Hemiplegic Migraine Treatment

Hemiplegic Migraines often have quite an alarming presentation, due to the symptoms being similar in nature to those of stroke, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy or various metabolic disorders. Hemiplegia is when one side of the body is weakened or even fully paralysed. Severe hemiplegic migraine attacks may even require hospitalisation, especially in cases where changes in consciousness, high fever, or seizures occur.

At the Gold Coast Headache and Migraine Clinic™, we focus specifically on assessing the cervical spine and brainstem, in order to establish the true cause of your symptoms. If we can establish that they are the cause, then we can begin treatment immediately and we usually see rapid results, within the first 6 sessions, as we do with 85-90% of our patients. The best part is, our treatment technique is safe, gentle, medication-free and non-invasive. Read more below.

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Understanding Your Symptoms

Symptoms of Hemiplegic Migraine

Hemiplegic attacks often present with the more common symptoms of typical migraine headaches. Hemiplegic migraine is actually a subcategory of migraine with aura as hemiplegic migraine attacks comprise an aura phase and a headache phase.

Common Hemiplegic Migraine Symptoms:

Migraine Aura
Severe unilateral migraine headache often described as a throbbing pain
One-sided weakness or paralysis
Loss of muscle control
Inability to comprehend or formulate language
Numbness or tingling in the face and/or limbs
Dizziness
Drowsiness
Double Vision, or other visual disturbances
Nausea
vomiting

Because of the nature of these symptoms, a diagnosis must exclude a raft of other conditions. Examples of this type of migraine attack include severe migraine with aura, hemiplegic stroke, conversion disorder, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy or other metabolic disorders. As there has been some link to minor head trauma and Hemiplegic Migraine, this may be used as information to aid in the differential diagnosis.

Read more information about Hemiplegic Migraines

Understanding Your Migraine

What is Causing Your Hemiplegic Migraine?

In Hemiplegic Migraines, there has been an established genetic component, in both Familial and Sporadic Types. Mild head trauma has also been linked as a potential trigger. Other research suggests that dysfunction in ion channel flow in the brain and central nervous system is a component of Hemiplegic Migraine.

However, there are sufferers of Hemiplegic Migraine where there are no signs of pathology or neurological disorder. In these patients, a sensitised brainstem can often be the cause of their Hemiplegic Migraines.

This sensitised brainstem receives input from various nerves around the body. These would usually be perceived as safe, but the sensitised brainstem interprets them as a threat. This overactive hyperexcitable brainstem can then trigger pain and the symptoms of Hemiplegic Migraine, or other chronic migraine conditions as a response to this threat. This hyperexcitability may be associated with a phenomenon called cortical spreading depression.

Organise Your Initial Assessment

About The Assessment Stage

What To Expect During The Assessment

1. Comprehensive and in-depth examination

We will perform a thorough and in-depth examination to identify all of the factors that may be related to your headaches and migraines. We will focus particularly on your upper cervical spine in our assessment.

2. Ligamental stability and vertebral arterial tests

In order to ensure the highest level of safety is maintained, we routinely will assess the stability of the important ligaments in your upper cervical spine, prior to any assessment or treatment.

3. Temporarily reproduce your headache and migraine symptoms

During our assessment and treatment process, we will be applying gentle and specific pressure to your upper cervical spine in order to temporarily reproduce your headache symptoms. This helps us to identify the specific cause of your headaches.

Hemiplegic Migraine – Quick Facts & FAQs

What is hemiplegic migraine?

Hemiplegic migraine is a rare migraine subtype where aura symptoms can include temporary one-sided weakness, sometimes alongside visual disturbance, sensory changes, or speech and language difficulty. Symptoms are classed as fully reversible, but they can be intense and are often mistaken for other neurological events.

If weakness is new, sudden, or unlike your usual pattern, it should be checked urgently.

Familial Hemiplegic Migraine (FHM)

This subcategory of Hemiplegic Migraines refers to a sufferer with hemiplegic migraine in their family history. In cases of familial hemiplegic migraine, the patient has one or more first or second-degree relatives that suffer from the same condition. There are several genes that have been identified as factors causing familial hemiplegic migraine.

