Got a Splitting Headache? Moweaqua Chiropractor Dr. Brian Mcgregor is Using Chiropractic to Help Stop Headaches, Without the Use of Pain Killer
Moweaqua, IL, July 30, 2009 –(PR.com)– According to the American Chiropractic Association, nine out of ten Americans suffer from headaches. Dr. Brian McGregor, owner of Moweaqua Accident & Injury Center, is using chiropractic to successfully stop migraine headaches in hundreds of patients who previously had little help from traditional medicine.
“Many of my patients felt like there was no hope for them,” says Dr. McGregor. “There is a large segment of our population who suffer silently with headache pain almost every day. They often turn to pain killers to temporarily stop the pain. But drugs only provide short term relief, it doesn’t fix the core problem at hand. We are using chiropractic to fix the source of the migraines and we are having excellent results.”
Is there evidence that chiropractic can stop headache pain? New research shows that spinal manipulation – the primary form of care provided by doctors of chiropractic – may be an effective treatment option for tension headaches and headaches that originate in the neck.
A report released in 2001 by researchers at the Duke University Evidence-Based Practice Center in Durham, NC, found that spinal manipulation resulted in almost immediate improvement for those headaches that originate in the neck, and had significantly fewer side effects and longer-lasting relief of tension-type headache than a commonly prescribed medication.
Dr. McGregor says, “In recent years the medical community has embraced chiropractic because it offers treatment without the use of drugs or surgery. In treating headache pain, most experts agree that conservative care should be tried before more invasive treatments are considered. That’s what chiropractic offers. It has a long history of effectively stopping pain yet doesn’t require the use of prescription or over the counter painkillers that can have negative consequences. Chiropractic is all-natural and frequently is more affordable than other options. We say why suffer when you don’t have to? We invite people to come on down and explore if chiropractic might work for them.”
For the month of August, Dr. Brian McGregor is offering his first visit free of charge to anyone looking into chiropractic and how it might help their headaches. “This way they can make an informed decision, and it doesn’t cost them anything,” says Dr. McGregor.
Moweaqua Accident & Injury Center is located at 105 E. Warren Street, Moweaqua, IL. 62550. Dr. McGregor can be reached by telephone at (217) 768-3699 or online at www.moweaquadoc.com
Why blue M&Ms could help relieve your migraine
Blueman2 Yesterday I reported on the blue rat study, which showed that the food dye Brilliant Blue G (BBG) can be effective in treating spinal cord injury.
When discussing the research with Maiken Nedergaard, one of the study’s authors, she made the interesting point that migraine sufferers often recommend blue energy drinks as helpful in relieving an attack.
I don’t suffer from migraines. But I did find a number of people suggesting blue cures on message boards, including Sky Blue Sport drink, epsom salts with blue food colouring. There also appear to be patents filed for migraine tablets containing another type of blue dye.
It’s important not to read too much into the anecdotal cure. As for many conditions where no established treatment, the selection of suggested migraine remedies you’ll find online is vast and varied. No doubt if you searched for “covering yourself in tar and drinking pomegranate juice” you’d find someone out there swearing by it.
But in the case of the blue dye, there are other reasons for thinking that it might work. First, the study showed that BBG can cross the blood-brain barrier, which immediately opens up the possibility that it could have a direct action within the brain. In the study the blue dye was given in as an intravenous injection, and the researchers subsequently found a high uptake of the chemical in the spinal cord.
Second, it is known that BBG can act to suppress the effects of the neurotransmitter Adenosine Triposphate (ATP), which plays an important role in inflammation following injury. In spinal injury, ATP floods the affected area, causing neurons to fire uncontrollably, until they eventually die. BBG has a stronger affinity for neurons, however, allowing it to block the action of ATP.
Could it play a similar role in migraine? Conventional theories certainly don’t rule out the possibility.
Migraines are thought to originate in the brain centre known as the hypothalamus, in response to “something the brain doesn’t like”. This could be a particular food, a change in the weather, a stressful situation or some unidentified other.
According to neuroscientist and headache specialist Holger Kaube at the University of Freiburg, the migraine is the brain’s way of “evoking a state of disease and forcing a day or two of rest” by creating the need to lie down and stay away from light and noise.
The hypothalamus sets off a train of reactions which result in the dilation of the blood vessels in the meninges, the skin membrane surrounding brain. The dilation is accompanied by the inflammation of cells surrounding the vessels, which are intertwined with pain fibres, leading to a throbbing headache sensation.
