A migraine can be an intense event that can ruin a whole day or even a week. It can be a chronic condition that you have to manage for most of your life, too. Throbbing pain in the head is the classic symptom of this disorder, but it is also known to be accompanied by vomiting, nausea, and sensitivity to light and sound. So it is easy to assume that if you do get migraines, you want to make sure you minimize them as much as possible. A migraine diet can help.

What is a migraine?

Migraine affects nearly 38 million people in the U.S. While throbbing head pain is the most widely-recognized symptom, other symptoms can include fatigue, nausea, and sensitivity to light and sound. When a migraine hits, the last thing on your mind might be food. Turns out, there are some foods that can actually help ease the pain of migraine while soothing other common symptoms.

A migraine diet made easy

We have put together a list of tasty and healthy foods that are rich in the vitamins and minerals that will help fight off migraines. We have also included some tips and tricks on crafting an overall better migraine diet, from what to avoid to what you should definitely eat. Finally, we rounded that up with a collection of “eat this, not that” recommendations at the end.

There has been quite a bit of research done on the correlation between certain foods and migraines. The results are usually classified into categories such as pain-safe foods that never contribute to headache and common triggers that often cause headaches. Everything else can fall in the middle and not all diet choices will be right for you.

Some triggers will affect you and some won’t, so it is always a smart idea to keep track of what you eat and how it affects you. You can use a daily activity journal to track and identify problem foods and activities to better understand how to mitigate your migraines. It is also a good idea to keep in mind that it could take several months to notice a sizeable difference when eliminating certain foods. Remember, changing your diet isn’t guaranteed to make you migraine-free, but it is a powerful tool in helping you reduce migraine episodes and pain overall.

1. Drink more water

Dehydration is one of the most common migraine triggers. Water is essential for the body to be healthy and function properly. Also, with the wide selection of sugary drinks and juices, we often forget that we aren’t drinking as much water as we should be. If you don’t like just drinking plain old H2O, you can always reach for other options like herbal tea and decaf coffee as they are mostly water and low in sugar and calories.

2. Eat more healthy fats

Some people still think fat is a bad word, but there are some major benefits to adding certain ones to your migraine diet. Omega-3 fatty acids, mainly found in fatty fish such as mackerel, tuna, and salmon, can really help with migraines. Olive oil is also another great source of healthy fat. The monounsaturated fats can be just as beneficial as omega-3s and they can be a healthy substitute in most recipes. Research has shown that they help reduce the frequency, pain level, and duration of migraines. Make sure you add in a healthy dose a few times a week to start seeing some positive changes.

3. Add magnesium to your diet

Magnesium is a great nutrient to add to your migraine diet. It can help with increasing energy, calming anxiety, and relieving digestive issues. It also has been shown to prevent and soothe migraine headaches of all types. Try adding spinach, quinoa, and whole grains to your diet as they are high in magnesium and other essential nutrients. If you can’t seem to fit in enough, magnesium supplements are an excellent alternative.

4. Don’t forget the riboflavin

Also known as vitamin B2, riboflavin has been shown to combat migraine incidents. Research shows that it can reduce migraines up to 50% when taking 400mg daily. B2 is also essential for metabolic energy production, so adding more of it can boost energy levels. Adding foods that are high in vitamin B2 like quinoa or asparagus can help you reach that 400mg mark.

5. Identify your trigger foods and construct a migraine diet plan

This is where the daily activity journal will do the most good. Since foods affect people differently, it helps to reset your diet to mostly safe foods to begin with. Trigger foods usually take about two days to start causing headaches again so you can then slowly add in foods you enjoy to see if they are the culprit for headaches.

Caution should be advised when changing your diet as there is no universal migraine diet that is right for everyone. A well-balanced diet is recommended. You should avoid skipping meals as this can have negative effects and actually exacerbate migraines.

Common migraine triggers

Here is a list of well-known trigger foods, so be careful if you want to add them to your diet.

• Alcohol: A small amount usually isn’t a problem, but certain liquors such as red wine or beer can be very powerful triggers for most people. If you are drinking, make sure to drink plenty of water as well because alcohol can cause dehydration.
• Aspartame: This can be found in artificial sweeteners that are often in diet drinks, low-calorie deserts, and yogurts.
• Additives: Be careful of additives in a variety of foods such as monosodium glutamate (MSG), sodium caseinate, and yeast extract.
• Nitrites: Nitrates are a preservative that is also used to add flavor to meat products. Nitrites are most frequently found in any food that is smoked, cured, pickled, or canned. Specifically, a high amount of this is most often found in deli meats, hotdogs, sausages, and jerky.
• Tyramine and phenylethylamine: These two amino acids are the most common food triggers for headaches. Make sure to be careful when eating chocolate, aged cheese, nuts, or soy food, as they have large concentration of these amino acids.

6. Eat this, not that for a migraine diet 

Finally, we hope you enjoy these fun switches you can make to easily up your migraine diet to find relief.

Instead of: Fresh oranges for breakfast

You may think that eating plenty of citrus fruits is a good thing to begin your day, but for some people, fresh citrus can be a trigger. Plus, the added acid isn’t doing a stomach upset by migraine any favors.

Try: Cooked fruit such as pears or cherries

Compounds in tart cherries can ease inflammation, including inflammation that may make a migraine worse. Mixed in with some overnight oats, chia seeds, and rice milk, cooked cherries or pears help you work towards your daily recommended amount of fruit without increasing your pain.

Instead of: Products with wheat flour

For some people with migraine, wheat-based foods (bread, pasta, and crackers) may trigger or worsen migraine headaches. Wheat can also cause gastrointestinal problems for those who are sensitive to it. That’s the last thing you want if one of your migraine symptoms is nausea.

Try: Rice- or oat-based products

Gluten-free foods have come a long way in the last decade. Gone are the crumbly breads, hard crackers, mushy pastas, and dry muffins of the past. Rice-based pastas are especially well-tolerated for those with migraine, potentially due to the high magnesium and niacin content. Brown rice is also a staple part of the elimination diet that is often suggested to migraine sufferers in order to diagnose triggers.

Oat flour and oats in general are also an excellent, mild food for upset stomachs that can come with migraines. A migraine diet that includes oats for breakfast is a great start to the day.

Instead of: Coffee

Coffee and the effects of caffeine are hotly debated. For mild headaches, a bit of caffeine seems to help with the pain, but when it comes to a migraine diet, caffeine is a commonly identified trigger. But if you need a morning jolt of caffeine to just wake up, you may find yourself rolling the dice and gambling that this time it won’t be a trigger.

Try: Green tea (and others)

Green tea has caffeine in it, yes, but it also has other compounds that may help ease the pain of migraine. Pair it with ginger, skullcap, and feverfew for a morning drink that attacks multiple symptoms of migraine, including nausea. If you are used to caffeine in the morning, eliminating it totally may actually cause headaches. Replacing your normal cup of joe with green tea can help ease the transition and relieve pain at the same time.

Instead of: Soy products

As a migraine sufferer, you have probably tried a plant-based diet to help ease the symptoms of migraine. But you find that soy triggers migraine just as much as a big, juicy burger. So what do you do for protein?

Try: Beans and nuts of all kinds

If your migraines are triggered by fluctuating hormones, soy products can exacerbate that and cause headaches. Soy products are also processed so much as to be unhealthy in general. Instead of focusing on soy for your protein needs, look towards a wide array of beans. Beans such as navy beans, pinto beans, lima beans, and kidney beans, and nuts and seeds like pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, cashews, and almonds contain protein and magnesium, a migraine-fighting mineral that many in the U.S. are deficient in.

Beans are affordable, versatile, and delicious, with a seemingly endless array of recipe options. You won’t miss meat or soy.

Instead of: Raw vegetables

As we move into summer, fresh raw vegetables look more and more appetizing. It makes sense that when the days heat up, we like to cool down, staying out of the kitchen and taking advantage of the farmer’s market bounty. But in addition to the triggering effect of hotter temperatures and a rising barometer, many raw fruits and vegetables like corn, tomatoes, onions, apples, and bananas can also set off migraine pain. It can be a catch-22, deciding between migraine pain and getting the health benefits of vegetables.

Try: Cooked vegetables

While some experts disagree with the idea that certain vegetables can trigger migraines, if they do bother you, skip them and reach for foods that have never been linked to migraines, such as leafy greens, broccoli, carrots, squash, and sweet potatoes. These vegetables are filled with antioxidants and may also be anti-inflammatory. Steam or roast them lightly on the grill to retain their nutrients and keep your house cool in the summer months.

