PainCare Florida Physicians

Migraines

PAIN CONDITION

Migraine Pain: Causes, Treatment & Pain Relief

When your head hurts, it’s hard to function and can even be debilitating. Headaches are uncomfortable, but you can go about your day; migraines can knock you off your feet. Symptoms and pain can be intense, landing you in bed for a day or two, calling out of work or canceling plans. Migraines are more than just a bad headache—they’re a complex neurological condition affecting millions worldwide.[1]

Migraine vs. Headache: What’s the Difference?

Headaches usually bring a dull, aching sensation on both sides of your head, your forehead, or the back of your neck.[2] They can range from mild to severe and often last just a few minutes to a few hours. Even if it’s annoying, you can usually push through your day with a headache.

Migraines tend to hit harder. They often cause intense, throbbing pain—usually on one side of the head—and come with a host of symptoms like nausea, light sensitivity, and even visual disturbances.[2] A migraine can knock you out for the rest of the day—or longer.

About Migraines and Migraine Pain

Migraine attacks involve intense head pain that often comes with a whole-body experience, including symptoms like nausea, fatigue, and sensitivity to light or sound.[3] Whether they are chronic or acute, its considered a crippling neurological disorder with abnormal brain activity.[4, 3]

You might only get a migraine once or twice a month—considered episodic.[5] But if they’re happening more often, you could be dealing with chronic migraines [6]. These frequent attacks can lead to missed work or school, social withdrawal, and a dip in productivity.

Migraines come in different flavors. The most common types include:

  • Migraine with aura: You might experience flashing lights, see zigzag lines, have blind spots or trouble talking before the pain kicks in.[7]
  • Migraine without aura: No visual warnings—just straight into the throbbing pain.[2]
  • Chronic migraine: Headaches happen 15 or more days a month, with at least 8 being full-blown migraines.[8]

These attacks can last anywhere from 4 hours to 3 days, leaving you feeling wiped out afterward.[9]

Migraine Symptoms By Stage

Migraine symptoms can look different for everyone—not all migraines follow the same pattern. Some people go through all four stages (prodrome, aura, attack, and postdrome), while others may only experience one or two. [10]

According to the Mayo Clinic, these are common migraine signs and symptoms:

Prodrome (a day or two before the migraine):

  • Mood changes (feeling irritable or down)
  • Food cravings
  • Neck stiffness
  • Trouble concentrating
  • Yawning more than usual

Aura (before or during the migraine, not everyone gets this):

  • Seeing flashing lights or zigzag lines
  • Temporary vision loss or blurry vision
  • Tingling or numbness
  • Trouble speaking

Attack (the migraine itself):

  • Throbbing or pulsing head pain (often one-sided)
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Sensitivity to light, sound, or smell
  • Blurred vision

Postdrome (after the headache fades):

  • Feeling tired or “washed out”
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Mood changes

*Migraine signs and symptoms can vary from person to person. This list covers the most common ones, but it’s not exhaustive.

Migraine Causes

Migraine causes are still being studied, but researchers believe they occur due to your genes, brain chemical changes and abnormal brain activity.[6]

The Mayo Clinic says they are often triggered by things like:

  • Lack of sleep
  • Caffeine
  • Alcohol
  • Strong smells (perfume, paint thinner, smoke)
  • Stress
  • Flashing lights
  • Loud sounds
  • Skipping meals
  • Foods
  • Food additives
  • Weather and barometric changes
  • Hormones, pregnancy, menopause and birth control
  • Intense physical exertion
  • Some medications

Bottom line? If migraines run in your family, you will likely get them, too.[11]

Migraine Pain Management Treatments

While avoiding triggers can help reduce how often migraines strike, it’s tough to prevent them all. Having a plan in place is key. Managing migraines usually takes a combination of strategies that work together to give you relief.

At-home care:

  • Rest in a dark, quiet room
  • Cold compress on your forehead
  • Stay hydrated
  • Keep a migraine pain diary to track triggers

Conventional care:

  • Over-the-counter or prescription medications like triptans, anti-nausea meds, and preventive treatments [12]
  • FDA-approved options like CGRP inhibitors [13]

Alternative therapies:

  • Stress reduction and relaxation techniques [2]
  • Massage [2]
  • Acupuncture [12]
  • Biofeedback [12]
  • Supplements like vitamin B-2, magnesium or
  • Coenzyme Q10 may help (speak to your doctor first) [12]

Interventional pain management:

If nothing else works, interventional options combined with your meds, lifestyle changes and alternative therapies may offer relief. Minimally invasive pain control procedures target the nerves involved in migraine pain and can reduce the frequency or intensity of attacks.[14;15]

Pain management interventions for migraine pain include:

  • Nerve blocks
  • Occipital nerve blocks
  • Greater occipital nerve blocks
  • Supraorbital nerve blocks
  • Peripheral nerve blocks
  • Trigger point injections
  • Spinal cord stimulation (SCS)
  • Peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS)
  • Radiofrequency nerve ablation
  • Botox injections
  • Sphenopalatine ganglion (SPG) blocks
  • Cervical facet or C2–C3 joint injections

Regenerative medicine for migraines? PRP and stem cell therapies have shown early promise in small studies for treating chronic migraines, though more research is needed before they become standard care.[16;17]

When to Consult a Migraine Pain Care Specialist

Are migraines controlling your life? If they’re showing up more days than not—or if nothing you’ve tried seems to work—it might be time to explore pain management care for chronic migraines.

