amanky http://www.flickr.com/photos/84213819@N00/331645587
Migraine. Just the thought of it causes dread for millions of sufferers. Many have learned to expect and live with migraine pain, but they would rather not think of the next episode.
Acupuncture for Migraines – What Is Involved?
Acupuncture is a type of alternative or complementary medicine, derived from traditional Chinese medicine. This treatment for pain involves insertion of fine needles into particular points in the body known as “acupuncture points”. The needles are then gently manipulated.
Acupuncture for Migraine Prevention – Between Attacks
If you decide to try acupuncture for migraines between your migraine attacks, and have an acupuncturist who distinguishes between prevention and treatment, you may receive SES acupuncture for migraines.
You will receive your SES treatment in a sitting position. Fine acupuncture needles will be inserted very shallowly into your skin. The acupuncture points chosen for SES will usually be on your forearms and lower legs. The needles will then be gently manipulated, pushed back and forth, by hand while you exhale.
Acupuncture for Migraine Treatment – During Attacks
If you decide to try acupuncture for migraines during a migraine attack, and receive a typical treatment, fine needles will be inserted into acupuncture points all over your body. The needles will then be gently pushed back and forth. As it is moved, each needle will cause small blood vessels around itself to dilate. This will increase the blood flow throughout your body’s tissues.
Your acupuncturist may take a different approach, however. Since your migraine pain is generally believed to be linked to blood vessel dilation in your head, he or she may not want to insert needles in the head and neck area. To do so might make your pain worse temporarily. Instead, your acupuncturist may use only the acupuncture points on your arms and legs.
Great Britain Research on Acupuncture for Migraines
* On 15 March 2004, four British newspapers reported on a study that found acupuncture helpful to people with migraines.
* The four papers based their stories on a randomized, controlled trial. That trial studied the effects of using acupuncture for migraines along with more common types of care. The trial was conducted in twelve (12) different areas of England and Wales. It involved 401 patients in all. It reported results for 301 of those patients.
* Patients treated with acupuncture for migraines had less severe headaches than those who received more common treatments. The patients treated with acupuncture for migraines also had fewer days off work, took less medication, and visited the doctor less often than did patients given only standard care.
United States Research on Acupuncture for Migraines
Two publications in the United States have published studies that have lead to strong, positive conclusions on the effectiveness of acupuncture for migraine relief.
1. Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA)
Under the title, “Acupuncture for Patients with Migraine,” JAMA published a study involving 302 patients. Most of the patients were female. Patients were grouped into those who received acupuncture for migraines, those who received sham acupuncture for migraines, and a wait-list control.
The researchers concluded that sham acupuncture was no less effective than regular acupuncture. Both acupuncture for migraines and sham acupuncture, however, had much greater positive effect on migraines than did the wait-list control.
2. Blackwell Synergy
In this study, 160 women were studied to determine if acupuncture for migraines was effective or not. This study pitted acupuncture for migraines against the use of Flunarizine for migraines.
* Group A received acupuncture for their migraines every week for two months. After that, they received acupuncture once monthly for four months.
* Group B was given Flunarizine every day for two months. After that, they received the medication twenty days out of the month for four months. The study’s conclusion was profound. Acupuncture for migraines won as the more effective treatment of the two.
Acupuncture for Migraines – Does It Hurt?
You may be among those migraine sufferers who see acupuncture for migraines as a choice between the pain of the headache and the pain of needles. You may be among those who have an intense fear of needles. How can you get past the fear?
1. FIRST: Seek out a well-qualified, professional acupuncturist. Get recommendations, if possible. Be sure the acupuncturist is licensed and certified according to the law in your area.
2. SECOND: Visit the acupuncturist before making an appointment. Ask to see needle-sterilizing procedures. Ask if they use disposable needles.
3. THIRD: If you still fear the needles, ask if there is an alternative. Some offer magnetic needles, ear cups, and/or herbal methods.
