Headache Program

At UCI Health, we work with multiple specialists to help you overcome the daily struggles of headaches and restore your comfort.

Our approach to headache care

You are more than a collection of symptoms, you’re a whole person. To reflect that, our philosophy of care is both holistic and multidisciplinary. In addition to traditional pharmaceuticals, we also include behavioral, alternative, and complementary approaches to treat your headache disorder.

We work as a multidisciplinary team

A headache often involves other systems in your body. To get you the most comprehensive care, we collaborate regularly with specialists in these areas and more:

• Eye care
• Ear, nose and throat (ENT)
• Neurosurgery
• Physical therapy
• Primary care
• Pain Management
• Integrative medicine

How to work with us

Your primary care doctor, ENT doctor or neurologist might refer you to our Headache Program in the UCI Health Neurology Program. You can always reach out to us directly to make an appointment.

How to prepare for your first appointment

To help us properly care for you, for your first visit please provide:

• Any recent headache logs: a record of your symptoms including frequency and duration of attacks what you take for treatments and how your pain responds and any associated symptoms or triggering factors
• Medical records from other providers about your headache/facial pain care
• Any previous tests or reports you’ve completed
• Imaging discs from outside facilities
• List of current medications as well as past medications you may have used for this condition

You’ll consult with our specially trained neurologists. They’ll give you a detailed neurologic exam, order a CT or MRI image and then make subspecialist referrals as needed.

When to seek emergency care

There are many types of manageable headache disorders. However, some headaches are not headache disorders but rather symptoms of serious conditions including stroke, aneurysm or brain tumor.

Go to the emergency room if your headache:

• is much worse in the morning
• occurs after a head injury
• is sudden and debilitating
• is accompanied by fever
• confusion
• vision changes
• slurred speech
• vomiting
• difficulty walking
• weakness or numbness on one side of the body

Why choose UCI Health for headache care?

You will receive specialized care, unique to your headache or facial pain condition

 We conduct an extremely thorough examination to both diagnose your condition as well as rule out other, more serious illnesses. Our neurologists have specialized fellowship training in headache medicine to ensure pinpoint accuracy.

We include integrative medicine and lifestyle choices—a powerful complement to standard of care treatments

Integrative care focuses on you as a whole person, is informed by scientific evidence and helps you achieve balance. We’ll help you attend to your body, mind, spirit and community. Some strategies we use include medical treatment, acupuncture, nutrition, exercise, mind-body techniques and massage.

As Orange County’s only academic medical center, our size and robust infrastructure are an advantage

 Everything you need, from consulting with a subspecialist to ER visits, are under one umbrella. Our multidisciplinary focus means we naturally confer with each other about diagnosis. We collaborate with other service lines as required, coordinating your care.