PRIVATE BOTOX TREATMENT FOR MIGRAINE AND FACIAL PAIN IN ESSEX

Botox Treatment for Migraine and Facial Pain

Private Botox for Migraine and Facial Pain At Essex Private Doctors

If you’re experiencing frequent migraines, persistent temple pain, or chronic facial pain that’s disrupting your life, Botox treatment can be transformative.

Why patients choose this treatment:

Works continuously—no daily medication to remember
Prevents migraine attacks before they start
Results last 3-4 months, often with significant reduction in headache frequency
Resume normal activities immediately after treatment
Can reduce reliance on rescue medications
No systemic side effects like oral preventive medications

What is Chronic Migraine?

Chronic migraine is defined as experiencing headaches on 15 or more days per month, with at least 8 of those days meeting migraine criteria. But beyond the clinical definition, what it really means is that your life is being stolen from you, one headache at a time.

Facial pain—particularly the kind that settles into your cheeks, temples, or across your jaw—can occur alongside migraine or as a separate condition. This persistent aching often involves the same muscle groups and nerve pathways affected by migraine, which is why they frequently occur together.

Many people describe feeling as though they’re living with a constant background ache, punctuated by severe episodes that force them to stop everything.

The Impact of Migraine and Facial Pain

Over time, chronic migraine and facial pain can lead to:

  • Frequent throbbing or pulsating headaches
  • Pain across temples, forehead, or face
  • Debilitating episodes that require lying in a dark room
  • Nausea or sensitivity to light and sound during attacks
  • Persistent dull aching between severe episodes
  • Pain that disrupts work, relationships, and daily activities
  • Anxiety about when the next attack will strike
  • Overuse of rescue medications like triptans or painkillers
  • Lost days at work or social commitments
  • Difficulty planning anything because you never know when you’ll be struck down

This type of pain is surprisingly common among professionals with demanding jobs and people who spend long hours concentrating at computers. Migraine affects approximately 1 in 7 people globally, and many suffer unnecessarily because they don’t realise effective preventive treatment exists.

Treatments for Migraine and Facial Pain

You’re experiencing frequent migraines or persistent facial pain that’s dominating your life. The headaches interfere with work and concentration. You’re cancelling plans because you never know when an attack will strike. The facial aching is relentless. You can’t remember what it feels like to wake up without worrying whether today will be a “headache day.”

Perhaps you’ve tried multiple preventive medications—propranolol, topiramate, amitriptyline—each with their own side effects, limited effectiveness, or both. You might be taking triptans or other rescue medications so frequently that your GP has warned you about medication overuse headache. You’ve eliminated potential triggers: caffeine, chocolate, cheese, alcohol. You’ve tried magnesium supplements, riboflavin, coenzyme Q10. The headaches persist.

The problem is that chronic migraine involves complex neurological pathways and muscle involvement. Oral medications work systemically throughout your body, often causing side effects whilst providing incomplete relief. What you need is targeted treatment at the source of the pain.

And here’s what makes this condition so frustrating: you can’t simply avoid your way out of chronic migraine.

There’s a treatment that prevents migraine attacks before they start, without systemic side effects.

How Botox For Migraine Works

Botox decreases muscle-related pain from the masseter, temporalis, and other facial muscles that contribute to facial pain and migraine.

When used in precisely measured doses across specific injection sites, Botox (botulinum toxin type A) prevents chronic migraine attacks before they develop whilst also reducing persistent facial pain.

Botox also blocks the release of pain-signalling chemicals (particularly CGRP and substance P) at nerve endings, preventing the cascade of events that leads to migraine attacks. It reduces peripheral sensitisation, making nerve pathways less reactive to migraine triggers.

By preventing the neurological and muscular mechanisms that trigger migraine and facial pain, Botox provides relief whilst still allowing you to speak, eat, smile, and express yourself completely normally.

At Essex Private Doctors, we follow the established protocol for chronic migraine treatment, targeting multiple sites across your head, neck, and shoulders—typically 31 injection points across 7 muscle areas. For facial pain specifically, we focus on the masseter, temporalis, and occasionally pterygoid muscles.