Blue dye could either act on the root cause of the migraine by targeting and suppressing signals in the hypothalamus. Or it could act on the symptoms of the migraine by reducing inflammation in the membrane. Either one would potentially offer relief.
If this proves to be the case, the blue dye found in sweets such as M&M’s and blue Liquorice All Sorts could well prove an safe, effective and cheap way of treating migraine. However, as evidenced by the wonderful pictures of the blue rats, there is one small drawback. It could leave you looking a little blue in the face.
Posted by Hannah Devlin on July 30, 2009 in Medicine |
Headache cures using chili extract, cayenne pepper, and vitamin B2 with remedies report & directory
by the Examinor
Natural cures for headaches that have been scientifically studied include herbs such as feverfew, essential oils and aromatherapy, some of the B complex vitamins such as riboflavin, minerals, including magnesium, and calcium balances, cayenne pepper elements such as capsaicin, subcutaneous injection, oral tablets, sublingual preparations, nasal spray and drops, rectal suppositories and inhaled aerosols. What works on non-vascular headaches, such as those caused by sinus problems or tension and stress, may not work on vascular headaches such as migraine.
Scientific review suggests that capsaicin may have the largest body of scientific evidence and clinical trial support of any topical agent for the treatment of cluster headache. See the study, Markley HG. (2003). “Topical agents in the treatment of cluster headache.” Current Pain and Headache Reports 2003. Apr;7(2):139-43.
An ingredient in cayenne pepper called capsaicin could end your allergy cluster or sinus headaches and rhinitis. Check out some of the clinical studies noted at the Buster® brands site. Capsaicin, is derived from cayenne pepper.
Capsaicin is the active component of chili peppers. You might wish to read the articles on headache remedies from the About.com’s health information sites. About.com’s Health, Disease, and Condition content is reviewed by the Medical Review Board.
According to the article, Capsaicin – 10 Things You Should Know Topical Cream Relieves Arthritis Pain updated March 4, 2009 on About.com’s Osteoarthritis site by Carol and Richard Eustice, the article notes that, “Capsaicin is actually an irritant to humans, producing a burning sensation in any tissue it touches. Capsaicin works by depleting or interfering with substance P, a chemical involved in transmitting pain impulses to the brain. The properties of capsaicin make it an option for relieving pain associated with osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and diabetic neuropathy. Capsaicin is used to relieve muscle pain, joint pain, or nerve pain.”
On the Buster® brands site, the answers explain that “Capsaicin, when repeatedly applied to the nasal mucosa of cluster headache patients, has been shown to prevent the occurrence of pain attacks.”
The Buster® brands site reports that capsaicin also is helpful in cases of allergic rhinitis, rhinorrhea, and nasal blockage. More than 40 clinical studies have documented capsaicin’s effectiveness in the treatment of sinusitis, rhinitis and headaches. Several of those studies are excerpted on the Buster® brands site.
Has anyone tried just eating chili peppers to see whether or not the actual food item might work on allergic rhinitis or cluster headaches? Or is the nasal spray with capsaicin altered in some way so that it doesn’t burn the tender lining inside your nose? Let’s see more information from those studies.
Migraines, Riboflavin, and Magnesium
If you’re told that half the migraine sufferers have a magnesium deficiency, that magnesium is a vascular protective mineral, and that migraine patients also need a small amount of riboflavin, how do you start to test your theory to make sure your not catering to a placebo effect?
If you’re a scientist studying the brains of migraine patients, you first notice a variation (from non-migraine patients). The variation or difference is in specific parts of the energy generators in migraine patients’ brains.
So how do you override the issue with the energy generators in the brains of migraine patients? When you give migraine patients riboflavin (vitamin B2), it helps to regenerate the energy system in their brains. This short circuits the migraine pain, according to page 400 of the book, Healing with Vitamins (Rodale Press) 2008. Vitamin B2’s purpose in the body is to metabolize glucose.
In the past, previous studies of magnesium and feverfew for migraine prevention have found conflicting results. And there has been only a single placebo-controlled trial of riboflavin until the 2004 Kaiser Permanente, Research and Evaluation study in California.
