Facial surgery effectively eliminates or reduces the pain of migraine headaches for at least 5 years, according to a new study published in the journal Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery.
Researchers at Case Western Reserve University and the Cleveland Clinic's Center for Headache and Pain in Ohio say surgical manipulation of migraine trigger sites can lessen the frequency, duration and intensity of headache pain, providing long-term relief for the more than 30 million Americans who suffer from the condition.
The study notes that surgical intervention involves manipulating 4 trigger sites on the face. Patients who experience frontal migraine headaches, for example, would have muscles in that area removed to reduce pressure on the muscles or nerves that produce pain, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.
Overall, 61 of the 69 patients who underwent surgical treatment benefited — defined by researchers as a 50% reduction in migraines — from the procedure and maintained improvement at 5 years post-op. The study notes 29% of the patients reported "elimination" of migraines and 59% claimed a "significant decrease."
The researchers say they are encouraged by the results, noting that over 90% of patients in the study experienced positive results following surgery, with over 70% having their migraines eliminated completely. They attribute this success rate to a more accurate identification and deactivation or elimination of migraine trigger sites, notably the thorough removal of the corrugator muscle group and more aggressive treatment of nasal contact points and concomitant intranasal pathology.