We use a standardised dosing protocol specifically developed for chronic migraine.
We target multiple muscle and nerve sites across the head and neck, not just aesthetic areas.
We aim to prevent migraine attacks and reduce pain, not create aesthetic change.
Results require regular treatment every 3-4 months for optimal migraine prevention.

Dr Henry Grundy-Wheeler has completed specialist training with maxillofacial consultants and dental specialists who focus on facial pain disorders, as well as training in migraine management. This is evidence-based medical treatment, not aesthetic practice.

Am I Suitable for Botox for Migraine or Facial Pain?

You’re Likely Suitable If:

  • Headaches on 15 or more days per month
  • At least 8 of those days meet migraine criteria (moderate to severe throbbing pain, often one-sided, with nausea or light/sound sensitivity)
  • Migraine attacks significantly disrupt your life
  • You’ve tried at least two preventive medications without adequate relief

  • Dull aching across cheeks, temples, or face
  • Pain radiates through facial muscles
  • Facial pain occurs alongside or between migraine attacks
  • Symptoms worsen throughout the day

  • You’ve tried oral preventive medications (propranolol, topiramate, amitriptyline) without success
  • Side effects from preventive medications are intolerable
  • You’re overusing rescue medications (triptans, NSAIDs)
  • You’re experiencing medication overuse headache

  • Frequent absences from work or social commitments
  • Anxiety about planning activities
  • Reliance on rescue medications multiple times per week
  • Quality of life significantly impacted

Who Shouldn’t Have Botox For Migraine

Botox for chronic migraine isn’t suitable for everyone. This treatment is not appropriate if you:

Don’t meet chronic migraine criteria:

  • Experiencing fewer than 15 headache days per month
  • Fewer than 8 days meeting migraine criteria
  • Episodic migraine (fewer than 15 headache days monthly) typically responds better to other preventive treatments

Have mechanical TMJ problems:

  • Jaw locks open or closed
  • Severely restricted jaw opening (less than 35mm between front teeth)
  • Jaw subluxation where joint slips out of place

Other exclusions:

  • Pregnant or breastfeeding
  • Have an active infection in treatment areas
  • Have certain neuromuscular conditions (such as myasthenia gravis or Lambert-Eaton syndrome)
  • Haven’t yet tried standard first-line preventive medications
  • Have unrealistic expectations about immediate cure

Botox for chronic migraine typically requires several treatment cycles before you experience maximum benefit. If you’re expecting immediate resolution after one treatment, this may not meet your expectations. During your assessment, if it’s identified that your conditions requires a different treatment approach, we’ll happily refer you to the appropriate specialist.

jaw palpation

Your Treatment Journey

Every patient begins with a comprehensive assessment. During your consultation, we’ll:

  • Take a detailed headache history, including frequency, severity, and characteristics of your migraine attacks
  • Assess your facial pain pattern if present
  • Review your current and previous medications, including preventive treatments and rescue medications
  • Examine your jaw movement and facial muscles
  • Assess whether you meet criteria for chronic migraine treatment
  • Review your complete medical history
  • Discuss your migraine triggers and patterns
  • Evaluate whether your headache pattern matches what Botox treatment can address
  • Review your expectations and ensure they align with what treatment can deliver

We’ll discuss your migraine pattern in detail. How frequent are your attacks? How severe? What rescue medications do you use, and how often? What preventive treatments have you already tried?

You’ll be referred to an appropriate specialist or suggest alternative preventive approaches.

For chronic migraine, we follow the established PREEMPT protocol, which involves 31 injection points across 7 muscle areas:

  • Frontalis (forehead)
  • Corrugator (between eyebrows)
  • Procerus (bridge of nose)
  • Occipitalis (back of head)
  • Temporalis (temples)
  • Trapezius (shoulders/upper back)
  • Cervical paraspinal (neck muscles)

For facial pain specifically, we focus on the masseter and temporalis muscles, with possible inclusion of pterygoid muscles depending on your pain pattern.

The standardised protocol exists because chronic migraine involves multiple trigger sites. Treating only one area would provide incomplete relief.