See the study titled, ”A Combination of Riboflavin, Magnesium, and Feverfew for Migraine Prophylaxis: A Randomized Trial,” in Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain, Volume 44, Issue 9, Date: October 2004, Pages: 885-890, Morris Maizels, Andrew Blumenfeld, Raoul Burchette. According to the abstract of the Kaiser study, “Forty-nine patients completed the 3-month trial. For the primary outcome measure, a 50% or greater reduction in migraines, there was no difference between active and ‘placebo’ groups, achieved by 10 (42%) and 11 (44%), respectively (P= .87).”
The abstract of the study reported, “Similarly, there was no significant difference in secondary outcome measures, for active versus placebo groups, respectively: 50% or greater reduction in migraine days (33% and 40%, P= .63); or change in mean number of migraines, migraine days, migraine index, or triptan doses. Compared to baseline, however, both groups showed a significant reduction in number of migraines, migraine days, and migraine index.”
Low-dose vitamin B2, that is, riboflavin’s effects exceeded what placebos can show. The abstract of the study noted, “This effect exceeds that reported for placebo agents in previous migraine trials. The conclusion of the study, according to the abstract in Headache, The Journal of Head and Face Pain revealed, “Riboflavin 25 mg showed an effect comparable to a combination of riboflavin 400 mg, magnesium 300 mg, and feverfew 100 mg.”
What about a placebo response? The abstract of the study noted that, “The placebo response exceeds that reported for any other placebo in trials of migraine prophylaxis, and suggests that riboflavin 25 mg may be an active comparator. There is at present conflicting scientific evidence with regard to the efficacy of these compounds for migraine prophylaxis.”
Your body produces energy from carbohydrates. Riboflavin is used for normal red blood cell production and general body growth. It’s found naturally in lean meats, eggs, leafy green vegetables, nuts, legumes, fortified breads and cereals, milk and dairy products. Most people don’t have a deficiency, but why does such a little bit of vitamin B2 (25 mgs) prevent migraine pain when the migraine pain in women might be caused by a drop in estrogen and progesterone each month?
Women’s monthly migraines and dropping hormone levels
What about treating monthly migraines in women with hormones or even bio-identical hormones? What do the medical articles say? If you look at medical articles based on studies such as the article titled, “Natural” or Alternative Medications for Migraine Prevention, Randolph W. Evans, Frederick R. Taylor, published in Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain, Volume 46, Issue 6, Pages1012 – 1018, or the article, Ovarian Hormones and Migraine Headache: Understanding Mechanisms and Pathogenesis—Part I, it may help you to understand why so many women get monthly migraines.
The abstract of this article notes that, “Ovarian hormones have a significant effect on the central nervous system of female migraineurs.” Science knows that migraines are frequently triggered during declines in serum estrogen levels that occur before and during the time of menstruation. Short of having your doctor prescribe hormones for your migraines, what natural, drug-free migraine-ending solutions have been studied?
And what about male and female migraine patients studied with vitamin B2? The 2004 study done at Kaiser Permanente in California published in Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain, required that some volunteers take a daily dose of 300 mgs of magnesium along with 400 milligrams of riboflavin. Some also took 100 mgs of the herb, feverfew and others took a lesser amount of riboflavin–25 milligrams of riboflavin, for three months.
What the study found was that those that took the lesser amount of riboflavin–only 25 mgs of riboflavin for three months and those that took both the feverfew and the higher amount of riboflavin, the 400 mgs of riboflavin, had the same results. So it didn’t matter whether someone took 400 mgs of riboflavin (vitamin B2) or whether someone took the lesser amount of riboflavin (25 mgs).
The lesser amount of riboflavin, those 25 mgs of riboflavin, was just as effective that is, worked just as well, as the combination of the higher doses of riboflavin, feverfew, and magnesium. So the conclusion was that 25 mgs of riboflavin could be just as good for preventing migraine headaches.
Don’t take a high amount of riboflavin. Taking B vitamins stimulate the thyroid. And taking one B vitamin without all the other B vitamins taken in a B-complex combination may cause one B vitamin to pull the other B vitamins out of balance in your body or out of your body completely. So always talk with your doctor about what vitamins, minerals, or supplements you are taking. Are severe migraines helped with a specific, individually tailored amount of magnesium?
People with severe migraines that have been ruled out by a doctor as being caused by anything more serious that needs immediate treatment might consider researching what magnesium could do for them in the right amount. Many health professionals think that migraines may be caused by an imbalance of magnesium to calcium in the body.
