How can I help you with migraines and headaches?

Headache, headache, headache.

Almost all of us have suffered or are suffering from headaches of varying frequency and intensity, ranging from tension headaches (Tension, Migraine or Cluster Files). The pain can last for hours and even days and cause dysfunction.

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Migraines are the most severe type of chronic headache. It affects one in four women and four times more than men, with the explanation being that women suffer more from migraines due to the effect of the female hormones, as some women experience migraine attacks near the onset of menstruation. 90% of sufferers report that the first attack broke out before they turned 40. Migraine is ranked 19th on the list of diseases that cause functional disability because in the US about 36 million working days are lost each year due to a headache.
Migraine usually appears in the forehead or on one side of the head. Migraine is often accompanied by symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, increased sensitivity to light, noise or smell. Some migraine sufferers have early sensations called aura, which include flashes of light, black dots in the field of vision or stiff sensations in the neck, shoulders or limbs. The aura can also appear during the onset of the headache. The frequency of migraine attacks can vary from several attacks per month to one attack every few months.
 

What causes migraines?

The exact cause of migraine is unknown, but it is known that inflammatory processes in the nervous system lead to a change in blood flow to the brain and encourage the development of pain. In addition, low levels of serotonin as well as changes in hormone levels that occur around menstruation, during pregnancy and menopause. To these of course should be added factors that trigger emotional attack (stress, anxiety, depression), fatigue and insomnia and of course an irregular diet or one that includes migraine-inducing foods (alcohol, caffeine, chocolate, yellow cheese and more). The genetic component also exists - if one or both parents have a migraine, the chances of their children suffering from migraine attacks are also relatively high.
 

What is the standard treatment?

There are many medications for the treatment of migraine and they are divided into two main categories:

• Painkillers, from the family of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs NSAIDs (Advil, Neurofen, Aspirin), Paracetamol (Paracetamol) or drugs from the family Triptans (Rizalt, Zumig, Rilert) - are intended for treatment during the attack to stop its development.

• Prevents migraines, from the family of CGRP protein blockers - in order to reduce the frequency and intensity of seizures.

Some medications have significant side effects and some are not recommended for use during pregnancy, breastfeeding or for people at increased risk for stroke or heart attack. For example, a study from Denmark published in 2017 involving 29,000 patients found that the use of NSAIDs such as neurofen, Advil and diclofenac increased the risk of cardiac arrest by 31-50%. A study from Canada that included 446,763 patients showed similar results even with short-term use of up to one week in these drugs.
Beyond medication, it is recommended to incorporate a lifestyle that will help prevent seizures and addresses stress reduction, good sleep, moderate and relevant physical activity and dietary jokes that ensure not eating foods known as headache promoters.

 

How can I help you with Chinese medicine?

The main organs involved in migraine according to Chinese medicine are the liver and gallbladder, in addition to the stomach. Migraine associated with the liver meridian will mainly manifest itself in pain on the sides of the head and pressure in the temple area. Such a migraine is typical of people who suffer from mental stress, anxieties and worries, and can also be accompanied by visual difficulties. When the migraine is related to the stomach, the pain will be more pronounced in the front of the head, in the forehead and eyebrows. The migraine will be accompanied by nausea or vomiting. After an accurate diagnosis of the type of headache will choose a custom acupuncture treatment protocol.

• Acupuncture has been shown to be very effective in the short and long term in the treatment of migraine and headaches, and without any side effects.

• Two important studies by the Cochrane organization included more than 7,500 patients suffering from headaches due to stress or recurrent migraines. The researchers concluded that 6 acupuncture treatments were more effective than placebo ("dummy") acupuncture or conventional treatment for these patients in reducing pain intensity, as well as reducing the amount of migraine attacks by 50%.

• As a result, the British National Institutes of Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has issued guidelines for the preventive treatment of migraine which recommend a series of 10 treatments over 5-8 weeks. Further studies have shown that patients treated with acupuncture consumed fewer painkillers from the control group receiving placebo acupuncture or conventional therapy.

• Herbal medicine such as Chrysanthemum (Ju Hua) and medicinal mushrooms such as Reishi and others have been found to be highly effective in treating migraines. When needed, treatment may include personalized herbal formulas and/or mushrooms.

• Nutrition is an integral part of preventing and treating headaches and migraines. Certain foods—and even specific cooking methods—are known to trigger headaches and migraines (for example, aged cheese). At the same time, other foods can help relieve headaches. A targeted nutritional approach addresses the root cause and provides long-term relief.

You do not have to continue to suffer from migraines!

 

Research bibliography:
1. https://migraine.com/
2. Sondergaard KB, et al. (2017) Euro Heart Journal-Cardiovascular Pharmacotherapy. doi: 10.1093 / ehjcvp / pvw041
Bally M, et al. (2017) British Medical Journal doi: 10.1136 / bmj.j1909
4. Linde K, et al. (2016) Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Issue 6. doi: 10.1002 / 14651858.CD001218.pub3
5. Linde K et al. (2016) Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Issue 4. doi: 10.1002 / 14651858.CD007587.pub2
6. https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg150/ifp/chapter/treatments-for-migraine
7. Zhao Z. et al. (2017) JAMA Internal Med. 177 (4): 508-515. doi: 10.1001 / jamainternmed.2016.9378