The injection process takes approximately 20-30 minutes for the full migraine protocol. You’ll feel slightly uncomfortable sensations at each injection point, which are momentary. Most people tolerate it really well. Immediately after the injections, you won’t notice any change, as Botox takes a few days to kick in, and you’ll typically require 2-3 treatment cycles before you experience maximum benefit.

We’re aiming to prevent migraine attacks and reduce pain, not create aesthetic change.

Your face will look and move exactly as it does now.

Resume normal activities immediately. There’s no downtime, and you can return to work straight afterwards. No recovery period required. You may notice slight redness or minor swelling at injection sites, typically resolving within hours.

You can eat normally, speak normally, work, and exercise moderately. Avoid particularly intense exercise for 24 hours. Don’t rub or massage treated areas for 24 hours, and try not to lie completely flat for 4 hours.

First few weeks: You’re unlikely to notice dramatic change immediately. Botox for chronic migraine typically requires 2-3 treatment cycles (6-9 months) before you experience maximum benefit. Don’t be concerned if your first treatment doesn’t eliminate all headaches—this is normal and expected.

Weeks 2-6: You may begin noticing reduced migraine frequency or severity. Some patients experience benefit earlier, but most see gradual improvement over multiple treatment cycles.

Second and third treatments: With repeated treatments every 3-4 months, you’ll typically notice progressive improvement. Many patients report that by their third treatment, they’re experiencing significantly fewer migraine days per month.

Long-term pattern: After several treatment cycles, most patients experience a substantial reduction in monthly headache days. Some achieve near-complete migraine prevention. Even if you still experience occasional migraine attacks, they’re typically less frequent, less severe, and respond better to rescue medications.

We’ll review you regularly to assess your progress and ensure the treatment is providing benefit. If after 2-3 cycles you’re not experiencing improvement, we’ll discuss alternative approaches.

Treatment requires repeat injections every 12-16 weeks to maintain migraine prevention. This is preventive treatment, not a cure — benefit lasts whilst treatment continues.

Long-term benefits: Many patients find that after consistent treatment for 12-18 months, their baseline migraine frequency remains lower even if they pause treatment. Some patients eventually reduce treatment frequency, though most continue regular treatments for sustained prevention.

At Essex Private Doctors, we’ll always give you a clear breakdown of the fees before you begin.

What Changes To Expect

Fewer migraine days per month — The primary goal is reducing headache frequency
Less severe attacks when they do occur — Migraine episodes that do break through are often milder
Reduced need for rescue medications — Less reliance on triptans and painkillers
Better ability to plan activities — Less anxiety about unpredictable attacks


Improved quality of life — More days feeling well and present
Reduced facial pain — If facial pain accompanies your migraine, this typically improves
Better sleep — If migraine was disrupting sleep, this typically improves
Your ability to eat all foods normally — No impact on chewing or jaw function


Your speech patterns — No impact whatsoever on how you speak
Your facial expressions—You’ll look exactly the same—nothing will be ‘frozen’
Your appearance — Botox for migraine uses different injection sites than cosmetic treatment
You’ll still look like yourself — The treatment prevents migraine; it doesn’t change your face

Understanding Risks and Side Effects

Botox is very safe, and if there are side effects, most are mild and temporary.

Neck pain — Temporary discomfort in treated neck muscles. Usually mild and resolves within days to weeks.

Headache — Paradoxically, some patients experience headache in the first few days after treatment. This typically resolves quickly and improves with subsequent treatments.

Temporary injection site reactions — Mild bruising or tenderness at injection sites. Slight redness, swelling, or bruising at injection points. Resolves within hours to a few days. Rarely affects daily activities.

Eyelid or brow drooping — Temporary drooping affecting forehead injections. Occurs in fewer than 3% of patients. Always temporary, usually resolving completely within 2-4 weeks. We take particular care with injection technique to minimise this risk.

Muscle weakness — Temporary mild weakness in treated muscles, particularly neck. Usually subtle and temporary. Resolves when Botox wears off.

Rare means the following side effects occur in fewer than 1 in 100 patients:

Difficulty swallowing — Extremely rare with proper technique. Related to neck muscle injections. Always temporary if it occurs.