Magnesium, in small amounts, is protective to your vascular system. If you keep researching the data on migraines, you’ll find a lot of mentions of how magnesium in small amounts can be of help. The cause of your migraine could be magnesium deficiency. What doctors do know is that migraines are caused by vascular changes.
The blood vessels spasm and reduce oxygen flow. What causes these spasms could be an increase in the stress hormones in your blood, hormones such as catecholamines and serotonin.
The blood circulates either too slowly or too fast. But scientists know that magnesium regulates the diameter of your blood vessels. Can too much serotonin cause a migraine? And what food triggers serotonin? Bananas, for example is one food that could raise your serotonin levels. You want normal serotonin levels, of course. Low serotonin levels are found in depressed people or people with anger management problems and depression.
According to page 402 of Healing with Vitamins, the daily recommended value for magnesium is 400 mgs. The book, Healing with Vitamins, notes, “For people with migraines, experts who suggest magnesium supplements recommend taking 600 milligrams divided into two or three doses.”
Remember that magnesium causes diarrhea if you take too much for your body. So always talk to your doctor before you take any supplements. Sugary desserts and caffeinated beverages actually wash some magnesium out of your body. If you drink two cups of a caffeine-containing beverage daily, the caffeine also washes out some of the magnesium from your body.
Ask your doctor whether it’s okay to take magnesium gluconate, the active, ionized form of magnesium. Your goal is to see whether the ionized form of magnesium will stop the constriction of blood vessels in your brain and in surrounding areas of your head. Work closely with your doctor if you’re trying to prevent migraines with either magnesium or riboflavin or a combination of the two.
Try the natural supplements first if you get unwanted side effects from the usual migraine medicines on the market or your pre-existing blood pressure or heart issues prevent you from taking drugs for migraines. Perhaps your problem lies in balancing minerals and vitamins as well as the whole foods in your body. Find out.
About.Com: Osteoarthritis: Capsaicin Photo credits: Flickr.com.
Migraines are more than just a headache
by Sile on July 25, 2009
in Uncategorized
Anyone who has ever experienced one can tell you a migraine is more than “just” a headache. In fact, a migraine is not simply a bad headache — migraine is a neurological disease and a headache is a symptom of that illness.
If you suffer from migraines, you are not alone. These pounding headaches have a way of disrupting lives like almost no other head pain and affect up to 28 million Americans, according to statistics gathered by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS).
The word migraine comes from the word “hemikrania” which is a Greek word that means “half of the head.”
Migraines can be described as an intense pulsating or throbbing pain that often — but not always — affects only one area of the head.
Migraines are caused by the narrowing and subsequent widening of blood vessels, which creates intense pain, according to the Family Doctor Web site.
Recent studies show that low levels of the hormone serotonin may cause the widening of blood vessels.
A migraine is often accompanied by extreme sensitivity to light and sound, nausea and vomiting. Some individuals can predict the onset of a migraine because it is preceded by an “aura,” visual disturbances that appear as flashing lights, zigzag lines or a temporary loss of vision.
Auras might also bring on fatigue, cravings for certain foods and moodiness.
Sometimes “complex migraines” take on frightening symptoms similar to a stroke, with numbness, speech problems and even deafness.
People who have recently experienced a migraine are typically very sleepy or feel exhausted.
Dr. Cecile Becker, a neurologist with Springfield Clinic, says women are much more likely to suffer from migraines.
“I’d say that I see four women to every one man when it comes to migraines,” she says, adding that the headaches can “absolutely” be largely attributed to hormones. “Migraines also tend to run in families, so it is mainly an inherited condition.”
Although young children do get migraines, usually the headaches begin in adolescence.
“Typically the onset (of women’s migraines) is in the teens and 20s,” Becker says.
“I see women up to 60 to 70 years old, but migraines are less common by the time a woman in her 60s.”
Women who are pregnant sometimes find that after their first trimester, migraines disappear, only to reappear after the baby is born.
Some women tend to have fewer attacks and milder symptoms after menopause.
Other migraine triggers are certain foods, strong smells (such as perfumes, colognes or paints), caffeine (which Becker describes as a “potent trigger”), cigarette smoke and bright lights.
In fact, Becker says she remembers her first migraine, which she experienced at just 7 years old. “I was outside, the sun was very bright and that’s when it started,” she says.
Most of Becker’s migraine patients are referrals from primary care physicians.
“I do prefer that patients keep a headache calendar at the beginning (to check for migraine triggers) and also to see if treatment is working,” she says.
