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.

Most of us have experienced a headache that seems like it will last forever. One that makes your head pound and puts you in a generally bad mood. While there are a lot of different kinds of headaches, most of us have experienced what is known as a tension headache. This type of headache is the most common and over half of all adults experienced one this last year. They affect as many as 80% of U.S. adults at some point in their lives, according to WebMD. Read on if you suffer from these headaches and are wondering how to get rid of a tension headache.

How to get rid of a tension headache, the basics 

According to the International Headache Society, tension headaches are generally a short-lived, infrequent incident. These types of headaches are known as episodic tension headaches and can last from anywhere between 30 minutes and seven days.

For those who develop frequent tension headaches, the episodes may bring more severe pain than those who experience them only occasionally. Some people—around 3% of the U.S. population—develop chronic tension headaches. The main difference between the two is that chronic headaches are recurring and happen more than 15 days out of a month for three or more months. The pain and severity of this kind of headache also tends to wax and wane rather than being at a constant level.

Both episodic tension headaches and chronic cases occur more frequently in women than in men. Learn more about tension headaches in the video.

Tension headache symptoms

Tension headaches can feel like a band is squeezing the head, or bring sensations of tightness or pressure around the forehead or back of the neck and head. Other tension headache symptoms include:

• Aching pain in the head, but not localized
• Tenderness or pain in the scalp, neck, and shoulders
• A constant vice-like feeling of pressure acrossthe face or sides of the head

Tension headaches, even at their most severe, are often not incapacitating. However, there are certain signs that, if detected, should be warning signs that medical help is advisable. Seek help immediately if your headache:

• Is sudden and painful
• Coincides with a fever, numbness, vision issues, or speaking difficulties
• Happens after a head injury

Sometimes tension headaches can be confused with migraines, however, tension headaches do not cause visual disturbances, nausea, or vomiting and very rarely do they cause sensitivity to light or sound.

Why do tension headaches develop?

Knowing the causes of these headaches can often be the first step for how to get rid of a tension headache.

The exact cause of tension headaches remains a mystery. Experts have brought forth many theories, although none have been proven. The most common belief today is that these headaches stem from a heightened pain and stress response.

Just as the name implies, tension headaches often develop when excess tension, in the form of tight muscles, develops in the back of the neck or scalp. This muscle tightness may result from:

• Stress
• Anxiety
• Exhaustion
• Inadequate sleep
• Poor posture
• Depression
• Alcohol
• Smoking
• Overexertion
• Keeping your head in one position for a long period of time

Stress

Stress is one of the top causes of tension headaches. Problems at home, school, or work, life changes like starting or losing a job, or even personal issues like being a perfectionist or feeling lonely can weigh you down and create the muscle tension that contributes to tension headaches.

One-off headaches may result from short-term periods of stress, but longer, unabated times of stress could also cause chronic tension headaches.

Weak muscles 

Although stress plays a large role in the development of these headaches, new research has revealed that weak neck and shoulder muscles may also play a role.

Danish researchers compared healthy adults to those with tension headaches and found the headache-prone group’s neck and shoulder muscles were 26% weaker than the pain-free study subjects.

The headache patients also experienced muscle imbalances in those muscles responsible for keeping the head straight. Researchers said fully understanding tension headaches, along with any underlying skeletal imbalances that fuel the episodes, is essential for successfully treating the headaches without prescription drugs.

People with headaches were also more likely to have muscle imbalances that made their heads more likely to lean forward. Study author Bjarne K. Madsen tells Reuters:

“The use of computers, laptops, and tablets have increased in recent years and this may increase the time sitting with a protruded head posture.”

Looking more closely at the data, researchers said people who report tension headaches often work in occupations requiring them to lean forward, such as dental hygienists or construction workers.

Tension headache patients often report neck tenderness, which has in the past mystified researchers. Emerging studies, however, show an increasingly strong link connecting muscle strength, skeletal health, and tension headaches, which could explain the tenderness, doctors say. Dr. Merle Diamond tells Reuters:

“If you do a repetitive motion or you’re lifting things, you’re going to build certain muscles and not others.”

How to get rid of a tension headache: Prevention and treatment

The goal in treating tension headaches is to eliminate the symptoms immediately and to prevent headaches from occurring again in the future. Tension headaches are never a fun experience, but luckily, there are some easy lifestyle changes and simple treatments you can use to reduce pain and limit future episodes.

1. Heat and cold therapy

This treatment depends on the person, so use whichever works best for you. For heat, try a hot shower or use a heating pad on the back of your neck to loosen your muscles. You can also use a warm towel or water bottle in a pinch. For cold therapy, use a cold compress or wrap some ice in a towel. Apply directly to the aching area, such as your neck or forehead.

2. Relaxation techniques

Try some quick breathing and mental imagery exercises to help lower your stress level and relax your muscles. Take a few deep breaths and try to reset your neck and shoulders to a neutral position. Picturing a calm landscape or your favorite place can also help.