Instead of: Ice cream or frozen yogurt

Nothing says summer like a big bowl full of ice cream or frozen yogurt, but dairy and sugar can trigger and increase migraine pain exponentially. Is it really worth it?

Try: Mango berry “nice cream”

Most of the dairy-free “nice cream” circulating around the web these days feature bananas and coconut milk, two foods to skip on a migraine diet. This mango berry nice cream is rich and sweet with no added sugar. Berries are at their very best in the summer. To take advantage of this treat year-round, freeze them first on cookie sheets. Then put them in pre-measured bags for a quick frozen treat whenever the urge strikes!

If you need more directed help with your migraine headaches, talk to a pain doctor today to learn about treatment options that could help you. Click here to contact one of our pain specialists.

If you’ve ever had a migraine, you know how crippling the pain can be. This type of headache is usually described as a throbbing pain in the temples, as well as the front and base of the head. It can be very intense, which makes a migraine in pregnancy especially hard to cope with. While expectant mothers are often limited in their treatment options, there are ways to reduce the intensity or frequency of a migraine during pregnancy. This post will cover some of the best methods of migraine treatment during pregnancy.

What is a migraine?

A migraine is one of the most severe types of head pain. Symptoms can build up gradually, but last anywhere from hours to days.

Most often, throbbing occurs on one or both sides of the head. Some patients describe the pain as a pulsing sensation. It can often come along with nausea or vomiting. For many people, aura also occurs before or during a migraine. Aura is a sensation that involves various visual disturbances, such as seeing spots, bright lights, and shapes.

Other examples of migraine symptoms include:

• Tingling in the arms or legs
• Vision loss
• Numbness in the face or one side of the body
• Difficulty speaking

Patients who suffer from chronic migraines often report certain symptoms one or two days before the onset of their migraine. Doctors refer to this as the prodrome period. Subtle changes that can warn of an upcoming attack may include:

• Stiffness in the neck
• Constipation
• Increased thirst and urination
• Cravings
• Mood changes

Can pregnancy cause migraines?

Researchers continue to study the cause of migraines, but genetics, hormones, and environmental factors all likely play a role. Whatever the cause, constricted blood vessels often lead to migraine headaches. These can result from low serotonin, a pain management chemical in the body. Estrogen has also been found to trigger migraines and increase pain.

During pregnancy, your hormones shift as the days, months, and trimesters go on. These hormonal shifts are a key reason why experiencing a migraine during pregnancy is relatively common.

Whether you’ll experience this type of headache during pregnancy is difficult to predict. And, if you already had migraines, studies actually show a potentially beneficial effect of pregnancy on migraine frequency, mainly during the second and third trimester. Many women with menstrual migraines also find their condition improves when they are pregnant, but every case is different.

For some women, though, pregnancy will be the first time they experience a migraine headache.

What are safe migraine treatments during pregnancy?

Pregnancy comes with enough aches and pains. You shouldn’t have to suffer from migraines on a routine basis. Here’s a look at safer and effective methods of migraine treatments during pregnancy.

As always, talk to your doctor about the right option for your specific situation. Always defer to their recommendations for your unique case.

1. Migraine medications for pregnancy

Most people can take over-the-counter medications without any cause for concern. When you’re expecting, that all changes. There are many medications and even supplements that aren’t safe for your growing baby.

One type of drug that is generally considered safe for pregnant women is acetaminophen, commonly known as Tylenol. Most doctors will approve of the occasional use of Tylenol throughout all three trimesters of pregnancy.

On the other hand, you should avoid aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen. The brand names you may know these drugs as include Advil, Motrin, and Aleve. These drugs are generally unsafe for pregnant women as they could lead to birth defects.

Discuss your migraines with your doctor to learn more about safe medications that could help.

2. A good night’s sleep

Sleep is hard to come by during pregnancy, especially during your third trimester, but it’s very important. Aim for eight hours in bed to ensure at least seven hours of sleep per night. This gives you plenty of time to unwind and relax in order to fall asleep.

Try out a pregnancy pillow to relieve pain and get in a comfortable position. These can be found in various shapes and sizes, depending on your preferences. Doctors also recommend sleeping on your left side to ensure proper blood flow to your heart and growing baby. This may be very difficult for women who slept on their backs or stomachs before pregnancy. A pregnancy pillow can help you get into a comfortable position.

If other symptoms or issues are getting in the way of your sleep routine, talk to your doctor. Many women suffer from extreme cases of heartburn and indigestion that worsens while lying down. Your doctor may recommend over-the-counter medication to treat your symptoms so you can get a better night’s rest.

3. Lifestyle changes

Hormones have an effect on whether you’ll experience a migraine in pregnancy, but there are other contributing external factors. By avoiding possible migraine triggers, you may be able to reduce the frequency or intensity of your migraine headaches.

Some of the most common triggers include:

• Coffee
• Alcohol
• Chocolate
• Aged cheeses
• Intense physical activity
• Stress
• Abrupt weather changes
• Sensory stimuli
• Sleep changes
• Hunger or dehydration

With these common migraine triggers in mind, consider lifestyle changes during pregnancy. Be sure to take care of your body and avoid things that could prompt a migraine headache. If you do get a migraine, track what triggers may have led to it during your day. You may be able to figure out patterns to reduce those triggers in the future.

4. Prenatal yoga

Yoga provides health benefits for people of all ages, and pregnant women are no exception. This form of exercise can boost circulation and loosen your muscles. Some poses can help you prevent headaches, while others may be used at the first sign of a migraine.

In addition to the physical benefits, yoga is a unique form of meditation that can help calm your mind. Stress can be a major contributor to migraine in pregnancy. Practicing yoga can help you take control of anxiety, depression, and stress, all of which could trigger migraines.

Look for a studio that has prenatal yoga classes created with pregnant women in mind. These unique classes and specialized teachers will ensure that you’re practicing yoga safely. If you can’t find prenatal yoga classes near you, take a gentle yoga class. Talk with the instructor before class begins. Let them know you’re pregnant and ask for pose modifications when necessary.

5. Meditation

As previously mentioned, stress is a common migraine trigger. Women juggling work, family life, and the anticipation of a new baby may experience higher levels of stress and anxiety.

While it’s easier said than done, keeping stress to a minimum is essential during these 40 weeks. Meditation is one way to focus your mind on positive things that will keep you feeling healthy. Yoga and other activities that promote mindfulness may reduce feelings of depression during and after pregnancy. Just 30 minutes per day can do the trick.

Not sure where to start? Direct your gaze at a point directly in front of you (or simply close your eyes). Slowly breathe, focusing on each inhale and exhale with intention. Stay in the moment and continue to focus on your breath even if your mind begins to wander. You may do this in complete silence or with soothing sounds, a guided program, or music.

6. Temperature therapy

Hot and cold therapy is an easy and often effective way to treat various forms of pain. From sore muscles to swelling, temperature therapy can calm sources pain, migraines included.

For a migraine in pregnancy, an ice pack or cold compress is typically the best way to find relief. The simple numbing effect of a cold pack can help some patients feel more at ease.

While cold therapy is typically recommended for a migraine, others may find relief from hot therapy. This can be in the form of a hot pack, heating pad, or a warm bath/shower. In general, this is a better remedy for tension headaches because the warmth allows your muscles to loosen up.

Talk to your doctor about this type of treatment to decide whether hot or cold therapy is best for your head pain.

7. Massage

Migraines and other form of head pain are often a result of tension in the neck, back, and shoulders. When you’re pregnant, there is even more stress put on the body due to your growing belly.

Prenatal massage is a form of complementary care that can work wonders for aches and pains, as well as migraine headaches. Massaging trigger points around the head, neck, and shoulders can relax muscle spasms and tension. It can even improve blood flow and reduce swelling.

There are many spas and massage centers that offer prenatal massages tailored to pregnant women. Many of them even have special pillows, wedges, and massage tables. These are designed to get you into the best position for where you are in your pregnancy.

8. Chiropractic care

A chiropractor can help with a range of pregnancy-related issues. They most often make adjustments to help with pain in the back, pelvis, and hips, but alignment can have an effect on other parts of the body, too.

Through various massage techniques focused on trigger points within the back, neck, shoulders, and head, many patients report finding head pain relief from chiropractic care. In addition, a gentle adjustment can help relax tense muscles that may eventually lead to a migraine in pregnancy.

Look for a chiropractor with experience performing prenatal adjustments. As always, consult with your OB/GYN before seeking any type of migraine treatment during pregnancy.

9. Acupuncture

While you’re probably tired of the poking that comes along with pregnancy appointments, you may also consider acupuncture for migraine relief. This form of treatment involves a practitioner inserting thin needles into specific points to correct imbalances in the body.