Generally, she will prescribe a preventive medication if patients are getting one or more migraines a week.
According to Becker, tension headaches and sinus headaches are sometimes confused with migraines.
In fact, more than half the men and women in the United States who suffer with migraines have not been diagnosed with the disease.
As with any medical problem, if you or your child is experiencing severe headaches, you should make an appointment with a primary-care physician.
Common symptoms of migraine …
- Throbbing or pulsating headache on one side of your head.
- Moderate to severe headache intensity.
- Your headache getting worse with routine physical activity.
- Nausea, vomiting, or both.
- Sensitivity to light and noise, and sometimes smells.
— Source: WebMD.com
All About Migraines
Migraine Headaches are paroxysmal ailments, that are accompanied by a severe headache. The headache normally occurs on one side of the head. Migraine is associated with disorders of digestion, liver, and sight.
Migraine headaches occur sometimes due to great mental tension and stress. Migraine headache patients are typically smart, inflexible, disciplined. Sudden migraine attacks may occur due to overworked muscles in the head and neck and due to continuous stress. The blood flow drops because these tight muscles squeeze the arteries. When the person suddenly relaxes these tight muscles expand and stretch the blood vessel walls. The blood pumped with each heartbeat then pushes the vessels further causing immense pain.
Migraine headache Symptoms
Pain on one side of the head
Migraine headaches have a certain pattern: Normally, the pain is on only one side of the head and often starts from behind the eye. The migraine attack is concentrated on the left side on once occasion and on another you have a headache on the right side.
A short period of depression, irritability and loss of appetite
Migraines and depression are sometimes related in some persons. The affected person may have a period of depression prior to a migraine attack. Migraine headaches also are sometimes preceded loss of appetite and irritability. Migraine attacks may occur every day in some people or may occur with a weeks gap or a month or may be over a year. There is no predictable migraine attack cycle that has been established yet.
Pounding pain, nausea, and vomiting
Symptoms of migraines include pounding pain, nausea and vomiting. You can feel the blood pulsating through the affected side of the head.
Numbness or weakness in an arm or leg, or on one side of the face
Migraine pain may be preceded by numbness and weakness or an arm or a leg. The eye may start paining or one side of the face gets numb prior to a migraine headache. In some cases the entire face and tongue may get numb making the speech slurry. Digestive problems are experienced sometimes as the headache develops.
Common Migraine (without aura) symptoms
Irritability, laziness, stiff neck, yawning are signs of common migraine (migraine without aura). Confused thinking, weakness, difficulty in concentrating are some other signs.
Classical Migraine with aura symptoms
Migraines with aura may have all the symptoms of those without the aura. But has one additional symptom: a visual C shaped aura. A C shaped arc of flashing lights with the center as gray or blind and the colored lights at the end of the C. This migraine aura starts as a small dot and expands in about 30 minutes.
Cause for Migraine Headaches
Low blood sugar, allergy infection, excessive intake of certain drugs
Migraine headaches maybe caused by low blood sugar, allergy infection, excessive intake of certain drugs, nutritional deficiency, consistent overwork, improper sleep and rest, excessive smoking, drinking,and sexual indulgence.
Menstrual Migraine: Menstruation in women
Menstruation in women is also one of the important cause of migraine headache. Commonly known as menstrual migraine, this usually abates after menopause.
Herbal Remedies for migraines headaches
Migraine relief using Grapes
Migraine relief can be obtained from the juice of ripe grapes and is an effective home remedy. Grind fresh ripe grapes and drink without adding any water.
Migraine relief using Niacin
Niacin has proved helpful in relieving migraine pain. Valuable sources of this vitamin are yeast, whole wheat, green leafy vegetables, tomatoes, nuts, sunflower seeds, liver and fish. Vitamin I complex tablets containing 100 mg of niacin can be taken for migraine treatment.
Relieving Migraine using Cabbage Leaf Compress
Cabbage leaf compress can help relieve the pain of a migraine headache. Crush a few cabbage leaves, place in a cloth and apply on the forehead for extended period of time. Use fresh leaves when the compressed leaves dry out.
Migraine treatment using Lemon Crust
Lemon crusts can cure migraine. Grind lemon crust and apply as a paste on the forehead. Migraine cures using this remedy has been found very effective and long lasting by many.