Sporadic Hemiplegic Migraine (SHM)

This subcategory of Hemiplegic Migraines refers to a sufferer that does not have any close relatives that suffer from the same condition. In some cases, similar gene mutations have been found in sporadic hemiplegic migraine patients. This is referred to as “Sporadic Gene Mutation”, hence the name Sporadic Hemiplegic Migraine.

There are no significant differences in the prevalence of the two types of Hemiplegic Migraines. Hemiplegic Migraines often present with brainstem symptoms, in addition to the normal aura symptoms. They are often mistaken for epileptic attacks and unsuccessfully treated as such.

What causes hemiplegic migraine?

Hemiplegic migraine is linked to neurological hypersensitivity and changes in how nerve cells regulate signalling. Some people have a familial pattern, where genetic variants affecting ion channels have been identified in certain families. Others experience it sporadically, without a clear family history.

How rare is hemiplegic migraine?

Hemiplegic migraine is considered very rare. Prevalence estimates from population research suggest around 1 in 10,000 people, although this can vary depending on how cases are identified.

How to prevent hemiplegic migraine

Prevention typically focuses on reducing attack frequency by stabilising daily routines and identifying personal triggers. Many people benefit from consistent sleep, regular meals, hydration, and a clear plan for stress and workload. Where attacks are frequent or severe, medical prevention may also be considered by your treating doctor.

What foods cause hemiplegic migraine?

Food triggers are not the same for everyone. Some people report migraines being triggered by alcohol, aged cheeses, processed meats (nitrates/nitrites), MSG, and artificial sweeteners, but the bigger pattern is often inconsistency (skipped meals, dehydration, poor sleep).

Tracking patterns in a diary is usually more useful than broad restrictions.

Diagnosing Hemiplegic Migraine

Both familial and sporadic hemiplegic migraine types are rare migraine disorders that present with neurological symptoms resembling a stroke or seizure. Due to the complexity and overlap with other headache disorders and neurological conditions, accurate diagnosis is crucial to ensure the appropriate acute treatment and preventive strategies.

Steps in Diagnosing Hemiplegic Migraine

Comprehensive Medical History: A Gold Coast Headache and Migraine Clinic™ expert will assess symptom patterns, including migraine triggers, frequency, duration, and the presence of aura. Since hemiplegic migraine is a rare disorder, it is essential to determine whether symptoms align with familial or sporadic hemiplegic migraine.
Neurological Examination: Patients often experience headache pain, stroke symptoms such as temporary paralysis or loss of coordination, and cognitive impairment. Since severe attacks can mimic transient ischemic attacks (TIAs) or strokes, ruling out vascular conditions affecting the blood vessels is an essential part of neurological assessment.
Genetic Testing: In cases of familial hemiplegic migraine, genetic testing can confirm whether known gene mutations associated with the condition are present. However, in sporadic hemiplegic migraine, there may be no family history, making other diagnostic methods more relevant.
Differential Diagnosis: Because hemiplegic migraines can present with nerve cell dysfunction and motor weakness, they can be misdiagnosed as epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, or metabolic disorders. Some individuals may even develop epileptic seizures, further complicating the diagnosis. Neurologists must rule out these conditions to confirm hemiplegic migraine as the cause.
Imaging and Additional Tests: MRI and CT scans may be used to exclude structural abnormalities, strokes, or lesions. While there is no single test for diagnosing hemiplegic migraine, these scans help ensure that no underlying chronic disorder is responsible for symptoms.
Medication Response: Some patients require anti-seizure medications or migraine-specific drugs to prevent migraine attacks. If symptoms resolve completely or show improvement with migraine treatment rather than stroke or seizure protocols, this can further confirm the diagnosis.

Due to the serious nature of permanent neurological deficits in rare cases, early recognition and diagnosis of hemiplegic migraine are essential. If you experience severe attacks with stroke-like symptoms, seek medical attention immediately for proper evaluation.

How Do I Know If I Have a Hemiplegic Migraine?

(Attacks fulfilling criteria A-B)

Migraine features	Attacks fulfilling the criteria of Migraine
Aura symptoms	Aura consists of both the following: – Fully reversible motor weakness – Fully reversible visual, sensory and/or speech/language symptoms

I’ve tried everything, how can I treat my Hemiplegic Migraine?

