Migraine Pain Relief

What can we say about migraines?

That they're common, debilitating, and underdiagnosed?

Yes to all three.

Migraine pain relief starts with understanding what migraines are all about.

Migraines are common; I have seen estimates that 15 to 20% of women have had a migraine in the past year, and about half that many men. Migraines often begin in adolescence. We hear about migraines being preceeded by an aura of bright lights or visual disturbances, but over half of people have migraine with no aura. Other precursors to a migraine can include feeling tired, being depressed, yawning a lot, or feelings of weakness. Some people crave sweets or salty foods.

Once a migraine starts, the pain worsens and can then last for as long as a day or more. Some people are able to "sleep it off," others wake up with a continuing headache. Many sufferers describe the pain as throbbing, and are extremely sensitive to light, sound, or even slight head movements. Vision may be blurry, and food probably will not sound good, in fact, vomiting is not uncommon.

A Diagnosis of Migraine

A migraine diagnosis depends on your doctor taking a careful history. There are no reliable lab tests or diagnostic studies that will confirm migraine. In some cases an MRI may be done to rule out underlying medical problems.

Migraine Prevention

Migraine is a lot like some other types of chronic pain; the lack of a cure makes us very interested in prevention.

One of the few things you can be pretty sure of is that migraine pain relief starts with identifying your specific, unique triggers to your migraines.

Potential migraine triggers fall into several categories: environment and personal stressors, drugs, and foods.

Environmental and personal stressors

Hormonal fluctuations including menstrual periods and menopause
Excessive hunger
Overexertion from exercise, dehydration
Excess stress
Odors from heavy perfume or smoke
Flashing or glaring lights

Drugs

Birth Control
Withdrawal from some anxiety medicines
Excessive use of decongestants or some pain medications

Food Triggers

Foods containing sulfites, MSG, or nitrites
Chocolate
Caffeine, either excess use or withdrawal
Pickled foods, fermented foods including beer
Dairy products
Alcohol

The best way to determine your own personal triggers is by using a headache diary.Once you know your triggers, you can avoid a lot of migraine pain by making some simple (although not only easy) lifestyle changes.

Alternatives for Migraine Pain Relief

Your doctor may recommend a number of pain medications to help control migraines. These may include naproxen, acetaminophen, or anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen. I've always been fortunate the Excedrin Migraine, an acetaminophen-caffeine-aspirin combination, usually works well for me.

Sometimes you can head-off a migraine early on by laying down in a quiet, dark room and trying to sleep. A cold compress on the forehead or back of the head (depending on who you ask) is also worth a try. I've also had clients tell me the combined the cold pack to the head with putting their feet in warm water. What works for each of us varies, but these are well worth giving a try.

There are a wide array of other alternative treatments for migraine pain relief. These include:

Relaxation techniques - including hypnosis, progressive muscle relaxation, deep breathing, autogenic training, and visualization.

Acupuncture

Acupressure - Using some of the same principles as acupuncture, but without the needles.

Herbal treatments - a wide variety have been recommended, including feverfew, ginger, Valerian and skullcap.

Supplements - again a variety, including melatonin, 5-HTP, and Magnesium.

Biofeedback - a very particular type of relaxation in which you get feedback from your body (usually by measuring temperature or muscle tension), and use that feedback to learn to manage your pain. Has been shown definitely effective for many migraine sufferers.

Wellness and Migraine Pain Relief

Managing migraine pain boils down to prevention, and much of the prevention prescription comes down to a good wellness plan including good nutrition, adequate sleep, stress management and life balance, and progressive, moderate exercise.
The National Headache Foundation has put together Take Charge in Ten, listing ways for clients to work together with their doctors to get the best possible treatment outcome. Effective communication is more important than ever, if you're interested check out Take Charge in Ten.



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