Natural Migraine headache treatment using Vegetable Juices
Carrot juice combined with spinach, beet and cucumber juices are good for migraine treatment. Use on the 2 following mixtures as migraine therapy: 1: Mix 200 ml of spinach juice with 300 ml of carrot juice. 2: Mix 100 ml each of beet and cucumber juices with 300 ml of carrot juice.
Migraine relief diet
Fasting on orange juice and water
Cleansing the body of toxins is important for effective treatment of migraine headache. Fast for 2-3 days on orange juice and water. Alternatively, fast on juices of carrot, celery or cucumber.
Avoid foods like white flour products, sugar, tinned or preserved foods, etc
To prevent migraine avoid or reduce white flour products, sugar, confectionery, rich cakes, pastries, sweets, refined cereals, greasy foods, tinned or preserved foods, pickles, condiments and sauces.
All-fruit diet
3-4 fruit based meals for about 2-3 days after the juice diet could help relieve some of the migraine pain.
Well-balanced diet of seeds, nuts etc.
Adopt a well-balanced diet consisting of seeds, nuts, grains, vegetables and fruits.
Include milk, yoghurt, buttermilk, vegetable oils, and honey.
All fruit diet for a couple of days each month can keep your body cleansed as a migraine therapy.
Eat frequent small meals, Copious drinking of water is essential.
Drink water regularly and in good quantity. Eat frequent smaller meals than lesser large meals. This help your digestion process.
Other migraine treatment
Take warm-water enema to cleanse bowels
Cleanse the bowels by taking warm water enema during the fruit juice diet.
Hot bath, cold compress applied to head
A hot foot bath, fomentation over the stomach and spine, cold compress applied to the head, and towels wrung out of very hot water and frequently applied to the neck will go a long way in relieving migraine headaches.
Plenty of exercise and walk in fresh air is essential
Exercise regularly and frequent fresh air walks help relieve migraine tension.
Source: http://www.home-remedies-for-you.com/remedy/Migraine.html
Headaches And Neck Pain
by Sile on July 20, 2009
in Uncategorized
July 19th, 2009 by Nicholas Somerville
Living with a headache is hard enough but when it spreads to your neck and restricts movement it is so much worse.
No one wants to stop for a headache and neck pain, so below are my three top tips for managing the pain.
1.Drink Plenty Of Fluids ” It is believed that as many as ninety five percent of all headaches
2. Heat and Cold – It is important to release the muscles in your neck to alleviate this pain. The best way to achieve this is with hot and cold compresses. Alternate these until the muscles start to relax and then gently move the head around to stretch the muscles.
3.Review Your Lifestyle – Changing your life is a long process, but there is no doubt that headaches are a lifestyle symptom. Headaches can be caused by stress, environmental factors or even by certain foods. It is important to isolate what causes your headaches. A good way to do this is the keep a diary. For every headache you should write down where you where, the environment (hot, cold, office, dinner party, etc) and also what you had eaten that day or the night before. Eventually a pattern will emerge – don’t expect to see this after just a couple of headaches it can take a while.
Headaches and neck pain can feel like a life sentence, but with careful management you can change you life in such a way as to reduce these symptoms.
Taking positive steps is important. Once you start to take back control then you may want to look into some of the alternative therapies which are available. Changing your life is always better than medicating your life.
Always bare in mind that a healthy lifestyle and a relaxed and happy mood will help your headaches and neck pains.
Needling away your headaches with acupuncture
Needling away your headaches with acupuncture
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By Jane Harrison, R.D., Staff Writer, myOptumHealth
Content provided by
Do you suffer from chronic headaches? Acupuncture treatment may help.
Studies show that this ancient Chinese healing technique may help relieve many types of pain, including some headaches.
According to traditional Chinese medicine, health is achieved by keeping the body in a balanced state. Practitioners believe disease is due to an imbalance of “qi” (pronounced “chee”), or energy force in the body. A blockage in the flow of qi, they say, can lead to disease and pain. In good health, qi is believed to flow freely through certain pathways known as meridians. Acupuncture points are found along these meridians.
What is involved?
Acupuncture involves inserting fine needles into specific points on your meridians. Stimulating these points is thought to aid the body’s natural healing abilities.
The needles used are tiny and hair-thin. Most people feel little or no pain when they are inserted. Some say they feel energized by treatment, while others feel relaxed.
If you struggle with chronic headaches, acupuncture therapy may help. Among complementary treatments for pain management, acupuncture is one of the most widely used and well accepted by doctors.
