Comprehensive care for headaches and migraines

Whether you have tension headaches or chronic migraines, you can count on our specialists for long-term and immediate relief.

Call 800-275-6401

Advanced expertise

Our neurologists have additional training in headache medicine, giving you access to the highest quality of specialized care.

Urgent relief from headache pain

When pain does happen, your care team is available for virtual support and to help you come up with a rescue plan, which might include same-day treatment options.

A team-based approach

Our headache specialists leverage a wide range of expertise across Geisinger, including working with your primary care provider (PCP) and other specialties.

Why choose Geisinger’s headache and migraine specialists?

Headaches, migraines and facial pain can be debilitating — both for your physical and mental health. But with help from our headache and migraine specialists, you can find relief and increase your number of headache-free days. Find a headache or migraine specialist near you.

Types of headaches we treat

Our specialists work alongside your primary care provider to treat and manage a variety of headaches and facial pain conditions, including:

Migraines
Cluster headaches
Tension headaches
Occipital neuralgia
Cervicogenic headaches (CGH)

Your care team will support you when pain happens and help prevent it in the first place.

Download our headache tracker

Stretches to relieve tension

Simple exercises and posture changes can make a big difference for your head and neck pain. Neurologist and headache specialist Nancy Kelley, MD, breaks down the techniques that can help you find headache relief.

Headache and migraine treatments

Our headache specialists are at the forefront of new ways to prevent and treat headaches and migraines. Your treatment plan might include:

Abortive migraine medications

Drugs to stop a migraine or headache early are called abortive medications. These should be taken at the first warning sign of an oncoming migraine. Abortive medications include:

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen or naproxen
Triptans
Ditans (serotonin 5-HT1F receptor agonists)
Oral CGRPs

Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) inhibitors

CGRP inhibitors are oral or injectable medications that can help reduce the frequency and severity of chronic migraines. These drugs can be used to either prevent or treat acute migraines. Some examples include:

Aimovig^®
Ajovy^®
Emgality^®
Vyepti^®
Nurtec^® ODT
Qulipta^™
Ubrelvy^®

Botox®

If you have severe migraines with headaches for more than 15 days per month for three months, Botox for migraines might be an option for you. Botox has been FDA-approved to treat migraines and has been shown to be effective in clinical trials. The treatment is not the same as cosmetic Botox.

Occipital nerve blocks

Occipital neuralgia causes sudden and severe pain in the back of the head and is often misdiagnosed. Occipital nerve blocks involve injecting steroids and local anesthetic directly into the nerves to block pain.

Trigger point injections

Some types of headaches respond to injections of steroids or numbing medication at the trigger point (the area of muscle where it hurts). These injections can help alleviate pain and relieve tension.

Lifestyle changes

Making certain lifestyle modifications like managing stress, getting regular exercise, maintaining a consistent sleep schedule and avoiding triggers (like certain foods, alcohol or bright lights) can help prevent headaches and migraines.

Your provider can help identify your triggers and develop a plan for any lifestyle changes you should make to reduce the frequency and intensity of your headaches.