How to treat 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.
• 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

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.

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.