Breathing difficulties — Exceptionally rare. Would indicate spread beyond treatment area. We use precise injection techniques to prevent this.

Some patients respond better than others.
Chronic migraine treatment typically requires 2-3 cycles before you can accurately assess benefit.
We’ll review your progress regularly and adjust treatment as needed. If after adequate trial you’re not experiencing benefit, you’ll be referred to appropriate specialists for alternative preventive approaches.

woman thinking about questions

Frequently Asked Questions

No. Whilst some injection sites overlap with cosmetic areas (forehead, between brows), we’re not aiming for aesthetic change.
The doses and techniques used for migraine prevention are different from cosmetic application. Your appearance remains the same.

Entirely different indication, protocol, and injection sites.
Chronic migraine treatment uses 31 injection points across head, neck, and shoulders.
Cosmetic Botox targets specific aesthetic areas with different techniques. They’re different treatments that happen to use the same product.

Yes. Botox is preventive treatment. During your first few treatment cycles whilst your migraine frequency is reducing, you’ll still need rescue medications for breakthrough attacks. Over time, most patients require rescue medications less frequently.

We’ll discuss this during your consultation. Some patients continue oral preventives alongside Botox initially, then gradually reduce them as Botox takes effect. Others switch entirely to Botox. The approach depends on your individual situation.

Botox is licensed specifically for chronic migraine (15+ headache days monthly with 8+ migraine days).
If you have episodic migraine, other preventive treatments are typically more appropriate, and we can discuss alternative approaches during consultation.

Most patients require 2-3 treatment cycles (6-9 months) before experiencing maximum benefit.
Some notice improvement earlier, but realistic expectations are important.
This is preventive treatment that requires time and repeated cycles to achieve optimal effect.

We’ll assess progress after 2-3 treatment cycles. If you’re not experiencing benefit, we’ll refer you to appropriate specialists for alternative preventive approaches. Not every patient responds to Botox, but many do.

No. Most medications are to be avoided during pregnancy and Botox is contraindicated during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Most patients describe brief discomfort rather than significant pain. You’ll feel small pinprick sensations during injection—31 injection points for the full migraine protocol. No anaesthetic is required. The procedure takes 20-30 minutes.

Avoid particularly high-energy exercise for the next day – but you can take the family dog for a walk.

Chronic migraine treatment follows a 12-week cycle. You’ll return every 12-16 weeks for repeat treatment to maintain prevention.

No. It can only prevent, not totally eliminate the migraine attacks. The good news is, if you have consistent, long-term treatment, you’re likely to maintain your gains.

Possibly. If you have frequent tension-type headaches alongside some migraine days, you may still be suitable.
We’ll assess your specific headache pattern during consultation. Pure tension-type headache without migraine features typically responds better to other treatments.

Not at all. Treatment takes 20-30 minutes, and you can return to work immediately afterwards. There’s no downtime or recovery period required.

Why Choose Essex Private Doctors?

Our Migraine and Facial Pain Specialist:

I’m Dr Henry Grundy-Wheeler, a GP with advanced training in using Botox to help people with chronic migraine, persistent facial pain, and jaw problems such as TMJ disorders. I’ve learned from leading maxillofacial surgeons and dental specialists who focus on complex pain conditions, and I’ve also completed additional training in migraine management.

This isn’t about cosmetic treatment. Botox, when used medically, can be a powerful tool for preventing migraines and easing pain. My approach is always guided by science and evidence, with your long-term wellbeing at the heart of everything I do. Unlike practitioners who focus purely on aesthetics, my role is to help you feel better, function better, and live with fewer symptoms.

If you ever need further support, I can connect you with trusted specialists in neurology, headache medicine, or maxillofacial care, ensuring you have the right expertise around you at every stage.

Is Botox the Right Step for You?

Frequent migraines and ongoing facial pain can take a huge toll on your daily life. If you’re wondering whether Botox could make a difference, I’m here to guide you through the options. Many people find that treatment helps cut down the number of painful days they experience, giving them more freedom and control over their lives.

If you’re ready to explore a treatment that goes beyond temporary fixes, let’s have a conversation. Together, we can see whether Botox is the right step towards reducing your symptoms and helping you feel more like yourself again.