Effect on migraines and tension headaches
Results from 33 trials involving over 6,000 people compared the use of acupuncture to medication. The findings showed that:
- Almost half of those treated with acupuncture plus pain medicine said it at least halved the number of tension and migraine headaches they got over an average of three months.
- Those treated with only acupuncture (no drugs) had fewer tension and migraine headaches than people who were given medication. They also reported fewer side effects.
- Another long-term study of people with headaches showed that acupuncture treatments led to fewer missed work days, less need for medication and fewer visits to the doctor.
When “fake” or “sham” acupuncture was compared to acupuncture done in the correct manner, the results were mixed:
- Several studies were done for prevention of muscle contraction headaches. They showed that people who were given the correct treatment had statistically fewer headaches than those who got the fake acupuncture.
- The results were not as clear for migraine headache sufferers. People in both groups – those who got the real and the “sham” acupuncture – reported about the same reduction in headaches.
Experts say the pain relief from the sham treatment may be due to the hands-on, repetitive stimulus of the needles. It may also be because people believe acupuncture works. This is known as the placebo effect.
Is acupuncture safe?
Talk to your doctor about acupuncture before you try it. It is usually safe in the hands of a licensed and qualified practitioner. Soreness or pain could result if the needle isn’t placed properly, is defective or if you move during the treatment. If not done properly, you could also suffer an infection or damage to internal organs. Always be sure that the practitioner is using an unopened set of sterile, disposable, one-use needles.
Acupuncture therapy is becoming widely available. You may find it offered at your local hospital, at a pain center or through a neurologist. Ask your doctor for a referral. As with any treatment, talk to your doctor if your symptoms persist or get worse after this therapy.
SOURCES:
- American Academy of Medical Acupuncture. NCCAM acupuncture information resources.
- National Guideline Clearinghouse. Assessment and management of chronic pain.
- Linde K, Allais G, Brinkhaus B, Manheimer E, Vickers A, White AR. Acupuncture for tension-type headache. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2009.
- Patel G, Euler D, Audette JF. Complementary and alternative medicine for noncancer pain. Medical Clinics of North America. 2007;91(1):141-167.
- National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. An introduction to acupuncture.
- Jena S, Witt CM, Brinkhaus B, Wegscheider K, Willich SN. Acupuncture in patients with headaches. Cephalalgia. 2008;28(9):969-979.
Headache Treatment
by Sile on July 13, 2009
in Headaches, Uncategorized, pain
July 12th, 2009 | by The Doc |
Most headaches are classified as primary headaches, and are usually easily treated by over the counter solutions. Ibuprofen and Aleve are usually effective treatments for problems involving primary headaches. More serious headaches, like cluster headaches, demand specialized treatment. Other effective treatments for headaches include lifestyle alterations as well as therapeutic options. These are good ways to prevent headaches prior to their onset. The majority of headaches can be traced to a stress related cause.
Several hours of physical exertion can easily bring on a stress related headache. The muscles in the skull tend to contract, causing added stress that results in pain. Treatment is fairly simple, but prevention is a more effective means of reducing headache pain. Preventing headache pain usually means finding the cause of the onset in the first place. If emotionally stressful situations are bringing on the pain, some sort of stress management is most likely in order. Hours of physical labor should be broken up by regular breaks to prevent the outbreak of stress related headaches.
Frequent headaches that do not abate, or occur on a seemingly random basis may be a sign of a more serious condition. Headache treatment under these circumstances may revolve around diagnosing a more serious issue. Headaches that occur constantly and at random may signal a more serious issue at work. This kind of headache, known as a secondary headache, can signify a variety of possible neurological issues. It is important to see a specialist whenever problems of this kind present in the patient. Prompt care can prevent the root cause of secondary headaches from becoming more serious.
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Although No Cure Exists, Effective Treatment is Available for Migraine
Here is another typical article written on migraines claiming that you are stuck with your migraine for life and you cannot do anything other than manage it. That ain’t entirely so. There are tools and techniques to naturally relieve migraine sufferers from pain.
Anyway, here is the article:
Medical Edge from Mayo Clinic
July 9, 2009
ANSWER: At this time, no cure exists for migraine headaches. But that doesn’t mean you have to just suffer through them. Although there isn’t one pill doctors can prescribe or a surgery we can recommend to cure migraine, effective treatment is available. For many people, a combination of medication and lifestyle changes decreases the frequency and severity of migraine attacks and reduces the disruption migraine has on daily life.
