Fibromyalgia and Migraines

Posted on August 11 2021 by admin
fibromyalgia

Migraine, as most migraine sufferers know all too well, is one condition which is commonly linked with other medical conditions such as depression, asthma and hypertension (high blood pressure). One condition which is less often mentioned in relation to migraine is fibromyalgia.

Fibromyalgia is a long-term condition which causes pain all over the body alongside extreme tiredness. Researchers believe that fibromyalgia amplifies feelings of pain by affecting the way the nervous system processes painful and non-painful signals. With this in mind, it’s hardly surprising that fibromyalgia has been linked to migraine.

In one past study a high co-occurrence of fibromyalgia and migraine was reported at over 30%, while another large epidemiologic study from 2015 found the prevalence of migraine among fibromyalgia patents to be 55.8%. Migraine headaches can lead to the development of fibromyalgia pain, while the hypersensitivity which comes as part of fibromyalgia can lead to more migraine attacks.

Unfortunately having both migraine and fibromyalgia means that the likelihood of having depressive symptoms is higher, as is the likelihood of more intense migraine pain and more severe migraine related disability. 

Fibromyalgia, like migraine, does not have a cure, but there are good treatment options available. These include painkillers and antidepressants, talking therapies (CBT and counselling), exercise programmes, and learning relaxation techniques.

As the co-morbidity rate for fibromyalgia and migraine is so high, and the impact of suffering from both conditions at once is so great, it has been suggested that clinicians who care for migraine patients should consider screening for comorbid fibromyalgia, especially in those patients who have moderate to severe depressive symptoms.

Eating More Oily Fish Found to Reduce Migraines

Posted on August 6 2021 by admin

A new study has found that eating a diet which contains a lot of oily fish can help to reduce the number of migraines which sufferers experience – in particular female migraine sufferers.

The study was published in the British Medical Journal and conducted by the National Institute on Aging in Baltimore, US, by Dr Christopher Ramsden and his team. They wished to test whether increasing the percentage of Omega-3 fatty acids (found in oily fish, nuts, seeds and supplements) which are associated with pain-reduction, and Omega-6 fatty acids (commonly found in refined vegetable oils) which may worsen pain and provoke migraines, would impact on the severity or frequency of migraines.

One of three different diets were assigned for a period of 16 weeks to each of the 182 patients who took part – each suffering from between 5 and 20 days of migraine a month. One diet kept Omega-6 fatty acids the same but increased Omega-3 acids, one increased Omega-3 acids but lowered Omega-6 acids, and the control diet kept the levels of both fatty acids to a typical level.

The results showed that both of the diets which raised Omega-3 acid levels increased the levels of a pain-reducing substance in the body called oxylipin. These diets also reduced the frequency of the patient’s migraines.

For the high Omega-3 but normal Omega-6 diet there was an average reduction of 1.3 hours of pain duration on headache days and two fewer migraine days a month. For the high Omega-3 but lower Omega-6 group there was a 1.7 hour reduction in pain duration on headache days and four fewer migraine days a month.

This study did have a few limitations however. The majority of the participants were women and so the increase of Omega-3 fatty acids may not be so beneficial to children or men. It’s also unknown whether the reduction in pain duration was entirely down to an increase in the Omega-3 fatty acids, or whether other micronutrients played a role since eating more oily fish such as salmon increases the amount of vitamin D and selenium you are eating too.

Whether or not it’s entirely due to an increase in Omega-3 fatty acids, or a combination of nutrients, this study has shown that eating a diet which contains more oily fish can be of help to migraine sufferers.   

Which Forms Of Psychotherapy Can Bring Migraine Relief?

Posted on July 28 2021 by admin
psychotherapy

There are plenty of different types of psychotherapy that can be effective in reducing the frequency and/or intensity of migraines. Some of these include:

Muscle Relaxation

This relaxation can slow down the nervous system, regulate the heart rate, blood pressure, and blood vessel dilation and contraction. One 2016 study found that after a six-week course in progressive muscle relaxation the participants had a significant reduction in migraine frequency.

