Headache Division

The Headache Division works through the UC Health Headache and Facial Pain Center of the UC Gardner Neuroscience Institute. This program offers hope to people who suffer from headaches and facial pain, but haven’t found adequate relief. While an occasional headache is common, when head pain becomes chronic or debilitating, finding answers and relief may be much more difficult.

Academic Overview

Physicians, fellows, residents, students and other health professionals in this division focus on the three types of primary headache (migraine, tension and cluster headaches), as well as facial pain (trigeminal neuralgia). They can determine if the headaches are caused or triggered by sinus diseases, neck problems, temporomandibular disorders, or more severe secondary causes of headache, such as brain tumors, infections or aneurysms. Professionals/providers can also find out if high or low pressures of spinal fluid are contributing to the headaches.

Areas of Expertise

UC brings together some of the nation’s foremost experts on headache and facial pain in a unique and rare program designed to bring answers and healing. With dozens of clinical specialties, leading treatment approaches and cutting-edge research, the program offers expert care to patients who have complex headache and facial pain conditions to help return them to full function and improve quality of life. The headache team collaborates with different specialties like psychology, physical therapy, dentistry, neurosurgery, neuroradiology, ENT, acupuncture and dentistry, etc., to provide the individualized care for each patient. The Center has particular expertise in the diagnosis and treatment of disorders of high and low pressures of spinal fluid.

Research Activity

Faculty researchers are engaged in a wide variety of headache/migraine studies.

Clinical Research in Headache

Our adult headache medicine program, co-directed by Vincent Martin, MD, and Brinder Vij, MD, FACP, FAHS, has participated in a number of investigative drug trials for migraine and cluster headache.  Researchers have also conducted studies to determine various triggers for migraine headache, including allergies, hay fever, asthma, female hormones and weather.

Our pediatric headache medicine program has one of the most active clinical and research programs in the U.S. The program, headed by Andrew Hershey, MD, PhD, in the Division of Pediatric Neurology at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, features separate headache treatment centers for young adults and children.