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UNC Neurology offers consultative and continuous care for the treatment of primary and secondary headaches. Primary headaches are recurrent headaches not caused by an underlying disease, and represent the majority of cases. The most common types are migraines and tension-type headaches. Secondary headaches are caused by an underlying condition such as an infection or head injury. There are over 300 possible medical conditions associated with headaches.

A neurologist, Gary W. Jay, MD, FAAPM, provide expert care and treatment of headaches at UNC. Dr. Jay has over four decades of experience in neurology and pain medicine and is a founding member of the American Academy of Pain Medicine. Some of the conditions treated by Dr. Jay include pain management and headache disorders such as migraine with and without aura, chronic daily headaches, tension-type headaches (episodic and chronic), medication overuse headaches, cluster headache, and other trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias. He also treats some pain conditions, including fibromyalgia, post-traumatic headaches and peripheral neuropathy.

Accurately diagnosing a headache disorder is vital in the development of an effective treatment plan. To help pinpoint the problem, Dr. Jay asks patients to complete a comprehensive questionnaire in advance of their appointment which covers not only family history and medications, but also lifestyle, nutrition, quality of life and more. During the first visit, which lasts from 60-90 minutes, Dr. Jay performs three examinations: musculoskeletal, neurological and a general checkup.

Appointments

To schedule an appointment, ask your health care provider for a referral.

The UNC Hospitals Adult Neurology Clinic recently moved to a new location just off of NC Highway 54 at 300 Meadowmont Village Circle, Suite #202, Chapel Hill. The facility is easily accessible and offers free on-site parking for patients.