Mindful Meditation

A small-scale pilot study gave participants who suffered from episodic migraine an eight-week mindfulness-based intervention course in which they were taught how to practise mindful meditation. The study leaders then compared the migraines of these participants with those of people who had not learned the meditation practice and found that those who hadn’t learned the practice had longer migraines and that they impacted more on their lives.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

CBT for migraine examines the thoughts and actions which could be maintaining or exacerbating the condition, and then works to change these in a systematic way. Investigators of one 2019 study found that eight weeks of a mindfulness-based CBT intervention reduced migraine disability when compared with a “usual treatment” group.

These are just a few of the options which come under psychotherapy. Other options include the likes of Biofeedback and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).

If you suffer from migraines you might find it helpful to incorporate psychotherapy treatments alongside pharmaceutical options. Alternatively, if you’re unable or unwilling to take pharmaceutical drugs to help combat your migraines, with psychotherapy there are still avenues to explore.

How Psychotherapy Can Help Migraine Sufferers

Posted on July 22 2021 by admin
psychotherapy

Tablets are good, but they aren’t the be-all and end-all when it comes to treating medical conditions. Alternative treatments such as acupuncture, physiotherapy, and much more can be effective in relieving certain conditions.

One thing which has proved helpful with some migraine sufferers is psychotherapy.

Psychotherapy is a term which encompasses a few different treatments such as mindfulness-based stress reduction for migraine (MBSR-M), cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), biofeedback, and relaxation training. These not only help by managing how the sufferer responds to pain, but there is also evidence to suggest that some of these treatments can reduce the frequency, duration and intensity of migraine attacks, as well as lowering the overall burden of migraine.

Part of the reason that psychotherapy can be effective is down to neuroplasticity. This is the theory that the brain can change the response it has to what is practised and what is experienced.

Another reason why psychotherapy can help is because it can reduce stress. Up to 80% of migraine patients say that stress is a trigger for their attacks.

Unlike with traditional pharmaceutical options, psychotherapy is far less likely to result in any adverse side effects, and this is one reason why it might be the preferred treatment option for some migraine sufferers. Alternatively, it can also be a path to go down for migraine sufferers who have other medical conditions which make taking medication for their migraines impossible due to dangerous interactions between drugs. 

Migraines and A Greater Risk of High Blood Pressure

Posted on July 16 2021 by admin
blood pressure

There are several conditions which have been linked to migraines and one of these is high blood pressure – or hypertension to give it it’s medical name. 

Not only can repeated migraine attacks be a sign that you could have high blood pressure, but suffering from high blood pressure can put you at a greater risk of developing both chronic and episodic migraines.

The type of migraine which a person experiences has an influence on how likely it is that that person will have or develop high blood pressure in their lifetime.

One study followed nearly 30,000 women over the course of 12 years. Looking at the results of this study it was found that, when compared with women who had no history of migraine, those women who suffered from migraine without aura had a 21% increased risk of high blood pressure, while women who suffered from migraine with aura only had a 10% increased risk.

While there is certainly a link between migraine and high blood pressure, whether the relationship between migraines and high blood pressure is causal (one leading to the other), or whether there is an underlying reason behind both the migraines and the high blood pressure, is currently unknown. At present it appears as though that there may be a genetic trait which is linked to suffering both from migraines and high blood pressure, but this is yet to be confirmed.

Whatever the cause, being aware of whether you have high blood pressure or not is important for most people, but for migraine sufferers it is particularly important – as those suffering from migraines are at a greater risk of developing cardiovascular disease or strokes. Since there is currently no cure for migraines, it’s important to control any other cardiovascular disease contributing factors – such as high blood pressure.

How Dogs Can Help With Migraines

Posted on July 13 2021 by admin
dogs

A key thing when it comes to dealing with a migraine attack is being prepared for it. This can include having somewhere dark and quiet ready where you can go until the attack is over; already having drinks, snacks, ice packs and medications packed in a migraine survival kit so you don’t need to try and gather them while an attack is going on; and taking those medications as soon as you feel an attack coming.

