Finally free from migraine medication thanks to Apex Headache Clinic!
47-year-old Claire Mawhinney had been suffering with migraines for many years. This was having a massive impact on her life and after trying everything, with no relief she visited Apex Headache Clinic in the hope of getting to the source of the problem. Here, she shares how the clinic’s unique regime of specialist manual physiotherapy treatment for migraines and headaches, called The Nelson Headache Approach™, cleared her migraines.
Claire, when did your migraines begin?
I can remember in my 20s having the occasional one. They were intermittent in my 30s but when I turned 40 they got increasingly worse in severity and frequency. I tried various preventative medication prescribed by my GP and used triptan medication when I had a migraine. Eventually I gave up on the daily preventatives because they didn’t work and I disliked taking medication every day. I could not recall a time in my life when I had just a normal headache.
How did the pain affect your life?
At its worst I literally lost days due to being bedridden, vomiting and unable to lift my head due to the severe head pain. I chose to work part time because I could not have held down a full time job. My days at home were often spent dealing with a migraine or recovering from one. I disappointed friends and family by having to cancel plans that I’d made but a migraine would ruin. I sometimes forced myself to go to occasions or events but all I wanted to do was crawl into bed and be left alone. It was difficult to plan anything ahead because my migraines basically dictated my life. Before I came to Apex I was having a headache or a migraine every other day.
What led you to Apex Headache Clinic?
I saw a Facebook ad and followed their page. It sounded optimistic but I was sceptical. I’d had migraines for so long and I think I had just accepted living with them, so I didn’t really believe it could work for me. I was feeling very low at this point and taking far too much medication. On top of my monthly triptan prescription I was buying more from various online pharmacies, but without the tablets I couldn’t get through a day at work. It was a vicious circle and I knew I needed an alternative to medication, which Apex offered.
How has your life changed since having treatment?
My life is no longer dictated by my migraines! I do not need any prescribed medication. I can plan things in advance which is a huge change for me. My husband doesn’t come home from work wondering what state he’ll find me in! I’ve not let anybody down by cancelling plans and I’ve even been on holiday abroad with no migraines. I have normal headaches now, which are managed by taking headache tablets, just like everyone else! Life is dramatically different now and I am incredibly thankful for that.
What advice would you offer someone suffering from migraines?
Book an appointment with Apex. I never liked taking medication because it doesn’t get to the root cause of the issue. Apex found the source of my migraines and addressed it. I will never forget the emotional relief I felt when talking to my specialist physiotherapist who had such understanding and knowledge of the condition. It was the first time someone professional empathised with what I was experiencing and gave me hope that I could be helped. The treatment has worked amazingly well for me!
To book an appointment at Apex Headache Clinic, call 028 9048 4153. No GP referral is necessary.