Practice for Neurology and Headaches
in the heart of Zurich
Headaches Migraine - Diagnosis and Therapy
The experts for your headaches and migraines
Diagnostics and therapy
Headache - headache
migraine
Tension headaches
Cluster headaches
Neck pain
Traumatic brain injury
Chewing muscle tension (bruxism)
and other neurological diseases
Headaches are among the most common health problems: Approximately 4–5% of the population suffer from daily headaches and about 70% suffer from episodic or chronic headaches.
Primary headache forms
Over 90% of headache disorders fall into the two primary headache categories: migraine and tension headaches, which can also occur in combination. Cluster headaches and medication-overuse headaches are also classified as primary headaches.
In primary headaches, the pain itself is the condition. Its cause is still not fully understood and therefore cannot always be completely eliminated. Prevention aims to avoid known triggers and contributing factors. Treatment consists of rapid and lasting pain relief.
Secondary headache forms
This means that headaches occurring as a symptom of another illness are significantly less common. However, they must be carefully monitored, and their causes must be addressed promptly if necessary. One cause of secondary headaches can be a so-called dysfunction, in which misaligned teeth and jaws create tension that can lead to headaches and even back pain.
We are the Botulinum Clinic in Zurich
Botulinum toxin is a highly effective active ingredient used not only in wrinkle treatment but also for excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis) and migraines. The brand name of this medication comes from the Irish pharmaceutical company Allergan, now AbbVie, and is very well known, but for legal reasons it cannot be mentioned and is therefore replaced here with BTX.
Botulinum is a protein produced by bacteria. The substance inhibits the release of acetylcholine from presynaptic vesicles, thus interrupting the transmission of impulses from the nerve to the muscle.
Therapeutically, the toxin was first used in the early 1970s by the San Francisco ophthalmologist Scott to treat strabismus (crossed eyes). In 1982, various research groups began using it for blepharospasm and hemifacial spasm. Since 1984, BTX has also been used for more complex dystonias (e.g., spastic torticollis).
or writer's cramp) and has been successfully used in patients with spasticity since the 1990s.
The treatment itself consists of injecting a few milliliters of the substance into the affected muscles. Pathologically cramped muscles can be relaxed by injecting botulinum toxin without causing permanent damage. The effect usually begins after three to five days and lasts three to four months. Therefore, the treatment is generally repeated every three months.
Of particular importance is identifying the muscles that trigger the symptoms. This is achieved by examining the electrical activity of the muscles using electromyography (EMG). This examination technique can determine which muscles are overactive and how severe this overactivity is.