Hemiplegic Migraine Treatment - Gold Coast

Sufferers of hemiplegic migraine attacks have often tried a huge variety of treatments and medications. They have gone through painkillers, triptan medication and even anti-depressants. Some patients have even been treated for epilepsy. While some of these medications have some effect, the patients are often left with the same symptoms in the end.

This is where The Gold Coast Headache and Migraine Clinic™ comes in.

We specialise in assessing the cervical spine and brainstem, in order to establish if they are the true cause of your symptoms. If we can establish that they are the cause, then we can begin treatment immediately. The best part is that our treatment technique is safe, gentle, medication-free and non-invasive.

Book your appointment today.

What our clients have said

Excellent

4.9

Andrea Duffy

After being diagnosed with Sunct Trigeminal Neuralgia I was seeking treatment without drugs. After 2 months of treatments with Kevin I'm now pain free. Well worth the effort for a fantastic result, thanks team.

Sarah Jane

Seeing Doug & the team at BHMC has really changed my life, and I’m really grateful for the ongoing care and support. I used to think I had bad vertigo & I would feel dizzy and faint and light headed and nauseous all day everyday and couldn’t work, couldn’t do housework, couldn’t walk my dog, could barely stay standing to shower all because I had been walking around with an unaligned c2 &c3 in my neck due to years of bad posture and constantly hunching over at my desk at work or my head down looking at my phone all day. Migraines 2-3 times a week, constantly feeling pressure in my head and sharp pain, unable to sleep a full nights sleep, and not reacting well at all to prescription medications like valium, replax, and others. I finally got health insurance and headed into BHMC and in the 1st consultation, I was advised of a detailed diagnosis and knew I was in the right place to get help. I’d been struggling everyday for over a year with migraines, had to quit jobs, and was mentally struggling due to these physical symptoms, it was awful. I really wish i’d gone to get physio sooner! Please go and see BHMC, I have been in physio for less than 6 months (probably 10-15 appointments) and have never felt better and more stable. If you go here, try the sessions, buy the pillow, sit up straight, do the exercises, I promise you’ll be better off! Doug has been amazing & so professional, he really knows what hes doing. All the office team is lovely as well!

Samuel Cox

I have been seeing Dr. Woo for about 6 months now and he has been helping me manage my migraines fantastically. I used to get on average 2 migraines a month, now I have gone 4 months with no migraines. The cause of my migraines was very quickly diagnosed and its clear the team here prioritise the goal of self management, not the reliance on medication and continuous appointments. Can recommend to anyone who suffers from Chronic Migraines, it may well be a life changer for you.

Han Wang

My headache problem has been lasting for many years and I suffer from it more frequently from the last 18 months. The quality of my life before treatment was affected tremendously. I simply couldn't enjoy lots of activities when headache attacks occur. I started my headache treatment from the last few weeks and it has been very effective. It is very obvious to how I feel around my neck before and after the treatment. I haven't had any headache episode since. I highly recommend this clinic and the physician named Douglas. He is courteous, gentle, very caring and most amazingly very knowledgeable and skillful. He was able to diagnose my headache issue and provide detailed explainations about my treatment plan and future preventative guidance. I wish I had found this clinic earlier and for anyone who is suffering from headaches you should definitely give it a go. Overall it's a nice and clean clinic, easy public transport and parking. Helpful and friendly admin staff too. Thank you Brisbane Headache and Migraine Clinic Sunnybank Hills.

Celeste Cover

My healthy 7yr old son out of blue started having debilitating migraines about a year ago. Being a nurse I ensured we ruled out anything nasty by doing MRI and seeing specialist. But we kept getting no definitive answer as to why they were reoccuring. Being so young treatment options are limited until 12yrs of age and every episode we would end up at the emergency department with then specialist follow up appointments. Something had to change. I then came across a fellow work colleague (GP) whom referred me to Brisbane Headache and Migraine Clinic. My son has been seeing David now at the spring hill clinic for over 2mnths, where he has worked absolute wonders. My son has had no episodes of a migraine to date yet. David also ensure he educates his clients during the appointment, follows up with exercises and resources for you to use at home as well, easy management plans and a diary to track and see patterns as to why a migraine maybe triggered. I would highly recommend these clinics to anyone suffering. The amount of knowledge and expertise by the staff is amazing. I will always be praising them for the help with my son.

