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Migraines
Millions of people worldwide
suffer from recurrent migraines, which
strike three times more women than men.
Many factors contribute to the occurrence
of migraine attacks. Trigger factors and
can include diet, sleep, activity and
psychological issues as well as many
other things. If you have ever
experienced a migraine you will
immediately recognise the symptoms and
pain associated with them. Migraine
characteristics include:
Pain that has a throbbing quality and
is typically on one side of the head
Since the 1940s, dilatation of the
superficial temporal artery and its
branches has been regarded as the main
cause of headache pain. However, recent
studies have shown this applies to only
about one-third of migraine patients.
These studies show it is, in fact, the
middle cerebral artery that dilates
during migraine headache.
Trigger factors
Common physical triggers
include various foods, strong smells and
stress. Some of the most common foods
associated with migraine are those
containing the amino acids tyramine and
phenylalanine, such as cheese, nuts,
peanut butter, pizza, alcohol and
chocolate. Coffee, tea, cola, nicotine
and alcohol are stimulants that can also
trigger migraine, and foods containing
nitrates such as salami and some
processed meats are also triggers. Food
allergies, hypoglycaemia and missed meals
are other factors. Strong smells such as
perfumes and household sprays can
exacerbate the condition. Sudden changes
in the weather, especially thunderstorms
and hot dry winds, sometimes precipitate
attacks. Another major physical trigger
is stress, particularly if the stress is
prolonged or not relieved. For women,
hormonal imbalance and the fluctuations
experienced during menstruation,
pregnancy and menopause can also
contribute to attacks occurring. Drops in
oestrogen levels are an example of the
fluctuations that can occur.
Those who suffer the agony of migraine
will attest to how excruciatingly painful
and debilitating it is. Medication works
best when taken at the onset of a
migraine but is often hard to tolerate
because of nausea and vomiting. Sometimes
all the sufferer can do is sit it out and
hope the pain passes as swiftly as
possible. As a holistic therapist, my
interest in migraines came about because
of my own encounter with them in my mid
forties. I experienced a migraine
approximately once a month and the pain
lasted four days each attack. My body
does not respond well to painkillers as
they usually made me feel worse and so I
used to sit it out. I continued with my
day-to-day life as best I could because
lying down in a darkened room didnt work
for me; often the pain would increase if
I lay down. My migraines began during
peri menopause, a time of fluctuating
hormone levels. Before that, I had never
suffered from more than ordinary
headaches. I found that when I was
experiencing an attack certain strong
smells would aggravate the migraine and
the pain would increase.
Moderate to
intense pain affecting daily
activities
Nausea or
vomiting
Sensitivity to
light and sound
Attack duration
of four to 72 hours, sometimes
longer
Sensual
disturbances including visual
disturbances, or aura
Approximately one-fifth of
migraine sufferers experience
aura, which is usually a warning
that a migraine is on its way.
Visual disturbances such as wavy
lines, dots or flashing lights
and blind spots as well as
disruptions in smell, taste or
touch also usually begin from 20
minutes to one hour before the
actual onset of migraine. The
origin of aura is not well
understood. It has been thought
to be due to constriction of
small arterioles supplying
specific areas of the brain.
Others believe it to be due to
transient changes in the activity
of specific nerve cells.
Premonitory symptoms
About 25 per cent of those
affected by migraines describe
premonitory symptoms the night
before, including feelings of
elation, craving for sweet foods
and excessive yawning.
Exertion such as
climbing stairs makes headache
worse
Emotional factors
In Traditional Chinese
medicine, migraines are thought to be the
result of heat rising from the liver. In
metaphysics, its suggested that a
proponent of migraine could be anger,
with the liver being the seat of anger.
Therefore, if anger is repressed it will
be stored in the liver and can be
triggered in many different ways. The
conscious memory may not recall the
reasons for the anger but the body does
not forget the emotion and if it is
unexpressed it will be stored in an organ
or some other part of the body. Hence,
learning to resolve issues around anger
and guilt can have a marked difference on
the frequency and duration of migraines.
Learning to deal productively with stress
is also a means of decreasing the
likelihood of attacks of not only
migraines but all headaches.
Another explanation is that sometimes
pain can be used as a means to avoid
facing an issue. It can be linked to many
different unexpressed emotions and can
also be a means to getting out of doing
some task that seems too threatening or
unpleasant. Pain therefore is a
legitimate means of avoiding certain
things.
Treatments
Treatments range from
allopathic medicine to many forms of
complementary therapies. However,
prevention is the best solution because
once a migraine has begun little can be
done unless medication is taken at the
first sign or symptom. Avoiding known
triggers and understanding your body and
what increases the potential for attacks
is imperative to effectively minimise the
chances of experiencing migraines. A new
approach involving nasal sprays has had
some good results. See your doctor for
more information about what medicines are
available.