3. Massage

It is believed that tension headaches come from clenched muscles in the scalp, neck, and shoulders. Massage is one of the most enjoyable ways for how to get rid of a tension headache. It can help relieve tension and reduce overall pain. Try having someone gently rub these areas or do it yourself. Make sure not to be too rough with the massage and rest and repeat as needed.

4. Stretches

Holding your head in one position, like using a computer, can cause a lot of tension to build up. A great way to relieve this pain is to exercise neck and shoulder muscles. Chin retraction is a quick exercise you can do anywhere that will help loosen your neck. Extend your neck and head away from your body keeping your chin parallel with the floor. Then move your head and neck back to a neutral position with your spine.

5. Eat and drink

Sometimes headaches can be caused by dehydration or lack of food. Try drinking some water and a eating a healthy snack as this may help. Make sure to avoid alcohol and caffeine when your headache strikes, as these will only dehydrate you more.

6. Self-tracking

One of the most powerful tools in your arsenal for how to get rid of a tension headache should be a journal chronicling your days. Recording daily activities can help you identify patterns and triggers that you were previously unaware of. In this way, you can then make other lifestyle changes to avoid triggers and greatly reduce the number of headaches that you get.

7. Physical therapy 

To remedy any muscle imbalance, as discussed previously, one option is to strengthen the core muscles that support the entire body. Adding that core strength can be “trendy,” but it works. Diamond, the scientist mentioned in the previous article, recommends working with a physical therapist who will evaluate any existing muscle imbalances and recommend specific, customized exercises to fix them.

8. DIY strength training exercises

Experimenting with strength training or changing lifestyle factors that cause stress and tight muscles can help patients limit the amount of medications they need to stop their pain. Strength training can:

• Loosen tense muscles
• Increase muscle strength
• Improve blood flow

Results should take about a month to become apparent. Researchers said patients not experiencing any benefit after four weeks probably aren’t good candidates for the treatment. To improve core strength yourself, you can try these exercises to prevent future tension headache episodes.

Plank pose

A good overall core building exercise that improves posture is plank pose, which resembles the top of a push-up. Support the body firmly with wrists under the shoulders, fingers spread wide, and weight evenly distributed throughout the hand, careful to avoid dumping weight into the wrists. Toes are tucked under and the body slants down in one straight, long line, with the abdomen and upper back muscles engaged. Hold for 30 seconds before resting for a few seconds. Repeat three times.

Resistance band workouts 

Danish researchers have found that strength training with resistance bands is also helpful for reducing tension headaches. Just two minutes a day was found to provide a benefit after about a month of training, reports ScienceNordic. Slightly better results were found for patients exercising with the bands 12 minutes each day.

One exercise to try with resistance bands is to stand in the middle of the band while holding one end in each hand. Lift the arms up parallel to the ground and then slowly return the arms to the side. Repeat five to ten times, making sure the band is short enough to provide resistance.

Another exercise involves holding an end in each hand, but wrapping the band around the handles to shorten it. Join the hands together at the center of the chest and then open the arms outward as if preparing to give a hug. Bring the hands back to center and repeat five to ten times.

9. Posture ergonomics

To improve overall posture, try to keep any electronic devices like phones or tablets at eye level so the back and neck stay at a healthy, natural position. Computer monitors should also be kept at eye level. Try to take regular breaks and stretch the neck and shoulders to break up any accumulating muscle tension.

10. Medication

Over-the-counter medication such as ibuprofen and acetaminophen can be a very effective and simple route for how to get rid of a tension headache. As long as taken as directed, it can be a fantastic tool when used in combination with other techniques. Although, it should be noted, that using this kind of medication more than three days a week can cause what is known as a rebound headache.

It is a good idea to consult with your doctor if you are constantly needing to manage your condition with OTC medications. Overuse can lead to liver damage and other complications. A medical professional can also provide you with other medications such as muscle relaxants and narcotic pain relievers if your condition is severe or if you develop chronic tension headaches.

11. Interventional treatments

If these other options haven’t worked to help relieve your tension headaches, it may be time to talk to a pain doctor who is specialized in treating this condition. Most doctors will encourage you to look towards natural or at-home treatment options for reducing tension headache pain. For more chronic tension headaches that haven’t responded to other treatments, however, your pain pain doctor may recommend nerve blocks, which are injections that deaden painful nerve impulses. They also may recommend other options depending on the source and intensity of your pain.

If you’re stuck wondering how to get rid of a tension headache that just won’t go away, it may be time to talk to a pain doctor. They can talk about interventional or more advanced treatment options that could help in your case.

Contact one of our offices today for more information about treatment options for chronic or severe tension headache pain.

Head pain—headache and facial pain included—is some of the most debilitating pain a person can experience. There are a variety of causes of this type of pain, but one of them in particular can be difficult to properly diagnose. What is occipital neuralgia? Here’s what you need to know about this serious pain condition.

What is occipital neuralgia?

Occipital neuralgia is a type of head and facial pain that originates in the occipital nerve. Your occipital nerve is actually a group of three nerves that originates from the cervical spine (the neck).