A pain management specialist can create a personalized plan beyond quick fixes. With a combination of advanced interventional procedures, medication, lifestyle support, and complementary therapies, you can take back control and stop sitting on the sidelines.

Don’t let migraines keep you sidelined. Real relief is possible—with targeted treatment, your pain specialist can help you get back in the game and living life on your terms.

Disclaimer: This migraine pain resource is intended for general informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you’re experiencing new, severe, or sudden headache pain, especially if it’s the worst headache of your life, comes on suddenly like a “thunderclap,” or is accompanied by symptoms like confusion, vision changes, trouble speaking, weakness, high fever, or neck stiffness—seek medical attention immediately or go to the nearest emergency room. These could be signs of a more serious condition that needs urgent care.

Resources:

  1. Headache disorders. World Health Organization – WHO [Internet]. Published March 6, 2024. Accessed May 30, 2025. Available from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/headache-disorders
  2. Nall R. How to Tell the Difference Between Migraine and Other Types of Headaches. Healthline [Internet]. Updated October 04, 2024. Accessed May 30, 2025. Available from: https://www.healthline.com/health/migraine/migraine-vs-headache
  3. What Is Migraine? The Migraine Trust [Internet]. Accessed May 30, 2025. Available from: https://migrainetrust.org/understand-migraine/what-is-migraine/
  4. Weatherall MW. The diagnosis and treatment of chronic migraine. Ther Adv Chronic Dis [Internet]. 2015;6(3):115-123. doi:10.1177/2040622315579627. Accessed May 30, 2025. Available from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4416971/
  5. Barrell A. What to know about episodic migraine. Medical News Today [Internet]. Accessed May 30, 2025. Available from: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/episodic-migraine
  6. Booth S, Whitbourne K. Chronic Migraine: Causes, Symptoms and Treatment. WebMD [Internet]. Accessed May 30, 2025. Available from: https://www.webmd.com/migraines-headaches/chronic-migraines-explained
  7. Migraine. Healthdirect Australia [Internet]. Published September 13, 2018. Accessed May 30, 2025. Available from: https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/migraine
  8. Migraine Headaches. Cleveland Clinic [Internet]. Accessed May 30, 2025. Available from: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/5005-migraine-headaches
  9. How Long Does a Migraine Attack Last? American Migraine Foundation AMF [Internet]. Published May 8, 2023. Accessed May 30, 2025. Available from: https://americanmigrainefoundation.org/resource-library/how-long-does-a-migraine-attack-last
  10. Mayo Clinic Staff. Migraine – Symptoms and Causes. Mayo Clinic [Internet]. Published July 7, 2023. Accessed May 30, 2025. Available from: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/migraine-headache/symptoms-causes/syc-20360201
  11. Walter K. What Is Migraine? JAMA Network [Internet. 2022;327(1):93-93. doi:https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2021.21857. Accessed May 30, 2025. Available from: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2787727
  12. Mayo Clinic Staff. Migraine – diagnosis and treatment. Mayo Clinic [Internet]. Published 2019. Accessed May 30, 2025. Available from: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/migraine-headache/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20360207
  13. Treating Migraines: Ways to Fight the Pain with Medication. FDA [Internet]. Published online September 20, 2023. Accessed May 30, 2025. Available from: https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/treating-migraines-ways-fight-pain-medication
  14. Interventional Headache Management. AMF- American Migraine Foundation [Internet]. Published December 12, 2022. Accessed May 30, 2025. Available from: https://americanmigrainefoundation.org/resource-library/interventional-headache-management
  15. Gupta R, Fisher K, Pyati S. Chronic Headache: a Review of Interventional Treatment Strategies in Headache Management. Curr Pain Headache Rep [Internet]. 2019 Jul 29;23(9):68. doi: 10.1007/s11916-019-0806-9. PMID: 31359257.Accessed May 30, 2025. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31359257/
  16. Stone JE, Fung TS, Machan M, Campbell C, Shan RLP, Debert CT. Ultrasound-guided platelet-rich plasma injections for post-traumatic greater occipital neuralgia: study protocol for a pilot randomized controlled trial. Pilot Feasibility Study [Internet]. 2021 Jun 22;7(1):130. doi: 10.1186/s40814-021-00867-3. PMID: 34158124; PMCID: PMC8218409. Accessed May 30, 2025. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34158124/
  17. Moawad H. Stem Cell Therapy for Migraine? Neurology Live [Internet]. Published March 13, 2018. Accessed May 30, 2025. Available from: https://www.neurologylive.com/view/stem-cell-therapy-migraine
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