Headaches are something which everyone suffers with from time to time, but by drinking plenty of water, resting and taking paracetamol or ibuprofen, the symptoms are normally alleviated and you feel back to normal. However, if you’re experiencing headaches on a regular basis, they can begin to affect your working life and relationships.
At LivingCare, we understand how disruptive frequent headaches can be and the toll they take on your wellbeing, which is why we’ve launched our neurology (headache) clinic at Thorpe Park, Leeds. Our clinic has been designed to help diagnose and treat various neurological conditions, in particular headaches and migraines.
When should I visit the headache clinic?
You may want to visit our headache clinic if you are suffering from new onset headaches, have a history of previous headaches, or craniofacial pain – this can be in your head and skull, including eyes, face, jaw and teeth, nose, throat, neck, and ears – which has become more frequent, unmanageable or unresponsive to conventional therapies, such as paracetamol or ibuprofen.
We can also help if your usual headaches are causing a negative impact in your day-to-day social, family and working life.
What happens during my initial appointment?
On your first appointment we will carry out an initial evaluation and, as part of this, rule out any serious causes of your headaches. This means we will check to make sure your headaches aren’t secondary or symptomatic causes of conditions such as a stroke, aneurysm, tumor, infection or inflammation. These are usually ruled out by the doctor after a careful examination and review of your clinical history.
If required, we may carry out further tests using specialised imaging techniques such as Brain Magnetic Resonance scans (Brain MRI scan). The doctor will talk you through this process in detail if they believe you require additional scans and we can arrange these tests for you.
Once we have established that there is no serious cause for your headache, will we work with you to diagnose and classify the underlying cause of your headaches. After a diagnosis has been established, the next step will be to develop a management plan for your specific headache disorder.
This will include:
Information on what we know about your headache disorder
Any potential triggers which may be worsening the headache problem
Discussion about your treatment options
What treatments are available?
Every patient is different, so there are a range of treatments the doctor may prescribe. It could be the case that we need to prescribe daily medications to reduce the frequency and severity of your headaches. If you’re using conventional painkillers sold over-the-counter, particularly opiates such as tablets which contain codeine, these may in fact aggravate your headaches. Your doctor will explain the potential effects of taking these medications, so we can ensure your preventative treatment plan is as effective as possible and you can become headache free.
As well as helping to prevent your headaches, we will also advise on how to stop a headache if one begins. This will be explained in your treatment plan and if, for any reason, you are still experiencing symptoms, you have the option of coming into the clinic for a planned or urgent appointment.
If required, we can offer acute and preventative treatments such as:
Intramuscular injections of anti-inflammatories
Anti-sickness medications
Botox for migraine prevention
Trigeminal and occipital nerve blocks
The trigeminal and occipital nerve block treatment involves injections around the head, face and scalp nerve endings. Injections of local anaesthetic in these regions may lead to complete resolution of a severe headache.
Who will I see?
You will always be seen in our headache clinic by Dr. Luis Idrovo, Consultant Stroke Neurologist, with special interest in headache disorders.
Dr Idrovo has been working with LivingCare since 2018 and has previously completed a specialised neurology and stroke training program at La Paz University Teaching Hospital, and Autonoma University of Madrid, Spain.
As well as lecturing at University of Leeds, Dr Idrovo currently provides patient care in Leeds to individuals affected with stroke disorders and neurological disorders such as headaches, epilepsy, cognitive problems, Parkinson's disease and others.
What results can I expect?
Our expert consultant neurologist will advise on the best treatment to suit your needs and we always work with patients to establish a headache-free state, wherever possible.
The neurology service is provided on a private basis, so you don’t need to be referred by your GP. If you would like to find out more information about this service, or book an appointment, please call 0113 249 4655 and a member of our team will be happy to help you.