With quite a few migraine medications, the sooner you take them, the more effective they are. This is because it gives them more time to get into the bloodstream and to ease symptoms, especially as some migraine suffers find that their digestive system slows right down during an attack – making oral medications that much less easily absorbed. It’s this need for early treatment that means that being alerted to an oncoming attack can make much such a big difference to the severity of an attack. This is where migraine alert dogs come in as they can recognise the earliest stage of a migraine – the prodrome.

In the prodrome phase of a migraine, small changes such as more yawning, having food cravings, feeling tired, having mood changes, and going to the bathroom more often can all occur. The prodrome phase of the migraine attack can start up to 48 hours before the aura or pain phase of a migraine attack and studies have found that up to 40% of migraine sufferers experience a prodrome phase.

Just as guide dogs for the blind are specially trained dogs, so are migraine alert dogs; but while guide dogs are trained to help their owners navigate when out and about, migraine alert dogs are trained to recognise these prodrome-related subtle changes in their owner’s physical or psychological behaviour. The dog can then alert their owner by nudging, licking, circling, barking, or not leaving their side.

If some of this sounds familiar, but you don’t have a trained migraine alert dog, then it’s entirely possible that your dog is simply doing it as a natural reaction to your oncoming attack. In one study, close to 60% of migraine sufferers who owned a dog reported that their dog had actively alerted them to an oncoming attack, and 50% said their dog behaved differently towards them before the onset of a headache.

Migraine and the Menopause

Posted on June 28 2021 by admin
migraine menopause

Plenty of things change when it comes time for the menopause. Some of them are more well-known like mood swings and hot flushes, but there are some significant changes which are less often talked out. One of these changes is the effect which the perimenopause and menopause can have on a person’s migraines.

Migraines are significantly more common in women of reproductive age partly due to regularly fluctuating hormone levels. Just before a period begins oestrogen levels drop and this withdrawal may help to trigger a migraine attack. In fact, one article in the journal Therapeutic Advances in Neurological Disorders cites a 71% increase in the risk of having a migraine in the two days leading up to a period. Oddly enough though, high levels of oestrogen which are common when leading up to ovulation can also help to trigger a migraine attack.

When the perimenopause comes (the time leading up to the menopause) and a person’s periods become less regular, migraines may become more frequent and severe. However, once the perimenopause has led into the menopause and the menopause has passed (which is defined by doctors as a period of 12 months without menstrual cycles) it’s been found that migraines may improve. Most population-level studies show that migraine headaches usually improve after menopause, and possibly this is because a person no longer experiences the hormone fluctuations.

Unfortunately for some people they can find that their migraines get worse. If this is the case, then there are some things which can be done. A 2017 research article recommends continuous hormone therapy as a way to reduce migraines, and as an added bonus hormone replacement therapy can help to ease other menopause symptoms.

Can CoQ10 Help Prevent Migraines?

Posted on June 25 2021 by admin
coQ10

There are a few different vitamins and nutrients which have been credited with reducing the frequency and intensity of migraine attacks. Magnesium is one, riboflavin is another, and Coenzyme Q10 is a third.

Coenzyme Q10, or CoQ10 for short, has had a few studies conducted to explore its efficacy. On the whole these studies have only had a small number of participants, so it’s hard to draw definitive scientific conclusions from them in regards to migraine pain reduction, and especially hard to identify from these studies what the best dosage per day may be, but there is certainly evidence that some amount of CoQ10 could help to prevent migraine attacks.

A 2019 study which involved adult women who had episodic migraines gave its participants a high dose of CoQ10 – 400 mg per day, for three months, and found that this amount led to a reduction in migraine frequency and severity. That’s not to say that the dose has to necessarily be that high though. A small study from 2005 found that 100 mg of CoQ10 taken three times per day reduced the frequency of migraine attacks by around 48%. Another study from 2016 found that 100 mg of CoQ10 per day, when taken in addition to preventative medication for migraines, reduced the frequency and intensity of monthly migraine attacks.

Identifying what the ideal daily dosage of CoQ10 is should certainly be done. Despite the fact that CoQ10 may not be a prescription medication which you can overdose on in the classic sense of the word, taking too much can increase the risk of experiencing side effects like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea.

