“I No Longer Wake Up Worried About My Migraines”

For years, 42-year-old Laura Kirkpatrick from Bangor lived with constant debilitating migraines and her pain was so intense that it disrupted her sleep, work, and everyday routine. After countless appointments, treatments and even sinus surgery which all failed to bring 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 occipital migraines. 

Laura, when did your migraines begin?   

I had been having migraines along with eye pain and a burning sensation down one side of my head for several years and was back and forward to my GP desperate for some relief. They initially thought the pain was coming from my sinuses. I had surgery on my sinuses but after the surgery my pain was unchanged so I was then referred to neurology for further investigations. The Consultant Neurologist diagnosed me with “occipital neuralgia”, which means pain in the back region of my head. They tried to treat my pain with different medications and nerve block injections into the back of my head however I knew these weren’t long-term solutions. 

How did the pain affect your life?   

I had pain in my eyes also and all across my head. I would have to spend a lot of time in bed but I struggled to sleep as the pain was so bad. I had intense burning pain across one side of my head and into my neck which meant it was often too sore to even rest my head on the pillow. The burning sensation prevented me from even brushing my hair and washing my hair was just horrendous as it triggered the pain more. It was awful and I really couldn’t function at all. I even had to take time off work. I was also afraid to drive anywhere in case an episode started and then I would worry about how I would be able to get home.  

What led you to Apex Headache Clinic?   

The Consultant Neurologist who I was seeing recommended that I give Apex Headache Clinic a call, as their specialist physiotherapy treatment may help me. I then booked an appointment as I was so keen to try something different instead of taking more medication. After one or two sessions, I started to notice the burning sensation in my head reduced. This symptom was the most debilitating one, so it was great to finally get some relief. I attended for a course of specialist headache physiotherapy treatment over the next few months which was progressively spaced out as my pain improved. 

How has your life changed since having treatment?   

I haven’t had a migraine in 3 months which is brilliant. The migraines, eye pain and burning sensations, no longer impact my life and I am able to get up without the worry of the pain coming on and interrupting my plans and daily life. I now attend once monthly appointments with my specialist physio to keep my pain away. 

What advice would you offer someone suffering from migraines?  

I would definitely say, give treatment at Apex a go! It’s not just about the hands on physiotherapy treatment but it’s also following their advice and education in all aspects of your life to get the best results!  

To book an appointment at Apex Headache Clinic, call 028 9048 4153. No GP referral is necessary.