MADISON – According to the American Migraine Foundation, over 36 million people in America suffer from severe migraines and headaches. That’s more than the number who have diabetes and asthma combined.
Abby Turner, a U-W Health Pain Services Nurse, is a part of the 36 million. She’s had headaches her entire life, but it wasn’t until graduating nursing school that they became migraines, occurring at least once a month. Turner talked to her doctor about it and began trying different oral medications, but never felt any relief. However, because she didn’t full under the chronic migraine category, which is more than 15 migraines a month, she didn’t quality for other treatments.
That was until she started working at the UW Surgery Center. There, she met a doctor that was specialized in a different type of outpatient treatment; one that she did qualify for.
“[It was] definitely life-changing,” Turner said. “I often have said that I feel like I was meant to work at that facility so I could hear about it. I was tired of being told that I wasn’t bad enough to get certain treatments but I wasn’t good enough to not suffer.”
The procedure is a series of two injections where probes are inserted in the eyebrow area and near the bridge of the nose.
“I was nervous because it does sound intimidating,” Turner said. “It was described to me as burning the nerves in your forehead and that sounded kind of traumatic but the whole procedure takes about 12 minutes long, you’re not put to sleep or anything like that.”
Patients need to stay awake during the procedure, as there’s a test to make sure the probes are in the right place. Still, Turner said patients are topically numbed beforehand, and there’s also an additional option for a sedative. The procedure lasts for at least a year before it needs to be redone.
Turner said since her treatment, she hasn’t had a migraine. If you think you could benefit from this treatment and want to learn more, click or tap here.
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