Acupuncture points generally correspond to nerves that may be activated by the needle prick. This prompts your brain to release endorphins, which lessens pain signals. In the case of a migraine during pregnancy, this can be a particularly noninvasive form of treatment.

Acupuncture is often credited with helping women with many other common pregnancy issues. This includes morning sickness, depression, lower back pain, pelvic pain, hip pain, and insomnia.

Though this type of treatment is generally considered safe for pregnant women, talk with your doctor before making an appointment. As always, do extensive research before choosing an acupuncture specialist. Search for someone who has experience working with pregnant patients.

When should I see my doctor for a migraine in pregnancy?

It’s important to be open with your doctor about how you’re feeling throughout your pregnancy. Symptoms that seem minor could be a sign of something serious. Be open and honest about how you’re feeling during every appointment with your OB/GYN.

Some cases may warrant an immediate call to your doctor, though. If you’re experiencing any of the following symptoms with your migraine, seek medical attention right away:

• A fever
• Dizziness, blurred vision, or blind spots
• Severe pain that persists for several hours and/or is recurring

While it is normal for some women to experience their first migraine during pregnancy, also consider your medical history. If you’ve never been one to get headaches, but are dealing with chronic migraines and pregnancy, talk with your doctor. In rare, but serious cases, a migraine during pregnancy can be a symptom of bigger complications.

Get help with chronic migraines during pregnancy

Pregnancy is a time of excitement and anticipation. Don’t let pain rob you of your joy during these special months. Talk with your doctor about how you’re feeling throughout your pregnancy, especially if you’re suffering from migraines. Once your doctor rules out serious underlying causes, discuss the option of visiting a pain specialist.

At Arizona Pain, your safety and comfort is important to us. We have pain doctors and chiropractors that will work together as a team to develop a comprehensive approach to manage your pain.

At Arizona Pain, we can work through different types of migraine treatments to find an option that is both safe and effective for you. If you’re in Arizona, get in touch with us today.

Reading migraine blogs is a great way to learn, pick up tips and tricks, find new resources, and feel like part of a community. There’s a fairly big online community for migraine sufferers (who sometimes call themselves Migraineurs), with plenty of fantastic migraine blogs to choose from. Here are three of our favorite migraine blogs.

The Migraine Girl at Migraine.com

The Migraine Girl started out with a blog on her own website. After her blog gained a lot of attention and support, Migraine.com approached her. Now she writes exclusively at Migraine.com. She’s done interviews (both as the interviewer and as the interviewee), is an advocate for migraine-sufferers, and has been featured in publications like Health Care Communication News and OnlineAthens.

Although she originally began blogging as a way to vent her frustrations about migraines and the treatments she’s tried, it’s become something much more. Now the Migraine Girl is a source of support and encouragement to other migraine sufferers. She’s encouraged lots of open communication about migraines.

Migraine Girl’s story

Rather than science-based posts, the Migraine Girl’s posts focus on the day-to-day struggles of migraine-sufferers.

She’s been living with migraines since she was 13, so the Migraine Girl has a lot of experience to share with other migraine-sufferers. Often it’s clear in her posts just how long she’s had to deal with migraines. For instance, in her post Springing into Action?, she describes migraine triggers associated with seasonal changes.

Other times, though, the Migraine Girl shows just how insidious migraines can be, when even after 20 years of migraines, she’s surprised. For example, after moving to a new house with a fireplace, she discovered a new migraine trigger: the smell of the fireplace.

This is why the Migraine Girl’s blog posts are so interesting. She is, like everyone else, someone who’s learning as she goes along, reaching out to help others while searching for answers herself.

Why we love this migraine blog

Posts from the Migraine Girl are always easy-to-read, like a note from a friend.

The length of posts varies, but most are fairly short. The tone is always conversational. Sometimes she brings up topics that people without migraines don’t even think about or that aren’t discussed often enough, even among migraine-sufferers. Often posts end with a question, and it’s not uncommon for lengthy discussions take place in the comments.

The Migraine Girl also owns an independent bookstore in Georgia, so it’s no surprise that she’s a booklover. When she comes across a book that deals with migraines, she posts a review of it. If ever you’re looking for a book that deals with migraines, go looking through the Migraine Girl’s archives for her very thoughtful, concise reviews.

Another on-going series in the Migraine Girl’s blog is her “Completely Unofficial, Made-Up Migraine Type” collection. These posts have usually have a wry sense of humor to them. Anyone who lives with regular migraines knows that migraines come in all shapes and sizes, and the Migraine Girl puts names to all the different types.

Migraine Girl’s community

Connecting with the Migraine Girl and the community she’s built is very easy.

A simple way to connect with the Migraine Girl is to comment on her posts. Leave a thoughtful comment or question, and there’s a good chance she’ll respond. Once in a while, she’ll even respond with a promise to write a blog post that provides a more in-depth answer.

The Migraine Girl is also on social media. On Facebook, she posts when she puts up new migraine blogs. She also posts when other bloggers on Migraine.com publish something she finds interesting or important. Conversations sometimes take place in the comments of these posts, and it’s also a great way to stay abreast of new research and information in the world of migraines.

The Migraine Girl also has a Twitter account. Her feed is a mix of personal happenings, bookish comments, and migraine information. She interacts quite often with other people on Twitter, so don’t be surprised if she offers you a few words of encouragement if you reply to one of her tweets.

Kerrie Smyres at The Daily Headache

We first learned about Kerrie Smyres as a contributor to Migraine.com. Kerrie shares much of her backstory on her About Me page at her personal blog, The Daily Headache.

Smyres’ story

Now in her late 30s, she began to suffer from chronic migraine and other headache pain more than 25 years ago. Eventually the pain became so all-encompassing that she was forced to quit work. Still wanting a creative outlet, she started her personal migraine blog to explore what life was like for someone living with a chronic pain condition.

She started The Daily Headache in 2005 and became a contributor to Migraine.com in 2011. She also does other freelance work.

Kerri is currently living in Arizona after other areas of the country proved to harbor weather patterns that were major migraine triggers. She found the mild, consistent weather in Arizona to be better for her condition. She is has been able to build a personal network of family and friends and now experiences reduced migraine pain. Besides writing for migraine blogs, she also enjoys baking, traveling, yoga, reading, baseball, and crafting.

Why we love the Daily Headache

Kerrie Smyres has a strong personality and her passion about her writing comes through her words on the screen. We also love that Kerrie Smyres often chooses to focus on the positive. Yes, chronic migraine pain is not easy to live with but rather than dwelling on that pain, she takes the time to write about the way she beats it to accomplish her goals.

She shares information about photophobia, for example. This is one of the most common symptoms of migraine headaches but is often ignored or dismissed. Classifying it is a phobia automatically makes it feel less like a symptom and more like a personal issue. But it is a very real problem for so many people who deal with chronic migraine pain. In this post she share the real facts of photophobia and how it affects migraine patients without talking down.

Speaking of the dismissive nature of our culture when it comes to migraine headaches, Kerrie Smyres broaches that topic in this blog post. She poses questions that are important when it comes to invisible disabilities.

“Migraine has rendered my life and my personality nearly unrecognizable. To say it has wreaked havoc on my life is the understatement of the century. This is an experience familiar to many people who have migraine. Yet, also like so many others with migraine, I’m wary to tell anyone about the devastation because the response is so often: ‘What’s the big deal, it’s just a headache?’ or ‘Take an aspirin and get over it.’ Most of the time, this makes me feel isolated and sad, but sometimes I get angry. During a recent bout of fury, I wondered how the general public’s understanding of a disease could be so radically different from the reality of people who live with it.”

Unusual migraine symptoms 

Another of her posts cataloged some of the more unusual symptoms of migraine headaches. She discussed many of the symptoms that she has experienced over the years. Many are either so common that she doesn’t even think about them anymore or things that most people don’t associate with migraine pain. The list was incredibly informative. It is helpful for both doctors and other patients to hear the inside story from someone actually experiencing these symptoms.

Many of her symptoms included:

• Tooth sensitivity
• Earaches
• Nausea
• Vertigo
• Sensitivity to exercise
• Meltdowns
• Heat intolerance

There were many more on the list. Most people wouldn’t consider these things specifically migraine-related but understanding the correlation and how they happen when migraine triggers are present could help someone better understand their own body and the way it reacts to this type of head pain.

Smyres’ community

Kerrie Smyres also works with a great resource that reaches more people than her individual blog. Migraine.com is one of the leading online communities and resources for people living with the pain of chronic migraine headaches.

