TIPS FOR MIGRAINE PREVENTION AND RELIEF - VOLUME 12, ISSUE 7 - NOVEMBER 2020
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What is a Migraine Headache?
A migraine headache can cause severe throbbing pain or a pulsing sensation, usually (but not always) on one side of the head. It often includes sensitivity to light and/or sound, nausea and can include vomiting. A migraine can last from a few hours to three or four days. Without treatment, migraines are often so severe that people are unable to carry out normal daily activities. There are two main types of migraine:
A classic migraine starts with an aura before the headache begins. An aura can include visual disturbances such as flashes of light or blind spots, or other symptoms such as tingling on one side of the face or in an arm or leg, and difficulty speaking. Classic migraines are more severe than common migraines.
A common migraine has no aura; however, the headache itself also involves severe throbbing pain or a pulsing sensation, usually on one side of the head. About 80% of migraines are common.
Migraine Triggers
There are a number of migraine triggers, including:
Hormonal changes in women. Fluctuations in estrogen, such as before or during menstrual periods, pregnancy and menopause seem to trigger migraines in many women. Hormonal medications, e.g. oral contraceptives and hormone replacement therapy, can also worsen migraines. However, some women find their migraines occurring less often when taking these medications.
Drinks including alcohol, especially red wine, and too much caffeine, e.g. coffee.
Sensory stimuli. Bright lights, flashing lights, and sun glare can trigger migraines, as can loud sounds and strong smells, e.g. perfume, paint thinner and secondhand smoke.
Sleep changes. Missing sleep, getting too much sleep, and jet lag can trigger migraines in some people.
Physical factors. Intense physical exertion may provoke migraines.
Weather changes or a change in barometric pressure can result in migraines.
Foods. Aged cheeses, salty and processed foods may trigger migraines, so may skipping meals or fasting. Chocolate can be a migraine trigger for some people.
Food additives. These include artificial sweeteners and monosodium glutamate (MSG).
Stress is one of the most common migraine triggers due to the "flight or fight" response. Anxiety, worry and fear can create tension and either trigger or worsen a migraine.
Not every trigger will result in a migraine for each person who is prone to migraines. If you are not sure what triggers your migraines, it may be helpful to keep a headache diary to identify the factors that affect you.
Prevalence of Migraines
Migraines are the second most common type of headache, after tension headaches. An estimated 14% of the world's population has suffered from migraines at some point. Studies consistently show that women are more likely than men to experience them.
In Canada, in 2010-2011, an estimated 8.3% of community-living Canadians (2.7 million people) reported they had been diagnosed with migraines. Women were more likely to report migraines than men: 11.8% vs. 4.7%. This survey almost certainly underestimated migraine prevalence since research indicates some people who experience migraines do not seek professional help, and therefore, would not have a diagnosis to report.
Tips for Migraine Prevention and Relief
The best solution is clearly the prevention of migraines using natural remedies.
Lifestyle changes can help to prevent migraines. In addition to avoiding triggers, lifestyle changes are important for preventing migraines:
exercise regularly
maintain a healthy weight
reduce your stress levels
use muscle relaxation techniques such as meditation or yoga
get an adequate amount of good quality sleep each night
sleep and eat meals on a regular schedule
drink plenty of water
Natural remedies for migraines:
Diet changes: A first step is to avoid triggers as much as possible once you have identified them. This could include obvious changes to your diet based on the food triggers mentioned above.
Acupuncture or acupressure: One popular pressure point is the LI-4 point in the space between the base of the left thumb and index finger. Applying firm but not painful circular pressure to the LI-4 point, using the opposite hand for 5 minutes, may relieve headache pain.
Essential oils: Lavender is often recommended as a remedy for stress, anxiety and headaches and insomnia. While further research is needed, it has been reported that inhalation of lavender oil helped reduce the severity of migraines in some people.
Ginger has been found to be statistically comparable to sumatriptan (Imitrex, a commonly used migraine medication); ginger has the advantage of no side effects with the possible exception of an allergy to it. We can treat ("clear") allergies at our clinic if this applies to you.
Stress management: Finding outlets for stress such as journaling, exercise, or meditation may help to prevent future migraines. Stress management classes, taking a warm bath, or listening to music are additional ways to reduce stress.
Biofeedback therapy can help people learn to identify muscle tension or stress and to relax specific muscles that are typically tense when migraines occur. It takes practice and training. Sensors placed on the relevant muscles (e.g. forehead, jawline, or trapezius muscles in the shoulders) feed into a small machine that gives real-time feedback about muscle tension, allowing users to learn to relax the tense areas better.
Massage of the muscles in the neck and shoulders can help to relieve tension and alleviate migraine pain; massage may also reduce stress.
Supplements:
Feverfew is probably the most widely studied and well recognized herbal supplement for reducing migraine frequency and severity.
Butterbur has also been reported to be effective in lowering migraine frequency and severity.
B-complex vitamins play a role in regulating neurotransmitters in the brain and may have an impact on reducing migraine frequency and severity; vitamin B2 (riboflavin), in particular, has been found to be effective in reducing migraine frequency. Please note that it's very important to determine you do not have a sensitivity to any of the B vitamins you may be taking, as this could have the opposite effect, making your migraines much worse.
A magnesium deficiency may trigger a migraine aura (onset of a classical migraine) or a menstrual migraine headache. Research has found that magnesium supplementation can be useful in reducing the frequency of migraines in some people.
Coenzyme Q10 has been shown in clinical trials to reduce the frequency of migraines, with statistically significant differences in comparison to the placebo group. In one randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 45 menopausal women, migraine frequency, duration and severity were all reduced significantly. Further study is needed to determine if these results apply to other populations.
I hope you find this information helpful and that if you suffer from migraines, these tips may help you have fewer, less severe migraines. If you need to verify any possible sensitivities that may be triggering your migraines, please contact our office (see information below) to find out how we can help.
Supplements
There are a number of supplements that would help you to maximize your health. You can find information about these products and purchase them in our online store:
CoQ10
Ginger
Lavender, Organic Essential Oil
Magnesium Complex
Magnesium
Vitamin B Complex
References:
Mayo Clinic Staff. Migraine. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/migraine-headache/symptoms-causes/syc-20360201 January 16, 2020. Accessed March 30, 2020.
Facts you should know about migraine headaches. https://www.medicinenet.com/migraine/article.htm Accessed March 30, 2020.
Migraine causes. https://www.webmd.com/migraines-headaches/migraines-causes#1 Accessed March 16, 2020.
Ramage-Morin PL, Gilmour H. Prevalence of migraine in the Canadian household population. Health Reports 2014;25(6),10-16.
Migraine treatments. https://www.healthline.com/health/migraine-treatments Accessed March 16, 2020.
What are some tips for instant migraine relief? https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/322814 Accessed March 16, 2020.
Studies related to Migraine and Coenzyme Q10. https://examine.com/topics/migraine/ Accessed March 31, 2020.
Disclaimer: The suggestions and recommendations in this newsletter are not intended to be prescriptive or diagnostic. The information is accurate and up to date to our knowledge, but we are not responsible for any errors in our sources of information.