In finding out whether taking CoQ10 is effective in preventing and treating migraines, it’s not even as simple as identifying how much CoQ10 should be taken, but what kind of CoQ10 should be taken and how long it may take for the benefits of it to be seen after commencing taking it.

There are two types of CoQ10 – ubiquinol and ubiquinone, and some studies have found that ubiquinol is more easily absorbed than the ubiquinone form. Which of these two kinds of CoQ10 you are taking may influence how high the daily dose needs to be to become effective. Though whichever it is, it may be up to three months of taking the supplement before any improvement in the migraines are seen.

Having said all this, and despite some evidence that CoQ10 can help to reduce the severity of migraines, CoQ10 is not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in migraine treatment or prevention, and is only listed as a dietary supplement.

The Pros and Cons of Acupuncture for Migraines

Posted on June 17 2021 by admin
acupuncture for migraines

Alternative therapies are popular among a lot of migraine sufferers as a means of treating migraines. Not only are they generally less likely to have side effects than pharmaceutical drugs, but many alternative therapies can be taken or conducted alongside pharmaceutical treatments.

One of these alternative treatments is acupuncture – a form of traditional Chinese medicine which has been used for centuries to treat a variety of ailments. As for migraine specifically, a 2016 review found that acupuncture may be able to reduce the frequency of migraine attacks.

There are quite a few positives about using acupuncture to treat migraines. For one it’s relatively inexpensive, for another it has few side effects, and most importantly an increasing body of research suggests that it can help to prevent or decrease the frequency of migraines.

As for downsides, one of the biggest ones has to be that it involves being pierced with needles. If you don’t mind needles so much, this isn’t a huge problem, but it is important to be sure that the needles are sterile as unclean acupuncture needles can spread disease and infection.

Another con for acupuncture is that occasionally, when administered incorrectly, acupuncture can cause damage to internal organs. A paper from 2010 documented 90 acupuncture-related deaths, the majority of which were down to needles damaging organs.

The other big con for acupuncture is that about 10% of people who have it report having side effects from the treatment. These include nausea, fatigue, and, somewhat ironically, headaches.

There are good things and bad things about acupuncture so it’s not a simple case of it being a win-win treatment option. However, since two of the biggest cons for acupuncture come from improper delivery, if you do decide to try it in an effort to reduce your migraine frequency just be certain that the practitioner you are seeking treatment from is reliable and properly qualified.

How to Make Your Guest Bedroom Migraineur Friendly

Posted on June 11 2021 by admin
guest bedroom

Do you have friends or relatives who suffer from migraines? Or suffer from them yourself? With 1 in 7 people around the world estimated to suffer from migraines, it’s likely that you know someone who does.

Whoever you know who is a sufferer, now that we can once again visit friends and family and have them stay overnight, this quick guide on things you can do to make a bedroom migraineur-friendly may be of use.

Blackout curtains

Many migraine sufferers find that bright lights are painful during an attack, and in some cases can help to trigger a migraine attack. Since not all curtains are very thick and so don’t effectively block out the light it can be helpful getting some blackout curtains which will. You can also get blackout linings which you can hang behind your existing curtains.

Get a green lamp

Some colours of lighting are better than others for migraine sufferers, and green light has been shown to reduce the frequency and intensity of migraine attacks so a green light therapy lamp could be a useful addition to the bedroom.

Remove scents

Strong smells can be a migraine trigger for many, so don’t be tempted to leave potpourri or scented candles in the room.

Be careful of your cleaning

Some cleaning products can trigger migraines – especially those which are high in chemicals and/or are scented. Keep the cleaning products which you use in the house natural if you can (bicarbonate of soda and white vinegar are both excellent all-round cleaning products).

Pillows

Poor posture puts strain on muscles – which can lead to muscle tension and, because of this tension build-up, a migraine attack.

Being properly supported in a good sleep posture is just as important as maintaining good posture during the day; so make sure that the mattress in the bedroom isn’t too old and isn’t lumpy and that the pillows are supportive. Some migraine sufferers find that a specific orthopaedic pillows are helpful.