Through her years of writing experience, Kerrie has become a voice for those who feel like their message often goes unheard not only by the medical community but by all the people around them.

Kerrie has made another huge contribution to the migraine community, but one she doesn’t shout from the rooftops. She is the co-founder of a company called TheraSpecs, a product designed to help migraine patients deal with the effects of photophobia.

You can get involved in Kerrie Smyres’ community by following her on Migraine.com and reading and participating on her personal blog.

Migraine.com, the leading migraine blog

Finally, one of the best migraine blogs is Migraine.com, a Health Union website that is powered by readers. As you’ve noticed, both of our other migraine bloggers also write for this site. And it’s a place for real people and real experts share information and insight about living with this often debilitating head pain. Users can register with the site and contribute to surveys and statistics daily. These help everyone determine the best ways to treat and live with chronic migraine pain.

Because the website is user-driven, there is always new content available for readers. This means that there are extensive and continuously updated resources available at all times. Recent features are showcased on the front page. More in-depth information can be found along the top of the page in the additional sections. These sections include community and tool pages that can connect migraine patients to one another for support and additional resources for daily living.

User-inspired discussions

Under the tab for community, readers can get the latest migraine-related headlines. They can also participate in surveys and discussions, tell their stories, and get involved.

One of the most important recommendations we make to our pain patients is to become involved in a support group. Support groups can be in person or, if necessary, online. The Migraine.com online support community is one of the most vibrant we’ve seen. We highly encourage our patients to utilize it.

On the community page you can meet the Migraine.com team of advocates. These are individuals who are impacted by chronic migraine pain but “have chosen not to let the disease run their lives.” Each of them has a unique perspective that readers can learn from and know that they also live with migraines.

Our favorite posts 

Some of our favorite migraine blogs on the site include:

• Life after migraines: Ciar posts about her life after chronic migraines. While she still gets headaches, she says they are much better than they were at another time in her life. She shares that after 25 years with chronic migraines the pain began to change and her life is very different now to provide hope for other readers.
• Check the expiration dates: Contributor Julie offers some advice about checking the expiration dates on medication before taking them. She discusses a time when she was on a trip and didn’t realize the medication was expired before it was too late.
• Living with elves: User Kaci describes her migraine headaches as living with elves in her head. They have tempers and respond angrily to sounds and bright lights, which is an experience every migraine patient can relate to. She describes her quest to quiet the elves. Kaci has tried acupuncture and Botox as well as a number of pharmaceutical treatments. She has yet to find the right solution but is feeling confident.
• Being a migraine mom: Keling describes what it is like to watch her young son suffer from migraine pain. Migraine headaches don’t only affect the patient directly, everyone in their lives experiences the reverberations of the painful experiences. She describes what makes him a wonderful boy and her hope for discovering a medication that will help him.

From these frank stories, open discussion can begin about what it is like to live with migraine pain and as migraine patients. Users are encouraged to participate in the open forums. These help facilitate discussion on migraine headaches and how it affects daily living.

Migraine tools

Migraine.com offers a variety of tools that can help individuals better manage their chronic migraine pain on a day-to-day basis. There is a migraine meter and symptom checker. There are migraine quizzes frequently featured on the site as well. A FAQ can also help people understand the most basic information about this chronic head pain. And, there is also a migraine journal available that can help patients keep track of their symptoms and receive better care from their specialists at appointments throughout the year.

Why are migraine blogs so important? 

Migraine pain, along with a variety of other invisible disabilities, are real and debilitating. It is critical that we, as a society, are part of the dialogue about how to better help our fellow sufferers cope with their disease. Migraine blogs stop the erasure of this condition and make it more known to the public.

More exposure can also begin within the community itself. Migraine patients can promote a sense of compassion by participating in user-driven sites like Migraine.com to share their experiences. They can also support others in their own journey to find relief, such as in the PainDoctor Facebook support group.

Do you follow any migraine blogs? What are your favorite migraine blogs to read?

Everyone will experience a headache at some point in their life. For those who suffer from migraines, however, the pain can be debilitating. For the 36 million people in the U.S. who suffer from migraines, relief can be hard to come by. Traditional pain relievers typically offer no relief and more potent medications, like opioids, are also powerless against the brutal headaches. Fortunately, researchers have made much headway recently finding new treatment options for migraine patients. Here, we talk about one patient’s journey and then discuss five more potential new migraine treatments on the horizon.

Arizona patient talks about how new migraine treatments helped 

For Elizabeth Arant, her migraine pain was constant and had a debilitating impact on her life.

“I’ve had migraines since I was about seven years old. Even as a small child, I would miss school because of the migraines, or from being sick because of the migraines. As an adult, I was worried about work. I would have to excuse myself multiple times a day because I was ill from the constant migraine pain.”

In the beginning, Ms. Arant was treated conservatively with over-the-counter medications, and then eventually, prescription migraine pills and injections.

“I tried all of the migraine medications on the market, and they’d work for a little while, but then they wouldn’t be effective any more. After about ten years, I had tried every migraine medication available.”

When the medications became ineffective, Ms. Arant utilized other new migraine treatments and complementary therapies.

“I tried acupuncture, chiropractic, massage therapy, physical therapy – you name it, I tried it. These treatments would work for a little while, but then the pain would come back.”

Patient turns to interventional pain management options

A diagnostic procedure known as a medial branch block can also be initially tried to see if any relief is achieved. If successful, relief is rapid, and the individual should be able to return to their normal daily activities. While a medial branch block is not intended to cause long-lasting relief, should temporary relief occur from the block, a more permanent form of new migraine treatments called radiofrequency ablation may be recommended by a pain physician.

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) uses a specialized device to disrupt the nerve that sends pain signals to the brain. By causing nerve destruction through heat, RFA disrupts the perception of pain, effectively causing a decrease in chronic headache pain. More specifically, the sphenopalatine ganglion is a bundle of nerves in the face and head region, and studies have shown success regarding blocks or ablations of those specific nerves.

Ms. Arant tried nerve blocks which, again, helped temporarily, but she was quickly beginning to feel like there was no hope. In Ms. Arant’s case, since conservative treatment was providing only temporary relief, her neurologist referred her to Arizona Pain, where he said a new treatment may be available to her. If conservative treatment such as medication, chiropractic care or non-invasive procedures offer no relief, a device called occipital nerve stimulation (ONS) may prove effective for chronic migraine patients.

Patient tries occipital nerve stimulation

A new use of established technology, ONS works much like a spinal cord stimulator (SCS), commonly known as a “pacemaker for pain.” By utilizing low-level electrical impulses, the ONS replaces pain with a tingling sensation and blocks pain perception from the nerve to the brain.

“Within a few days, I was at Arizona Pain and was being educated by the nurse practitioner and doctor regarding ONS. At that point, I was willing to try anything. I trusted Arizona Pain right away and felt like I really had to try this. Every day, I basically went to work, came home and lay down in a darkened room with ice on my head until I fell asleep. I couldn’t make plans for the future; my quality of life was deteriorating.”

Ms. Arant had the trial stimulator placed, and was surprised at the results.

“In the recovery area at Arizona Pain, I just kept telling everyone that this was the first time in years that I didn’t have a migraine. It was amazing. I was able to read a book, watch TV, and start to get my life back. I knew I wanted to have the permanent device. And, I wanted to keep living without a constant migraine.”

After the initial trial period, Ms. Arant was scheduled to have a permanent ONS implanted.

Patient finds new life 

“It did take time to get the settings adjusted,” Ms. Arant says. “But after the settings were adjusted for me, I haven’t had a migraine since. Instead, I have a tingling feeling that is actually pleasant, and not painful at all.”

One word of advice Ms. Arant offers to anyone who suffers from chronic migraines is this:

“If you’ve tried everything else and it’s failed, and your pain doctor is recommending ONS, give it a try.”

The best part is that Ms. Arant is able to do things she hasn’t been able to do in years.

“Now that I have ONS, my life has completely changed. I’m able to travel, make plans, and I’m reading like a maniac. I’m even planning on going to grad school to become a nurse practitioner in neurology to help others that are in constant pain just like I was.”

5 more new migraine treatments

Beyond occipital nerve stimulation, here are five innovative and new migraine treatments available that could help treat your pain.

1. Radiology treatment

A special treatment called intranasal sphenopalatine ganglion is effective enough to reduce the amount of medication migraine patients need to find pain relief, according to research from the Society of Interventional Radiology.

Patients in the study reported a 36% reduction in pain. 88% of study participants said they needed less medication or none at all after receiving the investigational treatment.