4. FOURTH: Make an appointment.
When you go for your appointment, be sure you explain exactly the problem you are having, its frequency, and intensity. Provide as much medical information as possible. This will help the acupuncturist provide the acupuncture for migraines treatment that is best for you.
NOTE: It is wise to keep your primary health care provider aware that you are using acupuncture for migraines in addition to or in place of any treatment he or she may advise.
Tags: Acupuncture, Acupuncture For Migraines, Acupuncture Needles, Acupuncture Points, Acupuncturist, Arms And Legs, Blood Flow, Blood Vessel, Blood Vessels, Chinese Medicine, Complementary Medicine, Dilation, Effective, Forearms, Migraine, Migraine Attack, Migraine Attacks, Migraine Prevention, Migraine Treatment, Migraines, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Typical Treatment
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Monday, December 7th, 2009
rochelle, et. al. http://www.flickr.com/photos/34756977@N00/2419832170
A migraine attack can occur once in a month, once a week or even once every day and hence it is episodic. It occurs in the brain and nerves and so is neurological and therefore, migraine is defined as an episodic neurological disorder.
The migraine attack may occur for the first time for boys at about 10 years of age and for girls, the peak age for experiencing a migraine is near 14 years, during their first menstrual period. So, it is sensible to conclude that migraines may be hormonally related and is often referred to as a menstrual migraine.
When compared to other migraines, menstrual migraines last longer, are more severe, occur more often with nausea and vomiting and are more difficult to treat. Migraines are related to changes in the level of estrogen during a woman’s menstrual cycle, which drops immediately before the start of menstrual flow.
Premenstrual migraines regularly occur during or after the time when the female hormones estrogen and progesterone decrease to their lowest levels. But generally, migraine attacks disappear during pregnancy. Women who undergo hormone replacement therapy for menopause and those who take birth control pills experience change in the frequency or severity of migraine headaches.
Strictly, a menstrual migraine is the one, which starts from two days before to three days after the first day of period and occurs around most of the periods. There are two types of migraine; pure menstrual migraine is the one, which occurs only around periods and not at other times and menstrual associated migraine is the other that occurs around the periods and at other times too.
Migraines become more frequent while a woman approaches the menopause, since the level of estrogen tends to fluctuate at this stage. However, once past the menopause, the number of migraines tends to reduce. A migraine diary maintained for three months or so helps to see the pattern of migraines and confirm it as a menstrual migraine.
For women, who have a severe menstrual migraine, it is better to prevent them before the attack -at least to make it less frequent and less severe. It is good to maintain a dairy to compare before and after treatment. Once the migraine attack takes place, the treatment for it is the same as for other causes of migraine, such as anti-inflammatory painkillers and taking estrogen supplements.
Anti inflammatory painkillers can be used to treat migraine attacks and a short course can be used to treat as soon as the period starts, until the end of the menstrual period. But people who have duodenal ulcer or asthma cannot take such medications. A few days use of anti-inflammatory pill will have no side effects. Another option for treatment of menstrual migraine is to enhance the level of estrogen just before and during the periods, which is like hormone replacement therapy just for seven days each month.
http://www. shunmigraine. com deals extensively with all types of migraines, the causes, prevention and treatments.
Tags: Birth Control Pills, Brain And Nerves, Experience Change, Female Hormones Estrogen, First Menstrual Period, Hormone Replacement Therapy, Menstrual, Menstrual Cycle, Menstrual Flow, Menstrual Migraine, Migraine, Migraine Attack, Migraine Attacks, Migraine Diary, Migraine Headaches, Migraine Symptoms, Nausea And Vomiting, Neurological Disorder, Peak Age, Pregnancy Women, Progesterone, Symptoms
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Saturday, December 5th, 2009
librarygrrrl http://www.flickr.com/photos/71084464@N00/109412414
Not all headaches are migraines. I’m sure that the 12% of the population, mostly of whom are women, that get migraines can easily tell you the difference. To these sufferers it is an intense pounding in the head that can last a few hours, or a few days. There are basically three different types of migraines:
Hormonal Migraines - Women often experience migraines which correlate with their menstrual cycle.
