Valencia Headache Assessment Process

Identifying the Cause to Eliminate the Symptom

At Valencia Headache and Sleep Treatment Center, we are dedicated to relieving pain by finding and treating the source of the problem, not trying to hide the symptoms. Before we begin your treatment, we will perform a thorough examination and assessment to determine your unique circumstances. The assessment appointment is easy and comfortable for you, and will provide us with very valuable information that we will use to develop a treatment plan.

How the Assessment Works

This initial appointment will consist of the following: bite force analysis, range of motion analysis, muscle exam, headache history form, and headache health questionnaire. Each of these will give us insight into what is causing your pain, and how we can go about fixing it.

Contact us today to find out more about our assessments.

Bite Force Analysis

The human jaw is among the most delicate and complicated joints we have. Our T-Scan technology gives us a way to measure your movement objectively and determine if there are any imbalances. The measurement device is able to gather very detailed information about how your mouth moves, and then inputs that data into a program that allows us to see a digital model of how your bite force is distributed in your mouth. Several studies have indicated that the device we use is the most accurate of its kind, and it is this quality that allows us to effectively treat the dental imbalances that so often cause these chronic headaches.

Range of Motion Analysis

If you have noticed a decreased ability to move your head and neck, the problem may in fact be in your jaw. Part of your assessment will be a range of motion analysis, which will measure how much you are able to move your head and neck and compare it to the average of a healthy human.

This will provide insight into any irregularities that may be found in your jaw. The level of detail and precision in this test is remarkable, and allows us to target our focus during treatment much more accurately than we would be capable of without it.

Muscle Exam

This analysis is targeted at those who regularly experience pain or soreness in a particular area in the face or neck. These are referred to as “trigger points” and generally appear as knots in the muscle, often referring pain to other locations. When a trigger point is active, it is causing noticeable discomfort, and when it is latent it is more likely to cause more diffuse stiffness and overall restricted motion.

We use a thorough myofascial muscle palpation exam to identify where the trigger points may be found on you, and be sure that we are focusing our treatment in the correct area.

Headache History Form & Headache Health Questionnaire

Here we are looking to learn your story. Most often, those who suffer from migraines and other types of headaches have done so for many years. We want to know as much detail as you can give us; a history of your symptoms as far back as you can go can give us a great deal of valuable information. Trauma, for example, is extremely common and does not even have to be severe to cause years of pain—something as simple as a sporting injury could do it.

Telling us your history gives us the information we need to whittle down potential causes of your headaches and allows us to narrow our focus to get you feeling better, faster.

Call our Valencia headache care specialists today at (661) 287-9667 to schedule your consultation. We are eager to help you take your life back!