The procedure involves administering lidocaine through the nasal passage to the sphenopalatine ganglion. This is a bundle of nerves linked to migraines. Needles do not actually touch the patient during the procedure, making it minimally invasive. Lead researcher Dr. Kenneth Mandato says:

“Administration of lidocaine to the sphenopalatine ganglion acts as a ‘reset button’ for the brain’s migraine circuitry.”

Although the lidocaine ultimately wears off, the procedure seems to deactivate, or at least dampen, the neurological trigger that causes migraines. The procedure is relatively new and untested. However, researchers are hopeful that patients can receive the treatment repeatedly because it’s so minimally invasive.

The treatment isn’t a cure, scientists say, but one more tool in the arsenal against migraine pain. More studies are planned to further quantify the benefits and analyze the long-term benefits of these new migraine treatments.

2. Cosmetic surgery techniques

A technique used in cosmetic eye surgery holds promise for helping migraine sufferers find relief, according to research completed at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center.

The technique, which involves using an endoscope to travel from the scalp to the eyelid, involves decompressing nerves implicated in triggering migraines. The study found more than 90% of patients felt relief from pain, and slightly more than half of all patients said their migraines completely disappeared. An additional 20% saw an 80% reduction in pain, making this study a huge success story in migraine treatment news.

Not all patients are eligible for the procedure. Factors that would inhibit a patient’s eligibility include individual anatomy, but some doctors aren’t experienced enough with endoscopes to successfully complete the procedure. Study surgeon Dr. Oren Tessler says:

“Although larger studies are needed, we have shown that we can restore these patients to full and productive lives.”

3. Magnet technology

The idea that magnets could potentially be used to treat migraines has been around for decades, but until now, researchers haven’t been able to identify a treatment method using magnetic principles.

In April 2015, Baltimore-based eNerua Inc., announced an infusion of $15 million in capital to release to market a device that soothes migraines by sending magnetic pulses into the brain, reports the Baltimore Sun.

The device, called SpringTMS, works through a coil placed on the scalp from which magnetic waves emanate, similar to a MRI machine. The idea is that the magnetic waves penetrate the skull and travel into the brain where they interfere with electrical impulses contributing to the development of migraines.

The device is convenient in that it can be used at home. To use, patients turn it on with a simple button and place the machine against the backs of their heads when they feel a migraine developing. The treatment lasts less than a minute and offers rapid relief.

The device has already received Food and Drug Administration approval, however it’s only available right now through clinical trials. Monthly treatments cost around $250. The recent influx of capital will pay for additional testing to determine whether the device can prevent headaches instead of just stopping existing ones.

The money will also pay for the product launch, reports the Baltimore Sun. SpringTMS will first be targeted to patients for whom other treatments haven’t worked or who can’t take medication, in case of pregnancy, for example.

4. Social media therapy

It may sound far-fetched, but researchers have found patients experiencing migraines who tweet their feelings experience reduced pain.

University of Michigan researchers analyzed 21,751 tweets from people suffering from a migraine attack and found venting on the social media platform helped them feel better. Researchers say the parts of the brain related to emotion and thinking are also involved in pain perception, which contributed to the decreased feelings of pain.

It may not work, but new migraine treatments are focused on finding any way to prevent or relieve pain.

5. Talk therapy

Talk therapy, also known as cognitive behavioral therapy, is mostly known for its ability to help people resolve emotional pain. It’s not a new practice, but it is one of the most exciting new migraine treatments.

Recent research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that it may also be effective for reducing the frequency of chronic migraine episodes in children and adolescents.

The news gave patients hope because there aren’t any approved medications for young people with chronic migraines, limiting treatment options. Patients are considered to have chronic migraines when they have 15 or more migraine episodes each month.

Study participants were divided into two groups. One group received therapy, learning ways to cope with pain in addition to learning biofeedback techniques. The second group participated in a headache education session.

After a year, 86% of patients receiving therapy said the number of migraine days they experienced was cut by at least half. Researchers said the strong data was encouraging, and recommended that cognitive behavioral therapy be offered to young people with chronic migraines as a front-line therapy to complement medicine.

Other research conducted at Ohio University has found that therapy increases the confidence of adult migraine sufferers as they work to self-manage pain. The effect was most dramatic for those who enter therapy without much confidence. This makes therapy an effective way to reach the people who need it most. Science Daily reports:

“Behavioral management also increased participants’ belief that migraines can be influenced by one’s own behavior and decreased the belief that migraines are primarily influenced by chance or fate.”

What new migraine treatments have you found most effective for treating your migraines? Ready to talk to a pain specialist to see how new migraine treatments could help you? Click here to get started. 

Migraine infographic

Want even more? Check out our infographic that covers the top ten facts about migraines.

Everybody experiences stress—it’s a natural physical reaction and can sometimes be beneficial—but long-term, chronic stress significantly impacts a person’s health and can lead to serious health consequences. Can stress cause headaches then? Absolutely.

How can stress cause headaches? 

Stress is a fight-or-flight reaction triggered by situations the mind considers threatening or beyond its control. Instinctually, stress came in handy when humans lived in caves and killed bears for dinner. The physical effects of the reaction helped a person gather energy and run to safety.

Today, however, most people don’t encounter existential threats on a regular basis. Instead of killing wild animals for dinner, we buy food from the grocery store. Stress triggers have evolved from our hunting and gathering days, and now consist of things like chronic health concerns, family conflicts, and office politics.

The difference between historic stressors and these new ones is that while the bear eventually disappeared, work, family, and health concerns don’t. Because of this, many people live their entire lives while inundated with chronic stress. This can lead to significant health problems.

Stress affects the body on a biological level

When we think of how can stress cause headaches, we have to first look at the body on a biological level. On the most basic level, the stress response begins in the brain, which triggers the release of an adrenaline hormone known as epinephrine, which increases heartbeat, pulse, and blood pressure.

Over time, chronic stress may result in high blood pressure, and mood disorders like anxiety and depression. Some people may also develop addictions to drugs or alcohol in an effort to cope with stress, according to Harvard Health. People may turn to food to cope with the tension, stop exercising, or have difficulty sleeping. These side issues may lead to obesity or other health problems.

Stress and pain are intricately linked

The increased levels of adrenaline stress brings may seem on a cursory level to help a person feel less pain, but research conducted by the American Friends of Tel Aviv University found that all types of stress—acute and chronic—actually intensified feelings of pain.

Scientists studied 29 males and found a link between stronger reactions to stress and greater suffering from pain. Chronic stress has an even greater impact on physical health than acute stress, researchers said, but the study proves that any kind of stress has an impact on pain. Study author Ruth Defrin says:

“While there is no way to predict the type of stress we will feel under different circumstances, it is advisable to do everything in our power—adopt relaxation and stress reduction techniques as well as therapy—to reduce the amount of stress in our lives.”

Can stress cause headaches?

Stress is one of the top triggers for headaches, with even short periods of tension potentially causing your head to pound. Long-term stress sometimes leads to more serious concerns, such as chronic headaches, cluster headaches, or migraines.

Headaches may feel like your brain is literally pounding, but the brain doesn’t have any pain receptors, which means the pain comes from some other place. Those places include blood vessels, nerves, sinuses, or subcutaneous tissue that sustain damage or become inflamed. The brain processes signals from nerves sending messages of damage or inflammation, and the brain believes the damage is coming from inside itself, leading to the sensation of pain.

The stress response and the natural chemicals it releases such as cortisol result in tensed muscles and inflammation, which in turn can cause a headache. Different people experience different types of headaches, but establishing effective ways of managing stress is an effective way to limit their occurrence, no matter which type you suffer from.

Can stress cause migraines? 

Migraines are a particularly vicious type of headache that is unfortunately common, affecting more than 10% of the U.S. population, including adults and children, according to the Migraine Research Foundation.

Migraines often run in families, and children of migraine sufferers face a 40% chance of developing the attacks. This may be because of a genetic link, but it could also have something to do with learned behaviors. Anxiety, which is closely linked to stress, is contagious and easily passed from parents to children in learned behaviors, according to research published in The American Journal of Psychiatry. The journal’s editor, Professor Robert Freedman, says the anxiety was passed on purely through behavior and not due to genetics.

This means that parents who respond to uncertainty with stress teach their children to respond in similar ways. Fortunately, these ways of thinking are changed through treatments like cognitive behavioral therapy or practices like meditation.

Other health effects of stress

When we ask, can stress cause headaches, we typically look at only the direct correlation between the two. However, since stress impacts other parts of the body, this damage or inflammation can in turn create unhealthier patterns or behaviors, which can again, cause headaches. As all pain doctors know, the body and mind are connected in complex ways. We’ll look at just a few other ways stress can affect the body and then, most importantly, ways to reduce stress to reduce pain.