Massage
Because it relieves stress
and keeps the body relaxed, massage is a
great tool for keeping attacks at bay or
reducing their frequency. However, be
aware that massage increases circulation,
so during an attack it could make the
condition worse because of the
vasodilation already underway. Also, the
smell of massage oils can increase or
aggravate the pain. Some essential oils
that may be beneficial if you are not
affected by smells are roman chamomile,
clary sage, lavender, sweet marjoram and
peppermint. Its necessary to make
evaluation at an individual level,
especially where tolerance of smells is
concerned. My own experience is that
massage greatly relieved the tension in
my neck and shoulders, which helped me
cope with the pain and in some instances
reduced it considerably, thereby
shortening the duration of the migraine.
Bowen Technique
Developed by the late Tom
Bowen in Geelong, Victoria, Bowen
Technique is a treatment that can bring
relaxation and assist the body in healing
itself. It is a very gentle therapy that
involves rolling moves over certain
muscles, ligaments and specific points on
the body that increases energy flow.
Performed while the client is fully
clothed, it is neither invasive nor
intrusive. Bowen Technique is a
minimalist approach to bodywork,
extending beyond the physical symptoms
into the emotional and spiritual aspects.
Hypnotherapy
Hypnotherapy can be done by
a professional or you can be taught
self-hypnosis techniques to help with
general stress relief or to reduce pain
during attacks. The hypnotic state is
natural, allowing the conscious mind to
drift off and the subconscious to become
more active. In essence, hypnosis is a
narrowing of attention to one point
rather than the mind being prey to the
countless distractions of daily life.
Because of stage hypnosis and the
misunderstanding it encourages, many
people are afraid a hypnotist will make
them do things against their will. This
is a fallacy; hypnosis involves
cooperation from the client in fact, it
only occurs if they allow themselves to
go into a hypnotic state. Hypnosis does
not put you into a trance; you are aware
of everything around you and all normal
senses, including hearing, still operate.
In the1800s, hypnosis was used to relieve
pain. The objectives for pain control are
to transform or alter the pain and
directly address the pain by suggesting
it will decrease or directing attention
away from it to more tranquil and
peaceful imagery. Deep relaxation can be
achieved through hypnosis, the daily
practice of which can reduce the
occurrence and severity of migraine
attacks. Look for a qualified clinical
hypnotherapist who can teach you
self-hypnosis.
Reiki
Reiki is an ancient healing
system that involves accessing life force
energy and directing this healing energy
into the body. Anyone can be attuned to
reiki by a reiki master and, once you
are, the life force energy is always
available to either use on your own body
or treat others. It is both relaxing and
comforting.
Feverfew
Feverfew (Ta nacetum
parthenium) is a herbaceous perennial
that produces white daisy-like flowers.
It has long been used for the prevention
and relief of migraine headaches. Two
main investigations into its use as a
supplement for people suffering from
migraines has confirmed its
effectiveness. The first study was in a
group of volunteers who had already been
taking Feverfew for their migraines. A
selected group was given a placebo in
place of their regular Feverfew
supplement and they reported increased
severity and frequency of their symptoms,
while the other group still taking
Feverfew reported no change in their
condition. A second double-blind study
demonstrated similar results of a
reduction in the mean number and severity
of migraine attacks in 72 people
Feverfew should be used for a few months
for the nutritional support of migraines.
An occasional break in use is
recommended, with a month of declining
dosage preceding the break. For example,
if you normally take one capsule daily,
you may begin to skip days between
dosages and gradually increase the number
of skipped days. Feverfew is not
recommended for pregnant or lactating
women and should not be given to children
under the age of two. Minor side-effects,
including gastrointestinal upset, have
occasionally been noted. .
Nutrients
According to a report in
Cephalalgia (2002;22:137-41),
supplementing with coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10)
may also help those who suffer from
migraines by reducing the number of
attacks. CoQ10 is a compound coenzyme
that plays a role in energy production
inside the cells of the body. Previous
studies have shown migraines may be
caused, at least in part, by an
impairment of energy production that
could presumably be improved by CoQ10
supplementation. In the reported study,
31 migraine sufferers were given 150mg of
CoQ10 per day for three months. The
average number of days per month on which
participants experienced headaches was 60
per cent lower during the last two months
of CoQ10 treatment than the month before
treatment. In addition, the average
number of migraine attacks per month
decreased by 42 per cent with CoQ10, but
the results were much more pronounced
during the second and third months of
treatment. CoQ10 did not reduce the
severity of headaches and did not cause
any side-effects. Two other nutrients
involved in energy production magnesium
and riboflavin have also been shown to
reduce the recurrence rate of migraines.
Recommended doses are 200mg to 600mg of
magnesium per day and 100mg to 400mg of
riboflavin per day for migraine
prevention.
Other treatments
There are many other forms
of effective treatment including
chiropractic, herbal remedies,
homoeopathic preparations and much more.
Each person needs to find what is most
suitable for them and seek out the
possible causes of their migraine.
Prevention in the form of relaxation and
avoiding known triggers is an effective
way to manage migraine. Knowing your own
body and emotional makeup is invaluable
at any time, not just when experiencing
disharmony. The psyche gives us many
clues that something is amiss if we can
only recognise the signs. Pain is natures
way of telling us some part of us is
experiencing disharmony. To ignore it is
to invite future problems; to listen and
take action is to honour the inbuilt
warning systems and take the opportunity
to discover more about ourselves.
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