Sunday, 30 March 2014

Migraine Headache Relief - Learn to Stop the Pain For Good

Permanent migraine headaches relief involves more than just taking medications. Medication is only meant as a short-term solution for when your symptoms become too intolerable.
But putting an end to these painful and disabling headaches can be accomplished. But it will take some persistent effort and a willingness to listen the signals your body is giving you.
Migraine Headaches Relief - Treatment
IDENTIFY TRIGGERS
Learning to identify your triggers is by far the most important step in learning to live a life free of the pain of migraines. Too many people find this task too daunting and head back to their doctor for relief.
The doctor's answer is always more medication and then the sufferer is back in the cycle of rebound headaches. The usefulness of medication for migraine headaches lies in its ability to abort migraine headaches IN PROGRESS. But this needs to be used sparingly and with more than a fair share of caution.
If you are banking on drugs to be your principal treatment for migraine headaches relief, you are setting yourself up for endless migraines.
Doctor prescribed and over-the-counter medications, if used more than a few times a month, will hurl you smack dab in the middle of a horrible cycle of rebound headaches that may be very hard to free yourself from. Many people who are reading this article right now may be suffering from rebound headaches without even being aware of it.
Don't get too stressed out if this is the case.
This treatment for migraine headaches relief will safely take you out of that cycle.
You MUST identify your migraine headache triggers before embarking on any effective treatment for migraine headaches relief.
Of course, this is easier to say than it is to actually do it.
This is precisely why so many migraine sufferers have such a difficult time finding an effective treatment for migraine headaches relief.
You need to write a list of all of your possible migraine headache triggers and eliminate them ALL at once.
I know, this is a very difficult task.
Some of the possible triggers you may find hard to live without. But, here's the good news: you don't have to live without all of these potential triggers forever.
As soon as you are CERTAIN that a particular potential trigger is not an ACTUAL trigger, you can add it back it into your life. You can slowly start adding items back into your life using this method.
But, before anything, you MUST ELIMINATE ALL OF THEM - at once. This is the only way you can begin a treatment for migraine headaches relief that is going to be truly effective.
WHY DO ALL THE POTENTIAL TRIGGERS NEED TO BE CUT OUT AT ONCE?
The answer to this question is that if you don't cut out all the triggers at once, there is a great likelihood you will leave out some of the triggers.
This will mean more migraine headaches, and it's very likely you will abandon the migraine headache treatment thinking it completely failed.
The reason I say this is because this was my experience for over 10 years.

Resolving the Mystery of the Migraine Headaches

About Migraines
A migraine is a severe headache that tends to recur with symptoms like nausea and vomiting. The pain is usually on one side of the head and there is an added sensitivity to bright lights and noises. Moving around can make the headaches feel worse. Although, there are many forms of migraine headaches, classic and common are the two major varieties. People with migraines are called migraineurs. About 15% of the population is affected by migraines. Three times more women than men are affected. Over 80% of migraineurs have family members who are regularly afflicted with migraines. Prominently migraines are of three types. They are:
Migraine without aura (common migraine): Accounting for 80% of all migraine headaches, no aura is seen before this common migraine affects an individual.
Migraine with aura (classic migraine): Usually preceded by an aura, this type of migraine is generally much worse than a common migraine. Usually, an aura is said to be a visual disturbance, that is, outlines of lights or jagged light images.
Status migrainosus: Generally, a long-lasting migraine, it does not go away by itself.
Causes of Migraine headaches
The medical fraternity thinks that the migraines are caused by a chemical or electrical problem in certain parts of the brain. A key element of a migraine headache is blood flow change in the brain. According to hypothesis, the nervous system responds to a trigger such as stress by creating spasms in the nerve-rich arteries at the base of the brain. The spasms constrict several arteries supplying blood to the brain, including arteries from the scalp and the neck. As these arteries tighten, the flow of blood to the brain is reduced. At the same time, platelets clump together and release a chemical called serotonin which also acts as a powerful constrictor of arteries. This further reduces blood and oxygen supply to the brain. In reaction to this, some arteries in the brain expand to meet the brain's energy needs. This dilation is believed to cause migraine headaches. Because, migraine headaches tend to run in families, it can be assumed that genetic factors may also contribute to a person's susceptibility to migraines.
Headache triggers can be things that are eaten, smelt, heard or seen. They are:
o Stress and time pressure, major hassles and losses, anger and conflict
o Smells and fumes, tobacco smoke, light glare or dazzle and weather changes
o Monthly periods, birth control pills, estrogen therapy and too much, too little or interrupted sleep
o Hunger, fasting and specific foods or beverages
o Excessive activity
o Certain medications
Certain foods that might trigger a migraine:
o Aged Cheese
o Bananas, figs and raisins
o Beer, wine and hard liquor
o Caffeine as well as caffeine withdrawal and chocolates
o Dairy products such as ice cream, milk, yogurt, cheese, whipped cream and sour cream
o Fermented and pickled foods
o Monosodium glutamate (MSG), seasoned salt, canned soups, TV dinners, processed meats, and some processed nuts and snack chips
o Most citrus fruits like oranges, grapefruit and lemons
o Nuts and peanuts
o Onions
o Pea pods or lima beans
o Processed meats, deli sandwich meats, hotdogs and other nitrite-containing meats
o Saccharin or aspartame in diet foods or diet sodas and drinks
o Sulfites in shrimp and processed potatoes, like boxed mashed potato mix
o Yeast-containing products, such as fresh breads and donuts
Medicines that might trigger a migraine headache are:
o Cimetidine (brand name: Tagamet)
o Estrogens (including birth control pills)
o Fenfluramine (brand name: Pondimin)
o Indomethacin (brand name: Indocin)
o Nifedipine (brand name: Adalat, Procardia)
o Nitroglycerin (brand name: Nitrostat)
o Pain killers (either overuse or withdrawal from them)
o Reserpine containing medicines (brand names: Ser-ap-Es, Hydropres, Regroton)
o Theophylline (brand name: TheoDur, Theo-24)
Migraine Guide
Having ridden the migraine train on several occasions, you may have an aura the acts like a warning whistle of the approaching headache. The pain builds slowly and steadily until you are in no position to tolerate the bright light and loud noises. You may even feel nauseated or end up vomitting. Lying down in a dark, quiet room is the only means that will help you ride it out.
While scientists still debate the exact mechanisms in the brain that cause migraines, there progress has helped them find treatment medications that may either be taken as soon as a migraine comes on or taken on a daily basis to help prevent migraines.
This guide will help you weigh the pros and cons of a variety of treatments, to help determine the best course of action for your migraine.
Although, much can be done to prevent the onset of migraines like avoid triggers, exercise regularly and keep stress under control - most people with migraines will need medication. Providentially, medication options for migraines have expanded greatly in the last decade which helps keep migraine disruption to a minimum.