Sahan Amarasena

I have been seeing Sascha for about 3 weeks now. Thanks to Sascha, I have gone from 4-5 headaches a week to being headache free for over a week now. He is very knowledgeable and was quick to diagnose my problem. The treatment plan has been very clear and easy to follow at home. We have addressed all factors that are contributing to my headaches and I am confident of keeping my headaches under control thanks to the tools Sascha has taught me. Highly impressed with the team. They have been very professional, friendly and helpful throughout and been impressed with their customer service. Highly recommend these guys if you are someone who has been suffering with headache for a long time like myself.

Ana Uppman

Mattias and the staff at the clinic are wonderfully helpful and friendly. Mattias in particular helped me to manage chronic headaches and sinus effectively and naturally which has provided a huge amount of pain relief to me especially after so many years of discomfort. Thank you so much Mattias and staff.

Jesse Tamblyn

Diagnosed with Vestibular Neuritis, quickly turned into vestibular migraines of a hellish level. I was hallucinating constantly, pretty much 24/7 for a entire year. With no regular symptoms of a migraine other than extreme light sensitivity, my doctor ordered all the tests, nothing was helping. After a few sessions with Sasch I have zero symptoms and none of my previous triggers are triggering any hallucinations/migraines. Sasch is increadibly skilled at what he does and is very passionate about his clients. I am forever in a debt of gratitude.

kynan jones

I have had cluster headaches on and off for two years now and have had no clue what to do about it, I stumbled across Brisbane migraine and headache clinic, decided to give it a go and I could not be happier with the results from Mattias. My symptoms have dropped by an easy 90% and I can enjoy my days again. Thank you Mattias and thank you Brisbane migraine and headache clinic.

Carter Bennett

So far my treatment at the Headache and Migraine clinic has been very helpful. As someone who experiences migraines often enough, I can say with confidence that after only a few months of treatment with practictioner Mattias, the frequency and severity has been reduced. Still a ways to go till Im migraine free, but I can say with confidence that this very interesting form of treatment works.

ARCHANACHOWDARY NALLAPANENI

David is really wonderful and he is a magician. I've been suffering from migraine headaches for past three years after I met David, and his treatment is like a miracle. I've been on treatment for five weeks now and haven't had any headaches. Thank you heaps David

Rachel de Vera

Best place to overcome your headache pain. This clinic will give you treatment to make your life free from migraine.

Luke Shanley

Ariel from Brisbane Migraine & Headache clinic was the only person that actually helped with my migraines. After seeing doctors & neurologists to no avail i decided to give it a go. I'm able to see friends, nieces & nephews again and working full time. This seemed impossible just over 2 months ago when I first started treatment. Gave me my life back.

Danielle Raftopoulos

I've seen Ariel for neck, back and knee pain/ injuries in the past. She does an excellent job with releasing muscles through dry needling and acupuncture which has relieves pain. Ariel provides exercises to do at home which are helpful. I've also seen all the other physios at the clinic. Highly recommend it.

Pawan Sandhu

I was suffering with bad migraine from last 13 years. Then I heard about Brisbane headache centre. I consulted with Dominic he is very professional and nice Physio. He find out the triggers and started my treatment since i seen him first till now I haven't had any headaches. I highly recommend people if you suffering with headache and migraine please go and consult with the team. Thanks Dominic.

Brooke O'kell

I have had an amazing experience with Ariel at the clinic. I went there in horrific pain after been diagnosed with Trigeminal Neuralgia and I was taking 12 nerve pain tablets a day. The clinic was recommended to me by a friend and I'm so glad I gave them a try because now after a couple of months I am pain free and down to one nerve tablet a day. It's hard to explain really how grateful I really am now to be spending Christmas with my family pain free after not been able to leave the house without crying in pain. I'm would give them 100 stars if I could and I've already recommended Ariel to some friends who suffer migraines. Thank you for everything Ariel your an amazing and lovely lady who really changed my life.

