best treatment strategy for each patient. To read about each member of the team, go to the Providers and Staff page.
Medical
Our medical staff is comprised of physicians whose backgrounds vary, but who have a common strong interest in headache management. Dr. Roger Cady is board certified in Family Practice;, Dr. Kent Dexter, is board certified in Internal Medicine. Both are also board certified in Headache Management, and collectively offer decades of experience in the evaluation and treatment of headache. They work together and closely with the interdisciplinary team to offer the best care to our patients.
Nursing
The Intensive Program and all I-V therapy are conducted by our Director of Nursing. The clinical nursing staff works with our physicians to enhance patient care and communication. The entire nursing staff is committed to providing excellent patient care, and they are strong patient advocates and educators.
Psychology
Psychology is directed at teaching patients techniques they can use to improve the frequency and impact of their headaches. Headache is a medical condition that may be triggered by psychological changes. Some factors may contribute to the headache pattern, while others may be a result of dealing with a chronic pain condition. The psychologist’s initial visit is devoted to reviewing the medical history with the patient and determining psychosocial and behavioral factors involved in the headache process. Testing is done to determine an index of stress and adjustment. The results of the psychosocial evaluation are shared with the patient, and a treatment plan is designed to meet the needs of that patient. Treatment involves biofeedback training, counseling services, and education about the headache process and treatment options.
Biofeedback
A migraineur's nervous system can be trained to respond to excessive stimulation through the use of temperature biofeedback. The goal of biofeedback is to teach the body's internal physiology to respond with confidence rather than panic when a new challenge arises.
At Headache Care Center, we have found that learning to control stress and its effect on the body helps those who have migraine headaches gain control over the headaches.
The first step in gaining control over the body's internal physiology is to gauge the body's current level of stress. Finger temperature is a reliable indicator of how much stress the body is carrying. The average finger temperature is 85 degrees F. A finger temperature below 85 degrees F signifies that the body is reacting to stress. Through biofeedback, you can retrain your nervous system to respond in a more positive fashion to events that are stressful. These techniques are highly effective in both children and adults.
Although not as effective as individualized instruction, biofeedback can be self-taught with the use of an audio CD. If you are interested in this safe effective way to prevent future migraine attacks, contact Headache Care Center to arrange for biofeedback training.
Physical Therapy
Physical therapy offers assessment and treatment of the structure of the body. Tight muscles may lead to headache, or the neurochemical process of headache may actually trigger muscle tightness in the neck area. Your physical therapist can assist you in reducing the physical stress on your body by performing the following:
> Reduce muscle strain that may be contributing to headache
> Rebalance tight versus over-stretched and weakened muscles
> Treat dysfunction of the spinal column, including neck, back, and pelvis
> Teach self-treatment techniques and exercises to maintain mobility, strength,
and body awareness
Treatments
Headache Care Center offers a variety of treatment options for our patients. In addition to a team of professionals ready to use their expertise to help get the headaches under control, we offer a variety of treatment options.
Initial and Follow-up Visits Make an appointment
Your initial visit with a Headache Care Center physician will be scheduled for a minimum of 1 hour. However, that visit may last as long as 4-5 hours depending on your individual needs and if treatment is begun. If you are traveling a long distance to the clinic, we may ask that you stay overnight in the area to allow time for further treatment or testing the next day. You can discuss this when you call to make an appointment.
Follow-up visits are important to monitor your progress, or lack of progress. It is important to keep your follow-up appointments to ensure your treatment plan is working for you. Adjustments may need to be made to medications, or new treatment techniques may be appropriate. Initially, you may be scheduled for frequent follow-up visits, but our goal is to turn the management of your headaches over to you with follow-up visits to the clinic 1-2 times a year.
Intensive Program
Headache Care Center offers an out-patient Intensive Program for patients whose headaches are not responding well to treatment. This program focuses on thorough evaluation and diagnosis by the interdisciplinary team, and treatment strategies are developed specific to each patient. Our interdisciplinary treatment team consists of medical physicians and nurses, psychologists, and physical therapists. All staff members are involved in treatment and patient education. For more detailed information, click on Intensive Program.
Acute Treatment
All headache sufferers understand there are times when nothing seems to relieve the pain of a severe headache. For established Headache Care Center patients, treatment is available for acute headache not responding to the treatment prescribed for you. This is offered as an alternative to a trip to the emergency room. Care is provided in comfortable surroundings by a treatment team that understands your headache. Acute treatment at HCC also costs less than a trip to the emergency room or urgent care.
Treatment Modalities
A variety of treatment modalities are offered at Headache Care Center.
> Occipital Nerve Blocks
> Trigger Point Injections
> Botox Injections (for headache only)
> Acupuncture
> Electrical Stimulation
> I-V Therapy |
