Headache & Brain Health Clinic

Neurosurgery Associates has now opened a Headache & Brain Health Clinic in Marietta, Ohio! The Headache Clinic will be led by our Nurse Practitioner, Anna Stroud, CNP and supervised by Neurosurgeon, Dr. Joseph A. Shehadi, MD. The Why? Because there is an Unmet Need in Ohio. Headaches are extremely common and debilitating symptom. Patients are taking too many medications. Health care providers don’t spend enough time with the patients. The prevalence of self-reported migraine and severe headache in the US adult population is high, affecting roughly 1 out of every 6 Americans (Burch, 2018). That means millions of office visits and emergency room visits each year for headache evaluation and management. First thing we do is an elaborate history to best classify your headaches. These include tension headaches, migraine headaches, sinus headaches etc. (download our headache questionnaire). Some patients have headaches after a concussion. Then, most importantly, we search to discover the Underlying reason or cause of the headaches, which other clinics often fail to do. There are hundreds of causes of headaches. Discovering and treating the underlying cause is ultimately the best way to manage headaches. Some headaches are not easily explained, while other headaches could be a sign of something more serious yet reversable and treatable. That is why we order neuroimaging and labs right from the beginning. we order a screening MRI of brain and cervical spine to rule out these more serious conditions Examples of Headaches from underlying problems that could require Neurosurgery include:

• Cervicogenic Headaches- from cervical disc herniation at C3-C4.
• Chiari Malformation- a congenital disorder, which commonly presents with many years of headaches. Often misdiagnoses.
• Hydrocephalus- this is “water on the brain” which is often treated by placing a ventriculoperitoneal shunt.
• Brain tumors, which may have to be removed surgically.

We have incorporated some treatment strategies from the Amen Clinics (Dr. Daniel Amen) as well as the Grain Brain Diet (Dr. Perlmutter) and the Dr. Gundry plans for cardiac, immune system and brain health. We also use hyperbaric oxygen and stem cell and regenerative treatments when indicated. If you are experiencing debilitating headaches that your doctor can not figure out, then contact us. Schedule your consultation by calling 614.220.5648 or email amy@drshehadi.com and see how we can give you the relief you deserve. This program takes a few office visits over several months. Click here to download the headache questionnaire and complete it before your appointment. Reference: Burch R, Rizzoli P, Loder E. The Prevalence and Impact of Migraine and Severe Headache in the United States: Figures and Trends From Government Health Studies. Headache. 2018 Apr;58(4):496-505.