Migraine Headaches - Why You Should Ignore Them

I'm guessing that if you've read this far, you're either hopping mad, totally confused, or very curious. After all, how on earth can I suggest that you ignore the horrible disabling pain of a migraine attack? Am I one of these people that think that if you just ignore the pain, it will go away?
Rest assured, I'm not going to suggest that your migraine headache is imaginary. Migraine is, after all, a real disease. As research has progressed, we've been able to see that the brain of someone with migraine is actually different. There is a growing consensus that migraine is at least partially genetic.No, migraine is real, and your headache is not going to vanish just because you want it to.But I do really believe that a lot of people are missing out on the treatment they really need because they're paying too much attention to their migraine headaches. Doctors are doing the same thing. The prescribe painkillers, tell you to use an ice pack and call them in the morning.The problem is, migraine disease and migraine headache are two very different things.
Yes, headache is one possible symptom of migraine. But there are many people who have migraine attacks with no headache at all. Migraine is a disease that goes far beyond a bad headache.Treating the headache in someone with migraine is kind of like trying to kill a weed by pulling off a leaf. Sure, it might help, but it's not getting to the root of the problem.People with migraine will tell you that painkillers may, at best, dull a bit of the pain. Sometimes that's what you need. But far better to get to the root of the problem. To stop the migraine chain reaction before it even gets to the headache phase.Now you see what I'm getting at, don't you? When doctors (or patients, for that matter) treat migraine like just another headache (a bad one, but still just a headache), they're missing the point. Not only will you get poorer treatment with this attitude, it could actually make matters worse. Many patients have been prescribed painkillers so many times that their bodies get used to them. They may stop being effective - they may even start to cause more headache symptoms!Studies have suggested that there are many, many people with migraine who aren't properly diagnosed in the first place. When they are diagnosed, they are still far too often given drugs designed to mask pain, instead of treatment (drugs or other treatment) designed to halt the migraine attack itself.
A migraine study in 2006 found that 20% of migraine sufferers were given migraine-specific triptan drugs (an abortive drug for migraine), but over 50% were given narcotics and opioid analgesics! These are drugs that may temporarily mask the pain, but they are a long way from a solution, and may make matters worse.Don't get me wrong. If you have the pain of a migraine headache, you want to get rid of the pain. But if you're getting migraine attacks on a regular basis, you don't need a temporary solution. You need to get rid of the whole migraine attack, and if possible stop it from starting.There are many, many options out there. Don't let your doctor keep you in the dark - find out about the many treatments, medications, supplements and lifestyle changes that can fight migraine disease. You deserve better than the old fashioned "take two aspirin" approach.The best way to get rid of migraine headache pain is by ignoring the migraine headache and attacking the root of the problem. Find a specialist that won't give up on you, and you'll be helping yourself and others that come after you.

