Craniofacial pain is the broad term used to encompass all pain disorders of the head and face, including the temporomandibular disorders. Many times headaches and even “migraines” have a craniofacial pain component, or are completely craniofacial pain related. We have treated numerous patients who thought they had migraine type headaches, who actually had a muscular headache, usually due to clenching of their teeth. Here are some clues that your “migraine” may not be a true migraine at all:

• Often have daily headaches
• Often wake with a headache
• Migraine medications like Zomig and Imitrex don’t “abort” the headache
• Advil or Excedrin help your headaches
• You are aware of clenching your teeth or have been told that you do
• Your headaches are usually in your temples, behind your eyes or in the back of your head

Recently a dental appliance called the NTI-tss was approved by the FDA for use in the prophylactic treatment of medically diagnosed migraine pain as well as migraine associated tension type headaches. Dr. Spencer and Dr. Murphy have personally treated many patients with this appliance to successfully reduce or eliminate their headaches, even when other medical treatments had failed.