Chronic stress hurts the cardiovascular system

By now, it’s well known that stress impacts heart health. The tension can lead to strokes and heart attacks, and researchers are diving into the mechanisms underlying this connection.

Scientists believe stress increases the risk of these health concerns because of the inflammation-causing chemicals released during the fight-or-flight response, according to research published in Biological Psychiatry. To investigate how this happens in the body, scientists studied the brain activity of adults while the subjects were shown unpleasant pictures.

Researchers found that adults whose brains were more actively working to counteract the effects of stress were also more likely to have increased blood levels of inflammatory chemicals. Learning to regulate the stress response could help keep the heart healthy and reduce inflammation. Biological Psychiatry editor Dr. John Krystal says:

“As we identify the key mechanisms linking brain and body, we may be able to also break the cycle through which stress and depression impair physical health.”

Chronic stress could affect your diet

Stress may even amplify the risks of eating foods high in fat and sugar, according to research conducted at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). Researchers found that stressed people with unhealthy diets are more likely to develop health problems than non-stressed people who eat the same diet. Lead study author Kirstin Aschbacher says:

“Many people think a calorie is a calorie, but this study suggests that two women who eat the same thing could have different metabolic responses based on their level of stress.”

Chronic stress, the UCSF research says, increases the risk of metabolic syndrome, which refers to a slew of factors including high blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels, in addition to excess stomach fat. Metabolic syndrome is related to obesity and increases the risk of diabetes, stroke, and heart disease.

The study suggests that chronic stress may have an even greater impact on health than diet alone. Many headache conditions, such as migraine, are tied to food triggers. These changes could have a direct effect on the amount, duration, and severity of your headaches.

Stress less, live longer

Chronic stress may even decrease a person’s longevity, according to Oregon State University research that compared the impacts of stress from daily annoyances like traffic and work to serious life events, like losing a loved one. The study focused on older men. Researchers found that either type of stress could shorten a man’s life, but more important than the type of stress experienced was how a person reacted to it. Researcher Carolyn Aldwin says:

“It’s not the number of hassles that does you in, it’s the perception of them being a big deal that causes problems…Taking things in stride may protect you.”

Chronic stress impacts other emotions

Have you ever arrived home after spending an hour in traffic only to have a minor annoyance at home set you off? That’s because stress makes people grouchy, and a study published in Nature Communications has learned why.

Chronic stress eats away at a brain mechanism important for social skills and healthy cognition. It does this by affecting pathways in the hippocampus, a portion of the brain involved in memory, learning, and emotion, literally interfering with healthy responses. Interestingly, these affected pathways are the same ones involved in neurodegenerative diseases like epilepsy. Researchers plan to explore stress’ potential impact on those diseases as well.

Try these stress-reduction techniques, depending on your headache type 

Can stress cause headaches? Absolutely. But more importantly, are there things you can do right now to reduce headache pain? Also, yes. Reducing stress to stop pain from developing in the first place is often an effective form of treatment for people suffering from head pain. Targeting specific stress-reduction techniques based on your type of headache is an even more powerful approach.

1. Tension headaches

Tensed muscles may result in a common type of headache known as a tension headache or informally as stress headaches. These headaches are characterized by a feeling of pressure surrounding the head, and they may last anywhere from less than an hour to several days. And while many people may experience an occasional tension headache, prolonged stress can result in chronic tension headaches, which are defined as those occurring for more than 15 days on any given month.

To reduce tension headaches, try to reduce stress through methods such as meditation, exercise, and a good sleep routine. If your schedule feels overwhelming, look it over and consider prioritizing items, leaving some things undone, delegating, or simply telling someone, “I’m sorry, but I don’t have the time to help you.”

Tension headaches are often caused by environmental stress, like excessive work demands, and reducing this stress could require changes in how you handle work. If you’re having difficulty identifying ways to reduce stress, consider counseling sessions to help you better manage time, prevent overload, and manage others’ expectations.

2. Chronic progressive headaches

This type of headache is not very common, accounting for fewer than 5% of all adult headaches, but for those who experience the pain, it greatly impacts life. Just as the name implies, these headaches are chronic, which means they occur frequently, but they’re also progressive, which means the pain worsens over time.

These headaches are linked to inflammation, according to WebMD, which is exacerbated or caused by stress. Limiting stress could help reduce the progression of chronic progressive headaches.

Simple, daily practices like meditating in the morning, exercising, and establishing regular sleep cycles can be effective for managing this type of chronic headache.

3. Cluster headaches

Cluster headaches develop in groups, one right after the other within the span of a day. They’re also closely linked to the seasons, with people typically experiencing them for one season of the year, with the specific season different for everybody. Cluster headache patients then live free from headaches during the rest of the year.

Cluster headaches are little understood, but stress is believed to play a role. The condition is also likely related to changes in the body’s natural clock, the circadian rhythm. Stress-reduction techniques such as establishing a regular sleeping schedule are helpful for reducing pain from cluster headaches.

4. Migraines

Through mindfulness or changing thought patterns, people of any age can learn to approach situations with a calm mind and the idea that they are capable of handling whatever comes their way. This approach reduces stress, which could in turn reduce migraines and other headaches.

And while tension headaches are often related to environmental stress, emotional stress is a common trigger for migraines, according to the Cleveland Clinic. People with migraines are frequently more emotionally reactive than the general population and more vulnerable to experiencing stress from life events.

Another difference between migraines and tension headaches when it comes to stress is that while tension headaches may develop during or immediately after a stressful event, the onset of a migraine is a little more delayed, researchers at Montefiore Medical Center have found. Stress experienced one day increased subjects’ likelihood of developing a migraine the following day. It’s as if subjects’ bodies and minds were geared to make it through the time of stress, but then their bodies reacted during the stress let-down and a migraine developed.

Researchers encouraged migraine sufferers to regularly participate in stress-reduction activities like exercising, taking a yoga class, or simply focusing on the breath for a few moments. These practices limit the effect of cortisol, the stress hormone released by the fight-or-flight response that also results in inflammation and muscle tension.

Study co-author Dr. Dawn Buse says:

“It is important for people to be aware of rising stress levels and attempt to relax during periods of stress rather than allowing a major build-up to occur.”

To learn more about preventing migraine pain, check out the video below..

Living with headaches

Can stress cause headaches? Yes. And you also have some power to change that. By incorporating these stress-reduction techniques into your life, you can reduce the amount, severity, and duration of headaches.

However, if headaches continue to impact your quality of life even after incorporating these techniques, it may be time to talk to a pain doctor. They can help you diagnose the cause of your headaches and suggest other therapies that can help you reduce pain. Find a pain doctor in your area today by clicking here.

More and more research is being conducted that analyzes the effects of childhood trauma on adult health. Childhood trauma is defined as a life event that threatens the safety of the child or their caregivers. It can either be acute or chronic in nature. Typical symptoms from a traumatic event include reduced ability to concentrate, trouble sleeping, withdrawal, anger, and some severe psychiatric conditions like PTSD, depression, and anxiety. Recent studies are also beginning to show that children take away other long-lasting mental effects from these situations as well, such as migraine symptoms that can develop in adulthood.

Can migraine symptoms be linked to childhood trauma?

Trauma can come in many different forms, such as intentional trauma that includes physical and sexual abuse or domestic violence, as well as coming from an external event such as natural disasters, illness, and car accidents. Trauma tends to be unique to the individual, so it is not always easy to identify, especially between age groups and in children who have difficulty expressing emotions or thoughts.

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human services, 679,000 children were victims of abuse and neglect in 2013. These traumas often lead to the victim of childhood abuse developing certain psychological conditions like harming others or themselves, which can last well into adulthood if not treated properly. We are also finding links between these childhood traumas and the likelihood of developing migraine symptoms into adulthood as well.

Research from the Adverse Childhood Experiences study 

The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) study included 17,337 adult members from the Kaiser Health plan in San Diego, CA. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the effect of eight separate adverse childhood experiences and what cumulative effect they had on adulthood migraines. The eight categories used were abuse (emotional, physical, sexual), witnessing domestic violence, growing up with mentally ill, substance abusing, or criminal household members, and parental separation or divorce.

The results of this study showed that each ACE increased the prevalence and risk of frequent headaches in adulthood. The risk of migraines became two-fold once five separate ACEs were present, compared with patients who had zero ACEs.

