Migraines Be Gone

They are generally described as severe headaches, although if you have ever had one, you know that calling a migraine a “headache” does not quite cover it. A migraine is often a whole body experience that can include a host of other symptoms.  ?

What does a migraine look like?

Migraines affect about 6 percent of men and 12 percent of women. They can vary in frequency from several times a year to several times a month. The pain is typically one sided, throbbing, and worsened by activities such as walking, bending, or climbing stairs.

Migraines can last between four hours and three days. Along with the pain, there are usually other symptoms such as nausea; vomiting; and/or extreme sensitivity to light, sound, or smell. It is not unusual for someone suffering from a migraine to be curled up alone in a dark, quiet room just waiting and wishing for it to be over.

Auras—not the pretty coloured kind

In some cases, unusual neurological symptoms can start well before the pain of a migraine comes on. Known as an aura, this can include changes in vision, paleness, numbness or tingling, fatigue, stiff neck, trouble with concentration, or similar symptoms that start up to two days before a migraine.

Research has found that the blood flow to certain parts of the brain is decreased just before or during an aura, and this is likely the cause of the unusual symptoms.

What causes migraines?

The short answer to this question is: we don’t know for sure. The leading theory at this time is that certain people have a genetic predisposition to suffering from migraines and that this genetic vulnerability causes them to react to certain triggers in their environment, resulting in a migraine.

For those who are vulnerable, a variety of different environmental factors, foods, and/or stressors can trigger a migraine. These triggers are not the same for every migraine sufferer, and they can vary quite a bit from person to person. Here are some of the more common triggers.

Hormones

For women, hormone changes such as drops in estrogen can trigger a migraine. As a result, female migraine sufferers may experience attacks related to their menstrual cycles, pregnancy, menopause, or birth control pills.

Foods

Many migraine sufferers count a food or two among their triggers. Some of the most common are red wine and aged cheeses, but chocolate, food additives, caffeine, fermented foods along with a variety of other foods can be culprits. On the other hand, being overly hungry can also be a trigger, so it is important in such cases that meals be regular in order to avoid triggering an attack.

Sleep

Whether it’s too much or too little, any significant changes in the usual sleeping pattern can cause misery for some migraine sufferers.

Stress

Either physical or emotional stress—if it’s too much—can be a problem. A tough week at the office, a falling-out with a friend, an argument with a spouse—these or other stressors may end in a migraine.

Weather

Major changes in temperature or climate, whether it is before a storm, during a heat wave, or at the change of season, can cause misery for migraine sufferers.

Strong smells

Perfumes, cleaning products, air fresheners, smoke—these and other pungent odours are often triggers for migraine.

Migraines can cause a lot of disruption in the lives of those who suffer from them. Fortunately, a number of treatment options are available that may help, including several natural interventions.  

Natural approaches to migraine prevention

Acupuncture

This centuries-old therapy continues to prove its value in the treatment of many conditions. For migraines, acupuncture can be particularly helpful in prevention by reducing the frequency of attacks.

A review of 22 trials looking at the impact of acupuncture on migraine prevention concluded that it was consistently shown to be an effective treatment and, overall, had better outcomes and fewer side effects than commonly used prescription drugs. Three to four months of regular acupuncture treatments can result in fewer migraines, and benefits have been found to last even nine months after treatments were stopped.

Massage therapy

A registered massage therapist (RMT) can be another important part of the prevention team for migraine sufferers, particularly when stress is a trigger. Five weeks of weekly massage has been shown to improve sleep, reduce frequency of migraines, and decrease heart rate and levels of salivary cortisol (a measure of stress levels). If stress is one of your migraine triggers, get to know your local RMT; the benefits will go beyond your migraines!

Sleep

More than 75 percent of migraine episodes occur during sleep. And many who suffer from migraines will tell you that poor sleep—too much or too little sleep—can trigger an attack. For this reason, it is important to have as regular a sleep schedule as possible.

Try to get to sleep around the same time and for an adequate amount of time each night. If you have trouble sleeping, seek the assistance of health care professionals who can help determine why you don’t sleep well and point you toward treatments to ease your sleep troubles.

Nutritional and herbal medicines

In 2012, the Canadian Headache Society released new guidelines for the prevention of migraines. While drug therapies made up most of the recommendations discussed, four of the 11 strongest recommendations were for natural products, specifically, butterbur extract, magnesium, CoQ10, and riboflavin.

This demonstrates that the evidence for some natural interventions is strong enough to include in the guidelines used by medical doctors. Here is a quick summary of the recommendations for these products:

Magnesium (500 mg per day): A crucial mineral for much of our body’s day-to-day function, magnesium is also remarkably safe, which makes it worth trying as part of a natural treatment approach to migraine prevention.

Riboflavin (vitamin B2): High doses (about 400 mg per day) of this vitamin have been used with some success in migraine prevention. It is worth considering, particularly in combination with other approaches listed here.

Butterbur extract (75 mg twice per day): The American Academy of Neurology and the American Headache Society also give strong recommendations for this herbal extract. In their 2012 evidence-based guidelines update, butterbur received the highest rating for effectiveness and is recommended to reduce both frequency and severity of migraines. Four months of treatment with butterbur has been shown to reduce migraine frequency by at least 50 percent in 68 percent of patients who receive a 150 mg dose each day.

Coenzyme Q10 (100 mg three times per day): This well-known antioxidant and support nutrient for energy metabolism has been shown to reduce migraine attacks by 50 percent or more in almost half the people who take it. Given its other benefits in the body, CoQ10 is definitely worth considering as part of your migraine prevention strategy.

Not all of these products should necessarily be taken by all patients, or at the same time; always consult your health care practitioner for the recommendations that are most appropriate for you.