Some people think of a migraine as just a very painful headache. Migraine headaches are associated with moderate to severe — often throbbing pain that gets worse with routine physical activity, such as climbing stairs. But additional symptoms, including nausea, vomiting and sensitivity to light and sound, set migraine apart from other headaches.
For some, a migraine attack is preceded by an aura — seeing blind spots or bright flashes of light — or a feeling of tingling or numbness on the skin. These symptoms usually last less than an hour. Most migraine headaches are episodic, meaning that people who have them have many headaches over many years, but each attack is distinct and separate from the others.
Even though a complete cure isn’t available, there are plenty of medications that can control migraine attacks. Medications used to combat migraine fall into two broad categories: acute pain-relieving medications and preventive medications.
Acute pain-relieving medications are taken during a migraine attack to stop symptoms that have already begun. For a mild migraine, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen or aspirin, may be enough to relieve symptoms. For severe migraine headaches, your doctor may prescribe a triptan, a type of medication that can relieve pain, nausea and sensitivity to light and sound. There are currently seven triptans available in the U.S. All are available as tablets; one is available as an injection (sumatriptan); and two are available as nasal sprays (sumatriptan and zolmitriptan).
Ergots are another type of pain-relieving medication for migraine. These medications are usually less effective than triptans. One type of ergot that can be quite effective is dihydroergotamine, but it must be taken as an injection or a nasal spray. If your migraine attacks are accompanied by nausea, your doctor may recommend an anti-nausea medication in addition to other medications.
Preventive medications are taken regularly, not just when you have a headache. These medications can reduce the frequency, severity and length of migraine attacks and may increase the effectiveness of acute pain-relieving medications. Your doctor may prescribe preventive medications if you have two or more debilitating headaches a month, or if you need to use pain-relieving medications more than twice a week. Preventive medications may also be appropriate if acute pain-relieving medications don’t ease your symptoms.
A variety of medications have been found to help prevent migraine headaches, although most were developed to treat other health conditions. They include beta blockers, such as propranolol; calcium channel blockers, such as verapamil; anti-seizure medications (topiramate and divalproex sodium); and tricyclic antidepressants, such as amitriptyline. Some studies have indicated that botulinum toxin type A (Botox) injections into the scalp muscles and often neck muscles may also prevent migraine headaches.
When used in combination with medication, self-care steps can help ease migraine symptoms. Some people find that muscle relaxation exercises — meditation, progressive muscle relaxation, and yoga, for example — decrease the pain of a migraine. A gentle head and neck massage may also be soothing. A hot pack or heating pad can relax tense muscles and increase blood flow. Ice packs can have a numbing effect that dulls the pain. You may find that resting in a dark, quiet room when you feel symptoms starting can decrease the severity and length of a migraine. Exercising regularly and getting enough sleep seem to help prevent migraine headaches.
If you don’t already do so, consider keeping a headache diary. After a migraine passes, write down when and how your headache began and what might have set it off; where the pain was located and how severe it was; what type of treatment you used and how well it worked. This diary can help identify factors that may be triggering your migraine attacks. It also can be useful to review your headache diary as you and your doctor evaluate the effectiveness of your migraine treatment and customize that treatment so it works best for you. — Jerry Swanson, M.D., Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.
(Medical Edge from Mayo Clinic is an educational resource and doesn’t replace regular medical care. E-mail a question to medicaledge@mayo.edu , or write: Medical Edge from Mayo Clinic, c/o TMS, 2225 Kenmore Ave., Suite 114, Buffalo, N.Y., 14207. For more information, visit www.mayoclinic.org.)
Copyright © 2009, Tribune Media Services
Example of a Typical Migraine Sufferer
I first started getting migraines at age 15 when I was in high school. I’m now 44. There’s no history of migraines in my immediate family. When my headaches first started, my only relief was to sleep in a dark room. After that stopped working, I tried several medications–both over-the-counter and prescription. I also tried the herbal remedy feverfew, sought advice from a nutritionist, and changed my diet. It wasn’t until I sought the help of a chiropractor for lower back pain that we discovered that the area around my right shoulder was a trigger zone–but avoiding the use of this area was nearly impossible. In 2005 I was introduced to Topamax, which has reduced the number of headaches I get. I am very interested to hear from other migraine sufferers to find out what gives them relief.
Mark Barilla
Does this sound like you?