In a recent study conducted at the University of Toronto, it was discovered that three distinct childhood traumas greatly increased the chance of developing migraine symptoms as an adult. In fact, the more traumas the child was exposed to, the greater the chance of migraine later in life. There was a sample size of 12,638 women and 10,358 men aged 18 and over. Sarah Brennenstuhl, PhD and co-author of this study said:

“We found the more types of violence the individual had been exposed to during their childhood, the greater the odds of migraine. For those who reported all three types of adversities–parental domestic violence, childhood physical and sexual abuse–the odds of migraine were a little over three times higher for men and just under three times higher for women.”

The study goes on to show that witnessing domestic violence was by far the greatest link to developing migraine symptoms. It was shown that girls who saw parental domestic abuse were 64% more likely to have migraines as an adult, while boys were at an increased chance of 52%.

Research from the American Academy of Neurology

Research conducted by the American Academy of Neurology was also recently released that also showed the huge impact of childhood traumas with migraine development. The study included 14,484 people aged 24 to 32, of which 14% reported being diagnosed with migraines. Emotional abuse was assessed by asking, “How often did a parent or other adult caregiver say things that really hurt your feelings or made you feel like you were not wanted or loved?”

According to this study, people who were emotionally abused were 32% more likely to have migraines than those were never abused. While this study does not show cause and effect directly, it does provide a strong likelihood of a connection. Author Gretchen Tietjen, MD, from the University of Toledo stated:

“Emotional abuse showed the strongest link to increased risk of migraine. Childhood abuse can have long-lasting effects on health and well-being.”

What to expect from a migraine

Migraine is a disease that can commonly be found all across the world. It generally starts to occur in childhood or early adulthood and is often a chronic condition. In many cases, migraines can progress through four distinct stages, which are prodromal, aura, headache attack, and post-dromal.

Prodromal is a series of symptoms that happen before a migraine starts. It can include some or all of certain symptoms. Not every migraine sufferer will experience this stage, though. These symptoms include certain food cravings, increased thirst and urination, constipation, mood changes, or neck pain.

Aura may occur right before or during a migraine attack. Most people who suffer from migraines do not experience auras. The symptoms for this stage include visual disturbances such as flashes of light and blurred vision. It can also include weakening of the muscles, vision loss, tingling sensation in the extremities, and difficulty speaking.

The actual migraine attack phase generally lasts 72 hours untreated. The frequency is unique to each individual and is usually accompanied by pain on one or both sides of the head, sensitivity to light and sound, nausea, and vomiting. Migraine pain also builds with time rather than presenting immediately as severe.

The final phase is right after a migraine attack finishes. Exhaustion is a common feeling in some, while others feel great relief and happiness. It is best to understand how migraines affect you so you can track your own patterns.

When to see a doctor 

It is always to good idea to see a doctor if these patterns change. You should also seek medical attention immediately if you experience the following:

• A migraine with a fever
• A headache after any head trauma
• Abrupt headache pain
• A headache with a stiff neck or seizures

Watch Nadine Harris’ TED Talk for more on the research linking childhood trauma to later health issues.

Migraines, the debilitating headaches that affect as much as 15% of the general population, do more than cause excruciating pain—they’ve also been linked to a slew of other health issues.

Migraine sufferers who experience auras, visual disturbances that sometimes signal an impending attack, are especially predisposed to these related conditions, according to Prevention magazine. Part of the risk may be related to the way migraines change the brain. The painful headache attacks kill brain cells and tissues, similar to what happens during old age, reports Prevention.

More migraines means more significant changes in brain structure and a correspondingly higher risk of developing another, related disease. Dr. Deborah Yurgelun-Todd tells Prevention:

“Individuals who have migraines are experiencing a neurobiological change that causes cells to die.”

Doctors attribute the loss in tissue to decreased blood flow to certain areas of the brain and emphasize the importance of tracking triggers like foods and stress to reduce migraine frequency.

Although migraine sufferers may at times feel powerless over reducing these painful attacks, the condition is often manageable through modifying lifestyle behaviors related to food and other triggers, and also reducing stress.

Stress reduction is a process and not an event, says WebMD, and everyday choices like learning how to relax, having realistic expectations, and engaging in problem solving can help reduce tension and the frequency of migraines.

Here are five health conditions that may develop as a result of migraines.

1. TMJ

TMJ is shorthand for the temporo mandibular joint, which is the joint linking the jaw and the skull. The official name for disorders involving this joint is temporo mandibular disorders (TMD), but most people refer to it as TMJ, reports WebMD.

TMJ is a painful condition often recognized by a clicking or popping sound when the jaw opens and closes. Symptoms of this condition include pain in the jaw area, but also potentially the neck and shoulders when you open your mouth, chew, or even speak. The jaw, because it doesn’t hinge properly, may also get stuck.

TMJ may trigger migraines because it overwhelms the trigeminal nerve system. This nerve system scans incoming sensations and decides how threatening they are to the body, responding in kind depending on severity. A taco chip rubbing against the roof of the mouth is different than a dentist’s tool, explains Migraine.com.

With TMJ, a person’s trigeminal nerve system becomes overwhelmed and tired, and it stops working properly. When tired, the nerve system overreacts, activating the migraine response through secreting natural chemicals that cause swelling and pain.

2. Carpal tunnel syndrome

This painful condition results when the median nerve, which runs through the carpal tunnel into the palm of the hand from the forearm, is squeezed or experiences ongoing pressure.

Common symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome include a burning or tingling pain, numbness, or weakness in the wrist or hand. Sometimes the pain or discomfort also radiates up the arm.

Causes of this pressure that results in pain include injury to the wrist, work stress, or rheumatoid arthritis, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

A strong link between migraines and carpal tunnel also exists, according to research from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. Researchers said the study results add credence to the benefit of nerve decompression surgery for migraines, which is a topic of medical debate.

People with carpal tunnel syndrome face double the risk of developing migraines, and people with migraines are more likely than the general population to develop carpal tunnel. Researchers aren’t sure why the link exists, but believe patients may have some common risk factor, either in the workings of the brain or the rest of the body. Shared risk factors for the two conditions include being female, obese, and a smoker.

3. Parkinson’s disease

This neurological disease is known for its telltale tremors, but the condition results from disturbances in the nervous system. The condition is progressive, which means it worsens with time.

Migraine patients may have an increased risk of developing Parkinson’s, according to research from the Maryland-based Uniformed Services University. The risk is especially dangerous for those patients experiencing migraines during middle age. Nearly 20% of migraine patients with auras were found to have Parkinson’s symptoms compared to 7.5% of those without headaches. Meanwhile, about 13% of migraine sufferers without auras were discovered to have symptoms of Parkinson’s.

While the disease cannot be cured, it’s not considered fatal. However, advanced stages can render patients unable to walk and care for themselves, according to the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation. There are medications available to manage symptoms.

4. Heart disease and stroke

Migraine patients, particularly those with auras, face an elevated risk of a cardiovascular event like heart disease or stroke, according to Prevention magazine. Migraines with auras carry up to a 400% increased risk of stroke, although this risk is general and not only present during a migraine attack, according to The Migraine Trust.

Some people worry that migraines are symptoms of strokes, but strokes are usually signified by face drooping, disturbances in speech, and arm weakness.

The surge in risk is connected to disruptions in blood flow. A stroke happens when part of the brain is cut off from its blood supply, and migraines also involve changes in blood flow to the brain. Using oral birth control and smoking further heighten the risk of stroke, and women who suffer from migraines with auras are advised against taking oral contraception.

Researchers aren’t sure why the two conditions are connected, but some experts believe people who see auras prior to migraines may also have problems with their cardiovascular systems, particularly related to blood clotting.

5. Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia and migraines have a few things in common: researchers aren’t 100% sure what causes either conditions and both disproportionately affect women. Research has also uncovered yet another link between the two: fibromyalgia, the disease of widespread pain, is more likely to develop in people with migraines, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center.

Although fibromyalgia is a little-understood disease, researchers attribute the link to disruptions in neurotransmitters like serotonin and adrenaline. Another culprit may be low magnesium levels.

Do you have any of these conditions in addition to migraines?

Image by mbtphoto (away a lot) via Flickr

“Pain is a disease,” says pediatrician and anesthesiologist Elliot Krane, who works at Stanford University’s Packard Children’s Hospital. Krane’s take is different from the prevailing mindset that pain is instead a symptom of another underlying condition.

In fact, about 10% of patients with serious conditions, such as cancer, infections, or problems requiring operations, experience persistent pain even after the condition subsides, Krane says during a TED talk explaining his philosophy. TED is a non-profit that hosts discussions and disseminates videos designed to engage discussion and spread interesting ideas.

The pain that’s independent of a causing disorder can last for years, and at that point, Krane says, it takes on a new identity as a separate disease.