Cathy Biles

I have suffered from migraines for 30 years and I have found that the treatment that I am having at Brisbane Headache and Migraine Clinic is the most effective way I’ve found in preventing a migraine. I have been having treatment with Mattias for around 4 months, and at this stage I still do get some migraines, but they are getting a lot less frequent than they were before I started having treatment. Mattias is very understanding and explains each step of the treatment very thoroughly.

Candy Beanland

Dominic is a very polite person who has helped me a great deal with my migraine headaches. I am very grateful to him.

Emma Zonca

I've had a great experience being treated by Dominic. I was recently diagnosed with Trigeminal Neuralgia and my symptoms have now massively reduced. The care and education I have received have been excellent. All staff have been welcoming and very lovely to deal with since my first appointment. I highly recommend Brisbane Headache and Migraine Clinic.

Ebony Smith

I've been receiving treatment from Mattias for a little over two months now and I cannot recommend this practice enough!!! I have been struggling with Migraine headaches and terrifying aura symptoms for 10+ years and have tried absolutely everything (from medications, diets, all sorts of treatments and multiple specialist/neurologist appointments) in order to eliminate, ease or simply manage the pain. Thank you to Mattias and the wonderful team at Brisbane Headache and Migraine Clinic for listening to my struggles with pain, understanding my issues, applying the right treatment that my body was receptive to...and most importantly.... they gave me a free jar of mints! What a DEAL! 10/10 recommend.

Cassandra Guse

2 months ago debilitating migraines were driving me crazy - and I finally snapped and called this clinic after 3 years of spending most of my spare time just resting and re-habbing my head and neck between work. I started treatments with Dominic immediately. And I am amazed to report that I haven't had a migraine since! I wish I had done it years earlier. Dominic is pleasant, thorough, very knowledgeable and holistic in his advice, picking up on things which seem unrelated but were likely contributing to my headaches - and explains everything every step of the way. I can't recommend him highly enough.

Laura O'hearn

I have only been seeing Dominic from Brisbane Headache and Migraine Clinic for three weeks, but the change in my migraines has been dramatic. I have struggled with chronic migraines for over 20 years and I did not find daily medication helpful in controlling them. I wish I had known about Brisbane Headache and Migraine Clinic sooner as this has been a life-changing experience.

Paul Hewitt

There could not be too much praise for the services and results produced at this Centre . I was suffering clusters of migraines and other neck pain. Went to Doctor, more medication! Decided there has to be a better way. Googled the Headache and Migraine Centre, met with Mattias, and Helen , a few visits and the relief was significant . Small business could take a lesson from their efficiency as well, Admin staff are all over everything, helping you to make appointment times that suit you. If you had or having similar issues to mine..........Just go there .

Chimorne Bekker

Special thanks to Dominic for treating me at the Brisbane Headache and Migraine Clinic. I have had roughly 11 sessions at the clinic and have been headache & migraine free for two weeks today. This may not seem very long, but it is for someone who experiences an attack every second day. My treatment is still ongoing, but the results are already promising. I also have to mention that Dominic was the first specialist to notice that my C2-C3 cervical vertebrae were rotated/disturbed and recommended that we realign the vertebrae and desensitise my brain stem. This was a relief as specialists in the past have diagnosed me with anything from ethmoid sinusitis and occipital neuralgia to labelling it as “psychosomatic“. I would highly recommend anyone suffering from migraines/headaches to arrange a consultation with Dominic.

Megan Tilley

After about 5 weeks of constant headaches, in complete desperation I contacted BHMC and within 4 sessions with Mathias, my headaches significantly reduced in severity and duration. Highly recommended!

Have Questions?

If you have any general enquiries, feel free to use our form on this page to ask us your questions. If you are looking to make an appointment, you can scroll down to make a booking.

Common Headaches Treated at our Clinic

Menstrual Migraine Cluster Headache Cervicogenic Headache Whiplash Associated Injury Sinus Headache Chronic Daily Headache Tension Type Headache Migraine Headache Hormonal Headache Vertigo Cervical Headache Trigeminal Neuralgia Occipital Neuralgia Cyclical Vomiting Syndrome Hemiplegic Migraine Abdominal Migraine