Causes Of Migraine Headaches

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Headaches in any form are very unspeakable to the sufferer. Some headaches like migraines can cause more problems than just a headache. These problems could be nausea, light sensitivity and a throbbing pain in the head. Sometimes the headache pain is felt on one side of the head.
At others you can feel the hurting on both sides of your head. The factual causes of migraine headaches has not been found as of yet.There are a few theories as to why we experience migraine headaches. The most common possibility is that a change in the blood flow within the brain is one of the trip causes of migraine headaches. The other theory about migraine headache is thought to be a pain sensing nerve releasing chemicals named neuropathies. Many medical checkup professionals speculate that the neuropathies relaxes the smooth muscle that surrounds the cranial blood vessels.
This rest causes the blood vessels to dilate or get constricted. This blood vessel relaxation increases the flow of blood and other cranial fluid to the brain.
These fluids are thought to be the causes of migraine headaches. These cranial fluids cause inflammation, painfulness sensitivity, weave and blood vessel swelling during the time of migraine headaches. Some people think that the aura that is seen during a migraine headache is caused by the constriction of blood vessels that became dilated during the beginning phase of migraine headaches. Another possibility as to the causes of migraine headaches has been linked to genetics and inheritance.
These theories state that a child of migraine sufferers will have a 50% chance of acquiring migraine headaches. The chances go even greater of inheriting migraine headaches if both parents are known to sustain from this afflictive headache.Should both parents be known to have frequent migraine headaches the chances of the child inheriting migraine headache symptoms is about 70%.
Now even though some professionals think that inheritance plays a large part in migraine headaches the genes that may be wise as the causes of migraine headaches have not been identified or even isolated.
When we begin to experience migraine headaches the only word of advice signs that we may receive are a throbbing hurting in the temple area and light nausea. As the migraine symptoms pass on the pain of the headaches become much worse.
Unfortunately since the causes of migraine headaches [http://www.causes-of-headache-treatment.com/Causes-Of-Migraine-Headaches.php] have not been found and we don’t know what can trip these attacks, the medications to address these headaches have not been developed.

Who Can Benefit From The Wurn Technique?

Wurn technique is a form of bodywork that specializes in abdominal disorders, infertility, relaxation, and in the relief of body pain. This technique sets its focus and goal in taking care of adhesions that are present all over the body of a client.
The benefits of the technique were first experienced by the Wurn family. Larry and Brenda Wurn are both educated in massage therapy and physical therapy respectively. However, due to the wife's physical problems due to surgeries after surgeries and pelvic radiation, Larry Wurn began to develop natural methods using massage therapy in order to heal and correct the disorders of his wife.
The question of who can benefit from this wonderful technique can be answered with many good answers. Although the technique was developed for the treatment of problems among women, almost anyone can enjoy the therapy especially as a form of relaxation. The female population is usually the client in a Wurn therapy session due to the issues relating to infertility. The problem with fertility is fast becoming a major problem in our societies today due to many factors affecting the conception of a child. Stress, tension, fatigue, accidents and other causes can contribute to the reduced chance of conceiving children among couples. Women are prone to this condition due to the fact that the uterus plays an important role in conception. Any problem in the uterus such as tilted or displaced uterus, poor blood, lymph, and oxygen circulation, problems in the pelvic region, and other conditions in that area can add up to the burden of being able to have children.
Aside from women with fertility issues, mothers can even enjoy the Wurn technique as the methods used in this therapy can help condition the body of a woman. The gentle massage performed on the abdomen and internal organs are vital in providing a good overall condition. The deep massage is conducted as a site-specific therapy that works better in addressing problems in specific areas of the body. This process gives faster results and significant benefits with every session.
Men can also enjoy the benefits and wonderful effects that they can attain from having this therapy in their medical care. It is effective for the prevention of early stage of prostate cancer, and other reproductive diseases and disorders. It can also be enjoyed as a form of relaxing therapy.
Anybody who is suffering from body pains can benefit and gain comfort from the Wurn technique. The therapy is created as a countermeasure against adhesions that can damage any part of the body. These small formations in the tissues can cause massive damage to the body when left untreated. These may result to neck, back, and hip pain, headaches and migraines, painful experience during sexual intercourse among women, digestion disorders, menstrual problems, loose bowels, and other conditions.

