Headache & Migraine Care
- About Us
- Our Care
Expert Care for Kids & Teens With Headaches
Kids get headaches, just like adults. And sometimes, those headaches can be so severe, and so constant, that they are disabling.
Chronic headaches, such as migraines, can interfere with your child’s ability to go to school and do the activities they love. In fact, about 10-28% of school-age children suffer from migraine headaches.
Our headache program, part of ourÌýNeuroscience Center, Delaware Valley, offers both medical intervention and integrative therapy. This includes occupational therapy, psychology and physical therapy. This way, we can help improve every aspect of your child’s life.
As one of the few headache programs in the country, we see a huge volume of kids and teens. This means we’re familiar with the range of symptoms kids can have. We’re experts at getting the full picture and then creating the right treatment plan.
We focus strongly on wellness and prevention. We want every kid to get to a place where they have no more than two headaches a month, and every headache is gone within an hour—without bad side effects from medications.
We can see your child at many Nemours specialty locations in Delaware, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. We also work with area pediatricians to start therapy for kids, so you don’t have to wait.
Migraine headaches often cause throbbing pain and can make kids feel sick and not be able to get out of bed.ÌýLearn more from the experts at Nemours KidsHealth®.
Headaches can have many different causes, including genetics. Learn more about headache types and how we diagnose them.
Did you know that some kids and teens with severe headaches can benefit from occupational therapy? Learn about what OT is (and how it’s different than physical therapy).
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A Program Dedicated to Kids and Headaches
Migraine headaches and abdominal migraines can be debilitating for kids. Parents often don’t know where to turn for help. This is exactly why we have a program dedicated to helping children and their families manage headaches.
We make care convenient, with several locations throughout the region.
We offer the newest FDA-approved medicines and therapies for migraine headaches in children.
We take a multidisciplinary approach, meaning that we bring together all the specialties kids with severe headaches might need.
We offer specialize care for kids with tuberous sclerosis complex.
We actively participate in clinical trials, including some of the first pediatric studies for medicines that have only been approved in adults.
Meet Our Pediatric Headache & Migraine Specialists in Delaware Valley
Our specialists are at the forefront of their fields. They work tirelessly to improve the quality of life for children and young adults with neurology conditions.
Programs & ServicesÌý
Migraine headaches are often genetic (a parent also has them).
Your child may talk about changes in vision, ringing in the ears, dizziness or numbness and tingling that happens with or without a headache.ÌýOur specialists work together to figure out what’s causing your child’s headaches, and then we create a care plan.
We offer many services for kids and teens dealing with these constant and severe headaches.
- Advanced diagnostics, including MRI testing and same day results with your child's headache specialist.
- IV medicines for intractable migraines (migraines resistent to medicines), to minimize and/or break the cycle.
- Nutrition counselingÌýwith a certified dietitian to learn how a healthy diet can help control migraines.
- Cefaly device, or external trigeminal nerve stimulation (eTNS), to help with migraine prevention.
- Neuropsychology services with professionals who can teach your child skills to reduce pain.
- Biofeedback, a technique that can help your child relax and train their brain to gain control over certain functions (like heart rate) that cause tension or pain.
- Physical therapy to strengthen muscles and improve activity and function.
- Resources and advocacy through Miles for Migraine, an organization that empowers your child and family with critical tools.
- Migraine action plans and support at school, including a 504 plan if necessary.
- Transition to adult headache care.
Conditions & Treatments
We see many conditions — far too many to list here. Don’t see a condition listed? Call us.
Related Programs & Specialties
What to Expect: Your First Headache Visit
Your first visit is generally about an hour long. You and your child will meet with one of our neurology advanced practice nurses. We’ll ask about symptoms, triggers (if you know them), and what daily life is like for your child. We’ll also talk about goals that your child wants to achieve.
We may order bloodwork, imaging tests, genetic testing or a sleep study. Some of these tests we can do that day; others, you’ll schedule separately. We may need to wait for test results to get the full picture of your child’s health, but you’ll leave with the start of a care plan.
Our Approach: Headache Hygiene Matters
You can’t control your genetics, but you can control healthy living behaviors. These healthy living behaviors, what we call headache hygiene, are closely linked to headaches.
Our team has found that kids who achieve headache hygiene have a 97% chance of reaching their goal. The goal is:
- No more than two headaches per month.
- No side effects on any medication.
- Headache is gone within an hour.
Convenient Follow-Up Appointments by Video
We offer follow-up appointments through scheduled, live video visits. You can avoid waiting rooms and save travel time. Ask your doctor if this is an option for your family.