Optical/Ocular Migraines – Affecting fewer people, optical/ocular migraine sufferers experience visual symptoms with no corresponding headache.
Abdominal Migraines – Mostly affects children.
There are many different schools of thought on natural migraine remedies. All of them will, in some form, relieve the sufferer of their symptoms. Three major methods of natural relief are;
Herbals, Supplemental, and Homeopathic.
Herbalism is an age old medicinal practice which uses substances from herbs to relieve the sufferers ailments. In much the same way as conventional medicine is used, the Herbalist uses various natural substances which contain active ingredients to help address specific problems .Some popular herbal medicines in the treatment of migraines are feverfew, butterbur, passionflower, peppermint, rosemary and lavender.
Supplementation is exactly what it sounds like. It is a technique that supplements the sufferers dietary intake. This natural treatment provides the patient the extra substances needed to fight the symptoms that increase the likelihood of migraine attacks. Supplements such as magnesium, co-enzyme Q10 and riboflavin are found to be helpful in treating migraines.
Homeopathy is a natural method of treating illnesses in which a
disease is treated by minute doses of natural substances that in large quantities would produce symptoms of the disease. This is not a home remedy, and should only be administered by highly trained and experienced homeopaths.
So as you can see, these are a few ways you can naturally reduce the symptoms of migraines. In some cases billion dollar industries have been built around the fact that they can significantly reduce the symptoms. Here is where the difficulty lies. Each of the methods I have outlined above will work to some degree, however they have the inherent problem that they aim to treat the symptoms of the illness, NOT the cause.
If you are looking for a holistic treatment which aims to refresh your entire system and treat the root cause of your migraines, there is The Migraine Solution Program. It is an effective, natural migraine treatment system which works for both men and women. The program was developed and perfected by Chris Holmes, a migraine sufferer for more than 5 years. It is a culmination of in-depth study into the nature of migraines, and patients who had relieved their own symptoms. After extensive research Mr. Holmes correlated the findings of hundreds of cured cases to form his program, that is used by thousands of people around the world
with astonishing results.
Even though you may have tried many natural therapies for migraine treatment, The Migraine Solution addresses the root cause of migraines and will work for you where others have failed. It works equally well on all forms of migraines. You will cure your migraine GUARANTEED. Don’t just relieve the pain, cure the ROOT CAUSE. Find out all about The Migraine Solution at:
My RecomMANNdations
Discover this and other Natural Cures such as; Acid Reflux, Anxiety and Panic Attacks, Sinus Infection, Foot Pain, and much more.
At 57, I consider myself to be a Jack Of All Trades And Master Of Nothing. I was a struggling actor for 25 years. During that time I learned a little about alot of things, and would like to pass along some of that knowledge. I live in California with my beautiful wife and a menagerie of pets.
Tags: Abdominal Migraines, Butterbur, Cause, Co Enzyme Q10, Conventional Medicine, Dietary Intake, Feverfew, Gets, Herbal Medicines, Herbalism, Herbalist, Home Remedy, Menstrual Cycle, Migraine, Migraine Attacks, Migraine Remedies, Migraine Sufferers, Migraine Treatment, natural, Natural Substances, Ocular Migraine, Ocular Migraines, Riboflavin, Root, Schools Of Thought, Treatment
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Thursday, December 3rd, 2009
Joana Roja – pinched nerve-pain-in and out http://www.flickr.com/photos/14373308@N00/3097590610
Who get migraine?
Physiologically, migraine headache is a neurological condition that is more commonly known to afflict women than men. Women experience migraines at least three times more often than men, probably because of hormonal changes. However, migraines can occur in children also, but they mostly appear in people in their twenties or thirties.
Studies have revealed that migraines could be inherited. For example, if one parent is afflicted with migraine, there is a 40% chance that the child will have migraine. If both parents have migraine, the probability increases to 75%.
Although, there is no specific migraine personality, most migraine sufferers have been found to be perfectionists, high-strung, conscientious, orderly, analytical and critical.
