Research presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons in October 2009, and previously published in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery suggests that a technique performed in plastic surgery can dramatically reduce the painful symptoms associated with migraine.
Lead researcher Bahman Guyuron (University Hospitals Case Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, USA) first noticed over a decade ago that cosmetic surgery, which removed 'trigger points' from around the head, alleviated migraine symptoms. Since then, he has completed over 1,000 procedures on patients with migraine. In a study that followed up 69 such individuals over 5 years, 88% of the patients reported that their symptoms were alleviated throughout the duration of the study, 29% of the study group reported total elimination of their migraines and 59% of the patients reported a substantial decrease in their symptoms and frequency of migraine headaches. “This data has provided strong evidence that severe migraine headaches and their painful symptoms can be successfully treated with surgery” remarks Guyuron (Daily Express, 26 October 2009).
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