Chronic pain can take on a life of its own, independent from any primary condition, expert says. This influences how we develop pain treatments. 

Consider the case of Chandler, a 16-year-old fledgling ballerina who sprained her wrist during practice. Instead of healing as usual sprains do, Chandler developed a condition called allodynia. Her nerves stopped working properly so that every touch to the arm, even the lightest sensation, resulted in “excruciating, burning pain,” Krane recalls.

Chandler’s arm developed an abnormal look to it, as well. The arm was cold and purple, and its muscles were frozen.

Allodynia is frequently linked to headache sufferers, with up to 80% of people with migraines experiencing the condition during an attack, according to the American Headache Society. The painful condition may also accompany fibromyalgia, according to Everyday Health.

In patients with allodynia, the nervous system’s wiring goes very wrong.

Krane draws an analogy between the nervous system and a building’s electrical wiring. Just as flipping a light switch in a home sends signals firing through wires in the wall, ultimately producing light, nerves in the body communicate through the brain’s neurotransmitters and adjacent cells to process sensory signals and, if directed, produce pain sensations.

Krane says:

“It’s almost as if somebody came into your home and rewired your walls so that the next time you turned on the light switch, the toilet flushed three doors down, or your dishwasher went on, or your computer monitor turned off. That’s crazy, but that’s in fact, what happens with chronic pain.”

The complexity of the misfiring is what leads to the development of chronic pain, Krane adds. “The nervous system has plasticity. It changes, and it morphs in response to stimuli,” he says.

In chronic pain, the very foundations of the nervous system go awry, making it difficult to create pain treatments that work against the root cause.

Pain treatments for chronic conditions currently feature a mix of painkillers—essentially dulling the nervous system so it’s not quite so active—however, a regimen of pills isn’t very effective for disorders like allodynia, Krane says.

Physical and occupational therapy can help work at the level of the nerves in the body, retraining them so they don’t overreact and cause unnecessary pain, and a robust psychotherapy program helps to mitigate the emotional side effects of living with chronic pain—namely depression, stress, and feelings of hopelessness.

Krane says that future medications to heal chronic pain will work at a more fundamental level, fixing the nervous system instead of merely subduing it. Rewiring the house instead of tripping the circuit breakers. One target of future drugs could be the glial cells, which Krane says hold much blame for causing pain.

Glial cells are found in the brain, where they comprise about 90% of the structure, and also the spinal cord. These cells were once thought to operate as a kind of glue, keeping important biological components together. However, scientists now understand that glial cells play a key role in pain perception and can distort incoming sensory experiences.

When a person perceives pain, the glial cells activate, making proteins that signal neighboring nerves to release neurotransmitters, which then enliven more glial cells, creating what Krane calls a “positive feedback loop.”

Future pain treatments will be able to target renegade glial cells or the proteins gone wild to stop the cells’ over-firing, bring sensory perception back to normal, and alleviate chronic pain at its source.

Future chronic pain treatments could work at the cellular level to stop pain before it starts. 

Allodynia isn’t the only condition that could be helped by pain treatments of the future. Israeli researchers discovered a drug that works to stop the body from spreading pain signals related to neuropathic pain.

Neuropathy may result from conditions such as cancer, diabetes, and lupus, but it is difficult to treat with traditional pain medications. The drug, BL-7050, quieted extreme activity of neurons by using cells’ potassium pathways, which are implicated in neuropathic pain. The medication is still in the research phase and is not yet available in the U.S.

The development of future medications relies on a deepening understanding of cellular pathways and learning how biological components, such as glial cells and potassium pathways, contribute to chronic pain.

Researchers also must work to understand how the brain responds to pain, according to research from the University of Adelaide. Just as the nervous system is able to change its functioning with allodynia, the brain also has the ability to change in structure and function. Brain changes are known as neuroplasticity, and the phenomenon is critical to humans’ ability to learn new things and remember events.

Researchers hope that understanding changes in brain structure could lead to new pain treatments to reverse the changes.

Researchers found people with chronic pain had brains less able to change than those without chronic pain. In other words, they had less neuroplasticity. Understanding more about why this happens could lead to new clues in the search for more effective chronic pain medications, scientists say.

Researcher Dr. Ann-Maree Vallence says patients living with chronic pain find it difficult to carry on with normal activities. She adds:

“It is therefore imperative that we understand the causes of chronic pain, not just attempt to treat the symptoms with medication.”

Insights from the study could eventually be used in research to uncover targeted, truly effective chronic pain treatments, including chronic tension headaches, says Vallence.

Want to learn more? Watch Elliot Krane’s eight-minute “The Mystery of Chronic Pain” TED talk now! 

Image by albastrica mititica via Flickr

By Ted Swing, Ph.D.

Herbal medicines have thousands of years of history in cultures around the world. Other types of supplemental medicines make use of naturally occurring chemicals and extracts. Today, these treatments re main widely used for a variety of conditions, including conditions causing chronic pain. These treatments are regarded by the US Food and Drug Administration as dietary supplements, rather than medical treatments, which can lead people to assume that these treatments have not been studied scientifically. In fact, many types of supplements have been studied as treatments for various medical conditions. Some of these ingredients have demonstrated considerable efficacy, even in the same sort of double-­‐blinded, randomized, placebo-­‐controlled trials that prescription medications are subjected to.

Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia is a condition of the central nervous system characterized by widespread pain and other symptoms such as fatigue and sleep disturbance. Fibromyalgia is frequently treated with antidepressant medications, as these have been found to reduce the severity of the pain. St. John’s Wort, a herbal supplement, has been found to act on similar receptors to antidepressant medications and have similar efficacy in treating depression, leading some doctors to believe this could be useful in treating pain conditions such as fibromyalgia as well.

As one of the symptoms of fibromyalgia is sleep disturbance, melatonin, a sleep-­‐regulating hormone found in humans and other animals, has been considered as a possible treatment the condition. A double-­‐blind placebo controlled trial of patients taking antidepressant medication for fibromyalgia assigned some patients to also take melatonin. Patients taking melatonin experienced a greater reduction in their fibromyalgia symptoms than those patients taking antidepressant medication alone.

One of chemicals that the body uses in the process of generating energy through metabolism, coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), tends to be lower in patients with fibromyalgia. An open label study found that supplementing patients with CoQ10 and Ginkgo biloba reduced their fibromyalgia symptoms. Another natural body compound, s-­‐adenosylmethionine (SAM-­‐e), was also found to have beneficial effects on fibromyalgia in a Danish randomized placebo-­‐controlled trial.

Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is a common degenerative condition of the joints that can cause chronic pain and impaired function. Several supplements have been studied for the treatment of osteoarthritis. A combination of glucosamine, found in bone marrow, and chondroitin, a component of cartilage, has been tested as a treatment for osteoarthritis in 15 studies. Overall, the results of these studies revealed a moderate to large effect i n relieving osteoarthritis symptoms. A double-­‐blind study compared the compound SAM-­‐e to an NSAID medication. This study found that, though it took longer for SAM-­‐e to take effect, it proved as effective as the NSAID medication.

At least two herbal supplements have also been studied for relief of osteoarthritis. The extract of a plant called boswellia serrata was also found to provide similar relief to an NSAID medication in a randomized, open label trial for the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee. Pine bark extract was also found to be more effective than placebo in relieving pain in another randomized, double-­‐blind study.

Migraine

Migraines are moderate to severe recurrent headaches often accompanied by other autonomic nervous system symptoms. A randomized, double-­‐blind, placebo controlled trial found that six months of supplementation with folic acid, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12 decreased both the frequency and severity of migraines. Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), a chemical naturally found in human cells, was found to reduce the frequency of headaches and nausea in another randomized, double-­‐blinded placebo controlled trial. The extract of petasites, commonly known as butterbur, was found to be more effective than placebo in preventing migraine in a randomized clinical trial.

Holistic Medicine

Holistic medicine is an approach to medicine that involves the use of conventional medications and procedures as well as alternative treatments. For example, alternative treatments might include herbal and supplemental treatments. The efficacy of some of these treatments has not been demonstrated, but as the studies mentioned here show, others have scientifically demonstrated value in treating certain medical conditions. If you are interested in learning more about supplements for pain conditions, you can speak with your health care provider or visit Holistic Pain (Holisticpain.com/) to learn more about this research.

Ted Swing has more than nine years of research experience and four years of teaching experience in psychology, has published in top psychology and medical journals, and has presented his research at major conferences. He received his Ph.D. in Social Psychology from Iowa State University and has been the Research Director at Arizona Pain since May 2012.