Headaches and Migraines - A Pain Relieving Guide For Prevention and Cure

If there is one malady that has affected almost every human - it's a headache. Commonly, a headache is a general term for any pain felt in the head. This pain usually arises due to a combination of factors and therefore, it is essential that one understands these factors before looking for a cure. Understanding the origins of a headache or migraine can usually help one in curing and preventing them till a certain extent.
Broadly speaking, there are four categories of headaches -
1.    Myogenic - Muscular headache which arises due to strain and tension in muscles.
2.    Vascular - These are caused due to an unbalanced blood flow near the head or brain. Fever headaches and migraines are common vascular headaches.
3.    Inflammatory - These headaches usually result in a swelling of the head and are caused by allergies such as common cold, flu, etc.
4.    Traction - Such headaches are rare as they are caused when nerve fibres are pulled or stretched. Brain tumours, cysts, aneurysms, etc are common reasons for traction headaches and surgery is necessary for effective treatment.
 
Migraines - A severe type of Headache
Migraines are a mysterious class of headaches and science advocates a large number of different factors which usually lead to one. A migraine typically consists of other problems such as extreme sensitivity to light or sound (or both), blurry vision, nausea and general bodily discomfort. Though the exact cause of Migraine headaches is still not clear, the general consensus is that they are caused by chemical imbalances in the brain. However, there are several other factors too which lead to migraine problems such as -
·         Dietary, Hormonal or medicinal factors - Irregular eating patterns, certain citrus foods, cheese and even chocolate have been noted to trigger migraine symptoms in sensitive people. Certain people experience such headaches when they are undergoing hormonal changes or when certain medicines react to their natural body processes.
·         Lifestyle or Environmental factors - Watching too much television, listening to loud music consistently, change of place or weather, etc can also lead to severe migraine problems.
 
Cure for Headaches and Migraine
 
There are plenty of cures available today that can effectively treat all kinds of headaches (over 200!) and even Migraines. These treatments come in the form of natural therapies such as oil massages, acupuncture techniques and various stress-busting exercises or prescription drugs that are sold over-the-counter. Medicinal pills work best if the pain is mild and not frequent as they provide quick relief.
However, relying on tablets for recurring headaches can be dangerous as they can alleviate strong side-effects. In such cases, relying on natural therapy is advisable as they help in bringing a positive change to one's lifestyle in the long run. Acupuncture is a popular remedy for common headache and migraine issues. It is believed that certain points in the body such as the temple are known for controlling headaches and migraines. Calming these points can instantly cure them.
Nevertheless, if a headache is deep-rooted, it is sensible to consult one's personal physician because sometimes, even the most minor symptoms are indicative of major interior issues.

Monday, 17 March 2014

Look to Neck Problems As the Source of Most Headaches & Migraines

Most of us have experienced a headache at least once in our lives. But for tens of millions of Americans, headache and migraine pain is a part of their daily lives. It is such a widespread problem that billions of dollars each year are spent in research and prescription drug sales (all in an attempt to try to help people get out of pain and get their lives back).
But despite all of the work and money being thrown at the problem, the bottom line is that pharmaceuticals (be it over the counter or prescription strength medications) do not cure the root cause of headaches & migraines. They merely mask symptoms offering temporary relief.
Current biomechanical research has found a common thread with most headache sufferers. This commonality is that those people who experience ongoing headaches and/or migraines have problems in the cervical (neck) part of their spine. The cervical spine has seven vertebrae (the bones which surround and provide some protection to the spinal cord). The vertebrae are moveable and can twist, bend, flex and extend. This motion allows us to move our necks with a considerable amount of freedom.
The mobility of the cervical vertebrae comes with a price. Sometimes the vertebrae can get suck out of alignment (in relation to the other bones). When this happens, it is called a "subluxation". "Sub" means less than. "Luxation" means dislocation. So a subluxation is an abnormal position of a bone, but not so much so that it's dislocated. Vertebral subluxations can occur with as little as one degree of misalignment. They can also occur when the vertebrae is suck, and isn't able to move correctly. Instead of the joints gliding on each other freely, they feel like a rusty old hinge that needs a squirt of WD-40.
When vertebrae become subluxated, it sends off a cascade of abnormal sensory signals to the brain. At first, the problem is at a sub-perception level (meaning you can't feel it). But after enough time passes, the abnormal sensory signals to the brain grows in intensity, and eventually is perceived as pain.
So how does this have anything to do with headaches an migraines? The nerves which branch up into the head stem from the cervical spine. When you irritate a cervical spinal nerve (which travels to the head), it eventually is perceived as a headache. The source of the problem is a hard bone pressing on a soft nerve - all in the neck area.
When a chiropractor adjusts the cervical spine, he gently re-aligns the cervical vertebrae, taking pressure off the nerves. If those nerves happen to be the ones which travel up into the head, the result is elimination of headaches & migraines. The results can often be fast and surprisingly powerful.