If you’ve ever had a migraine, you know it’s more than just a headache. It's an intense, often debilitating experience. It’s that sudden throb on one side of your head, the nausea creeping up, and the need to retreat to a quiet, dark room.
For many, a migraine is like an unwelcome guest who can show up out of the blue, demanding all your attention. Let's break down what a migraine really is, what brings it on, and how we’re here to help.
The Migraine Experience – Understanding Each Phase
A migraine comes in four phases, and each one brings unique challenges. Understanding them can be a relief in itself because you can start to predict and manage your experience.
The Prodrome Phase: This is the warm-up. It can start hours, even days, before the actual migraine hits. You might feel unusually tired, cranky, or crave specific foods. Your muscles might ache, particularly in your neck, and you could feel sensitive to certain smells or sounds. For about 60% of people, this phase is a warning—a signal to prepare.
The Aura Phase: For about 30% of people, an aura kicks in. This is where things get a bit surreal. You may experience visual disturbances like flickering lights or "zigzag" lines. It’s like looking through a kaleidoscope that blurs and shifts, making reading or driving challenging. Sometimes, it’s not just visuals—pins and needles may tingle through one side of your hand or arm, even reaching your face. Then, a numbness follows, adding to the sensory mix.
The Pain Phase: This is the migraine’s main act. Pain usually starts on one side, pulsing with intensity and worsening with any movement. Light and sounds can be unbearable. For many, it’s more than just head pain. It might radiate to the neck, bring on nausea, or even cause vomiting. This phase can last anywhere from a few hours to a few days, forcing you to stop everything and just ride it out.
The Postdrome Phase: Known as the migraine “hangover,” this phase leaves you feeling wrung out. There might be lingering soreness, fuzzy thinking, and fatigue. You’re not fully yourself, but you know the worst has passed.
What Causes Migraines?
While we don't yet know the exact cause of migraines, we do know they often run in families and seem to have both genetic and environmental origins. They’re surprisingly common—affecting about one-third of women and about one-fifth of men at some point in their lives.
And while triggers vary, stress, lack of sleep, certain foods, and even weather changes can all play a role.
A New Approach to Migraine Relief
At our clinic, we know that each person’s migraine story is unique. That’s why our approach, the PerryWork Method, is all about identifying your specific pain points and releasing the tension causing your headaches.
Here's what you can expect from your visit:
Your Story, Your Pain: First, we’ll take a deep dive into your migraine history, helping us understand what you’re feeling and where it hurts most. Migraine pain can show up in different places—the temples, around the eyes, or even down to the neck and shoulders. You’ll guide us, using your hands to show where the pain is most intense.
Finding the Landmark Points: The PerryWork practitioner will gently explore these sore spots, identifying what we call “landmark points.” Beneath each of these points are tissues tightly bound together in adhesions, causing tension and pain. Our job is to free them, restoring ease and mobility to your body.
Precision Mapping with a Diagnostic Pen: After identifying each key spot, we’ll mark it with a diagnostic pen—don’t worry, the marks wash off after the procedure. Then, we’ll start with gentle touches, moving through areas from your temples to your neck, shoulders, and even your arms if needed. We know that migraine pain can have surprising sources, so we check areas beyond your head and neck to ensure we’re thorough.
The Treatment – What to Expect
After we’ve identified the pain points, we’ll walk you through the injection process.
If you’re ready to go ahead, here’s what happens next:
Clean and Prep: Each area to be treated is carefully cleaned. This involves a soap solution, alcohol, and finally, Betadine. Our process is designed to prevent infection completely, which it has in over 30,000 treatments.
Precise Injections: The injections are gentle and targeted, using a blend of saline, a small amount of local anesthetic, and, if needed, a touch of steroid. The needle’s insertion releases the adhesions beneath, freeing up tension in your tissue. The saline hydrates, the anesthetic calms the area, and the result is a flood of fresh blood that brings instant relief for many. Most patients feel their migraine ease within just a few minutes.
Post-Treatment Care: Once the injections are done, the practitioner will massage out any bumps, ensuring that blood flows evenly through the treated areas. You’ll go home with surgical tape covering each injection site and instructions to apply ice, rest, and let the healing begin.
Our experience shows that, for many, this approach can provide lasting relief. And if you have more than 14 points needing treatment, we’ll pace the sessions to ensure your body has time to process and heal.
Ready for Relief?
Migraines don’t have to rule your life. With the PerryWork Method, you can get back to living with less pain, fewer disruptions, and more freedom to do what you love. Book your appointment today and take the first step toward lasting migraine relief.
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