Symptoms and treatment of migraine
Symptoms of Migraine
Migraine pain generally differs from other types of headache; it has specific symptoms that may vary in intensity, character, frequency and duration. Migraine attacks can appear from a couple of times a year to almost every day. The two main types of migraine are:
Classical Migraine – migraine with aura Common Migraine – migraine without no warning or aura
A few migraine patients may experience an aura, which is normally treated as a sign of the pain to come. The aura consists of bright spots or zigzag lines and blurred vision or temporary visual loss. In rare cases numbness or tingling of the face and lips can also be observed. However, these symptoms generally disappear within an hour and are then replaced by a headache. In some cases the aura may not be followed by headaches.
Common migraine headache mostly begin without warning and are most commonly experienced by children. Common symptoms of this migraine are associated with:
Intense head pain (the pain begins on one side of the head and spreads downward to the eye, face and even neck; the pain can also switch sides or affect both sides at once) Relentless throbbing or pounding deep in the head Nausea Vomiting Strong and painful reactions to light and loud noises Activity associated pain (the simple act of moving may be difficult during the migraine attack) Not being able to carry out day to day activities. The need to lie down during attacks
People may sometimes experience all or some of the symptoms which are either moderate or severe. Migraine attacks may last from anywhere up to four hours to three days. This affliction has the potential to severely disrupt your work and family life as well as your social activities.
Migraine trigger
Migraine, it is believed, is triggered by changes in the neurotransmitters and blood vessels in the brain. However, certain factors have been identified that can trigger attacks in susceptible people. They are:
Stress (or sometimes the relief of stress) Lack of food or infrequent meals Certain foods products containing monosodium glutamate, caffeine, tyramine or alcohol Overtiredness (both physical and mental) Changing sleep patterns (e.g. weekend lie ins, sleeplessness or shift work) Hormonal factors (e.g. monthly periods, contraceptive pill, HRT or menopause) Extreme emotions (e.g. anger, grief etc.) Physical activity Environmental factors (e.g. loud noise, bright or flickering lights, strong perfumes, hot stuffy atmosphere, VDUs etc.) Climatic conditions (e.g. strong winds, extreme heat or cold)
For most people, afflicted with migraines, it is usually not any one trigger but a combination of factors which collectively work against a person’s threshold and an attack is triggered.
Cefaly medical device for migraine
Cefaly is a medical device that relieves pain in people suffering from migraines and cluster/tension headaches as well as trigeminal neuralgia and frontal sinusitis. It has a full EEC medical certification. A patented system, it bears the ISO and CE medical mark.
The unit consists of a band that is worn around the front of the head and it then sends electrical impulses through an electrode patch placed in between the eyebrows. This device works on the trigeminal nerves at the front of the face. It works at three programme levels. They are:
Programme 1 – Is a treatment programme, based on TENS technology. It works on blocking the flow of pain at the entrance of the spinal cord. Programme 2 – Is the preventive or endorphinic programme. It increases the endorphins (natural painkillers) in the central nervous system. Programme 3 – Is the anti-stress and relaxation programme.
Numerous tests and clinical studies have been conducted that prove that Cefaly is effective, with almost 85% of its users being extremely satisfied with the results.
Webmaster associated with headache related site headclinic. co. uk. This site provides various information stress, hay fever and headache relief treatment. Resources are available on site headclinic. co. uk
Tags: Aura Migraine, Character Frequency, Common Migraine Headache, Couple Of Times A Year, debilitating, Headaches Migraine, Help, Hormonal Changes, Least Three Times, Migraine, Migraine Attacks, Migraine Aura, Migraine Pain, Migraine Patients, Migraine Sufferers, Migraine Symptoms, Migraine With Aura, Nerve Pain, Neurological Condition, Perfectionists, Pinched Nerve, Prevention, proper, severely, Symptoms Of Migraine, Treatment, Zigzag Lines
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Monday, November 16th, 2009
Aging is a fact of life. Getting older means increasing frailty and susceptibility to illness, but it can also be a boon to migraineurs (people who experience migraine headaches). Only 2-10% of the elderly population experiences migraines (as opposed to up to 28% of adults under 65), and elderly women are still more likely to have them than their male counterparts.
