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Plastic Surgery May Cure Migraines
By Harry Kimball
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Posted Jul 31, 09 1:22 PM CDT
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(Newser)
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A novel plastic-surgery procedure on the forehead could cure migraines entirely, Time reports. The surgery removes certain muscles—or “migraine triggers”—around the trigeminal nerve branches, which some think are the source of the painful headaches; it also smoothes wrinkles. In a recent study, more than half of 49 migraine sufferers reported no symptoms after the surgery, and 83% said the frequency of attacks has declined by half.
The study had a control: 26 people were told they were having the migraine-curing surgery when that was not the case. Just 4% of that group claimed a full recovery, versus 57% of the test group. 57% of the control also claimed a 50% reduction in the frequency of attacks. 30 million in the US, and 18% of all American women, experience migraines.