Headache Treatment Protocols

Anyone who's experienced the splitting pain of a bad headache or migraine attack knows how difficult it can be to work, drive, or even carry on a conversation. Instead of crawling into bed when a headache strikes, you need a treatment plan that will alleviate your symptoms for good. At Today’s Headache Institute, we are committed to helping patients relieve their suffering and get their lives back through holistic and permanent headache treatment protocols.

The most common question we get:

How are you going to treat my pain and get rid of my headaches/migraines?

The answer to this question can be complex due to the multiple treatment options and strategies that we use. The combination of various headache treatments that we provide allows us to give pain relief and therapy. We know how to treat each case individually and we have learned how NOT to fail! Our treatment video explains our approach to therapy in detail. It is impossible to list all pertinent information on this website. That is why we created the video to explain the steps you can take to make sure that you can find the right doctor and the right care for your problem. We know that there are many dentists who attempt these treatments only to learn failure. Our treatment video will help you to learn about your head, facial, neck, and migraine pain problem and provide a guide to help you find the right specialist to cure your problem.

Theories of Headache & TMJ Treatment

There are many theories and treatment protocols used internationally for TMJ and Headache Therapy. There is no right or wrong answer to this question, however, there are right and wrong TMJ treatment approaches. For example, we see a large number of patients who have been treated by “weekend warrior” specialists by utilizing Upper Bite Plates (bite splints that fit on the upper teeth). This is the most common of all dental appliances. It is also the one that has the highest failure rate. Most dentists fabricate this type of appliance because that’s what they were taught in school. Our treatment video covers this problem and topic in more detail. Other treatment modalities known include Expansion Appliances. Some experts believe that expanding the upper jaw can provide pain relief. This can be an incorrect treatment especially if the lower jaw is not placed in the proper position. Expanders can cause more pain because they can displace the lower jaw into a more painful position.

NTI Technology for Migraine Pain

A very effective device if used for moderate pain cases. It can also help about 50% (by our clinical observation) of migraine sufferers. This device can cause more pain if it is not adjusted properly in the mouth. Many of these devices that we see fitted by other dentists are incorrectly adjusted. If you have this device and it is not providing pain relief then you must consider that either the device is ill-fitted or your condition warrants more advanced care. This device is normally used for the beginning stages of migraine treatment and not as long term care.

Lower Splints for Headache Treatment

Lower Orthotics can usually be the most effective appliances to correct jaw imbalances and cure even the worst headache and migraine sufferers. This is especially true for those who have been diagnosed with advanced TMJ degeneration and cartilage loss/tinnitus-ear-pain-treatments/treatment-video/contact-us">treatment video covers the use and fabrication of these appliances in more detail. Over 90% of the orthotics that we see, including those from other TMJ specialty offices, are incorrectly fitted or designed. Many have loose fitting or lack of proper positioning. The purpose of most lower orthotics is to give you the ability to actually heal the damage to the TMJ cartilage. There are very particular designs and home care instructions that must be followed in order for these splints to work. For example, patients who have no cartilage damage will NOT benefit from any full coverage orthotics. In fact, they can worsen the clenching problem.

Appliance Failure

If you have been fitted with a dental appliance and your pain has not subsided within 3 months, we have the following recommendations for you:

  • Have your specialist re-adjust the splint and explain to you what he/she is trying to accomplish with its use. If a clear explanation is not forthcoming, find another specialist… it should be an exact science, not guesswork.
  • If you are “fighting” your appliance, then consider that you may need a break-in period of treatment. This may consist of wearing different appliances until you get used to the correct one. Normally, a small device such as the NTI is used to “break you in”, followed by a lower neuromuscular splint and possibly nighttime orthopedic correctors. It may take more than 4 months before you can even start wearing the correct appliance.
  • In most cases, physical therapy and postural education is also required before the appliance can have a high success rate. If your specialist has not evaluated your posture or has not considered physical medicine requirements, you may want to seek a second opinion. Our clinical experience has shown that over 75% of our patients require physical medicine intervention.

Trust Today's Headache Institute to relieve you of your headache pain. If you have any questions surrounding migraine or headache treatments, contact us today! Solve your pain in 6-8 months or we’ll give you your money back.

Free of Pain!

"I was in my 60s and I had terrible headaches. My doctor could not find the cause of my headaches. I have been treated by Dr. John for last few years and I am now free of pain. I...Read More

Highly Recommend!

"My dentist referred me here. I had seen numerous other doctors and dentists regarding my jaw pain and headaches. None of them knew what to do. Dr. John corrected my jaws and found a...Read More

Best Decision!

"I drive from Kentucky to see Dr. John. I was desperate to find the cause of my headaches. I had seen every specialist in the Midwest. Nobody could help me. Now I am cured thanks to Dr...Read More