Migraines can happen at any age, but they peak around age 40. The frequency of migraine attacks after 40 decreases for most people. Many migraineurs who have suffered with this condition for years experience a reduction in the frequency and severity of attacks after age 55.
About two thirds of migraineurs stop having attacks altogether by age 65. Patients over 65 who still have migraines report drastically decreased severity, duration, and frequency in their attacks. They are also less likely to experience the gastrointestinal upset that accompanies migraine in younger people.
The downside to all this good news is that adults over 65 who suffer from migraines are more likely than younger patients to experience disability because of their affliction. Many physicians are uncomfortable with treating senior citizens for migraines because therapeutic methods used on younger people are often not tested for safety in an older patient.
Additional conditions and the medications used to treat them complicate the problem. Seniors are more likely to be on one or more prescription drugs and each new medication increases the risk of adverse drug reactions. This possibility makes some doctors reluctant to offer senior migraineurs pharmaceutical assistance.
The onset of migraines after age 50 is very rare and should be investigated with a doctor to rule out the possibility of secondary causes. Late onset does not rule out migraine (only one third of senior headaches are due to secondary conditions) but it makes it less likely.
Tags: Adverse Drug Reactions, Affliction, Boon, Downside, Elderly Population, Elderly Women, Fact Of Life, Frailty, Gastrointestinal, Gastrointestinal Upset, Male Counterparts, Migraine, Migraine Attacks, Migraine Headaches, Pharmaceutical Assistance, Population Experiences, Prescription Drugs, Senior Citizens, Severity, Therapeutic Methods
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Thursday, November 12th, 2009
Acupressure is a completely non-invasive treatment option that has a high success rate among migraineurs (people who suffer from migraine headaches). It has a proven track record as a successful pain abatement technique. Acupressure is also efficacious in reducing both the frequency and intensity of migraine attacks.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, there are over 800 vital energy points in the human body. These points lie along meridians that run throughout a person’s body. Chi, or life energy, flows along the meridians and through the energy points in healthy people. Chi that is blocked or overabundant near particular energy points causes illness and pain.
Acupressure massage applies pressure to these energy points in order to release chi and stimulate the body’s own healing mechanisms. The energy points are massaged with the fingers, thumb, or occasional blunt object with medium pressure in a circular pattern.
The simplest acupressure a migraineur can learn is an all-over head massage. This technique just requires the practitioner to massage the scalp as though they were washing their hair. Sit with the elbows resting on a table to prevent arm strain and the head resting lightly in the hands to perform head and neck acupressure.
Moderate pressure applied to the GB20 points offers the best relief for migraine pain. They are on either side of the neck, approximately one inch to each side of the spinal column just below where the skull and neck muscles connect. GB20 also goes by the more romantic-sounding Chinese name “The Gates of Consciousness”.
Migraineurs seeking to relieve their headache and neck pain should practice deep breathing while using the thumbs of both hands to press firmly on the GB20 points for one to two minutes. If this is painful at first, home practitioners can start out by pressing and releasing the points in five to fifteen second intervals.
Tags: Acupressure Massage, Arm Strain, Blunt Object, Chinese Medicine, Chinese Name, Circular Pattern, Deep Breathing, Energy Points, Head Massage, Headache And Neck Pain, Invasive Treatment, Life Energy, Medium Pressure, Meridians, Migraine Attacks, Migraine Headaches, Moderate Pressure, Neck Muscles, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Vital Energy
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Joana Roja – still healing slowly, out often http://www.flickr.com/photos/14373308@N00/2988669347 
Joana Roja – out often-physical therapy for pain http://www.flickr.com/photos/14373308@N00/2928688952 
Auntie P http://www.flickr.com/photos/32625013@N00/3294826145 