They include the:

• Greater occipital nerve (GON): Innervates the back of the scalp, the ear, and a portion of the skin
• Lesser (small) occipital nerve (LON): Has three divisions (auricular, mastoid, and occipital branches) that innervate the head behind the ear and where the ear attaches to the head
• Third (least) occipital nerve (TON): Runs on either side of the cervical vertebrae and innervates the back of the head

Occipital neuralgia is the pain condition that results when these nerves are damaged or compressed. This damage or compression may occur to the nerve itself, or it may be a result of other injuries that involves nearby nerves. For example, injuries to the neck and shoulders can lead to occipital neuralgia.

What causes occipital neuralgia?

Occipital neuralgia causes can all be traced back to irritation or inflammation of the occipital nerves. And, while this condition itself is not a life-threatening condition, the pain of it can make daily life incredibly challenging.

But what causes this irritation? These are some of the more common causes.

Whiplash

Whiplash is a traumatic injury in which the head and neck is thrust forward until it reaches the end of its range of motion before snapping violently back. This motion can cause severe injury to the tendons, ligaments, and muscles of the neck.

This is one of the most common causes of occipital neuralgia.

Injury to the head and neck

Any injury other than whiplash can cause damage to the occipital nerve and result in occipital neuralgia.

This may occur during a fall or an injury while playing sports.

Stiff neck muscles

Stiff neck muscles may be the result of an ongoing forward head position.

If you work in a job that has you staring at a screen or looking downwards on a regular basis, you may experience stiff neck muscles that begin to compress one or more occipital nerves.

Arthritis

All joints in the body are susceptible to arthritis, and the cervical spine is no different.

Inflammation due to wear and tear, or due to autoimmune conditions, can cause the characteristic pain of occipital neuralgia.

Gout

Gout is not a common cause of occipital neuralgia, but it can occur.

It’s is a type of arthritis that occurs when uric acid collects in the joints. This collection can cause inflammation and pain.

Diabetes

Those with diabetes are at an increased risk of headaches and head pain related to damage to their vascular system.

This is because poorly controlled diabetes can result in highly variable blood sugar that damages veins. Although diabetic pain is usually confined to the lower extremities, it can occur in the form of occipital neuralgia as well.

Inflamed blood vessels

This is not a common cause of occipital neuralgia, but it can occur.

Inflamed blood vessels anywhere on the neck or scalp can press on the occipital nerve, causing symptoms.

Tumors and infections

Tumors along the neck and spine or infections in that same region may result in nerve compression or inflammation along the muscles of the neck and shoulders. These two causes of occipital neuralgia are rare.

Do I have occipital neuralgia?

Now that we’ve answered the question “what is occipital neuralgia?” it’s time to look at who is most at risk for developing this condition.

Common risk factors for occipital neuralgia include those with a history of:

• Infection of muscles and nerves in the neck, shoulders, and upper back
• Trauma to the neck or head (e.g., car accident)
• Cervical osteoarthritis (osteoarthritis in the neck)

Further, it’s important to recognize occipital neuralgia symptoms for the best chance of treatment success. By getting treatment early, you can help reduce worsening of symptoms.

Occipital neuralgia symptoms

The most common occipital neuralgia symptoms include:

• Pain: Pain can be sudden, severe, and sharp. It can occur behind the eye, at the base of the head, and on one side of the head. This pain can have a variety of qualities. Most patients describe it as sharp and sudden. Pain can also radiate towards the face as the condition worsens.
• Sensitivity: Sensitivity to all forms of stimulation is common. This includes sensitivity to light and touch. Tenderness to touch is usually felt directly over the involved nerve. Simple acts like brushing your hair can become excruciating.
• Issues with balance, coordination, and speech: Dizziness and vertigo are troubling symptoms that make daily life harder. Blurry vision contributes to difficulties with balance as well. Slurred speech is one of the more troubling symptoms. When combined with balance issues, it can resemble the aftermath of a stroke.
• Nausea and vomiting: It makes sense that dizziness and vertigo can lead to nearly constant nausea and, in some severe cases, vomiting.
• Tightness in the neck: Increasing tightness in the neck (with or without pain) might be the first symptom of occipital neuralgia. It can occur gradually or come on suddenly after an injury, almost like a muscle spasm.
• Dental pain: The occipital nerve innervates the area around the ear. As with ear infection, patients with occipital neuralgia may feel pain in their back teeth.

These symptoms alone can indicate other conditions, but together they provide the landmarks for an occipital neuralgia diagnosis.

Diagnosing occipital neuralgia

Some occipital neuralgia symptoms are similar to migraine symptoms. This in and of itself makes diagnosing occipital neuralgia quite challenging. There is no singular test that diagnoses this condition, so your doctor will proceed with a standard course of testing to eliminate some conditions and begin to narrow down the possibilities.

These tests may include:

• Physical examination
• Neurological testing
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
• Computed tomography scan (CT or CAT scan)

Occipital nerve blocks are also used as not only a treatment (see below) but also as a diagnostic tool. If a block in the occipital nerve relieves your pain, it can help confirm the diagnosis.

How do you treat occipital neuralgia?

Occipital neuralgia treatments aim at reducing symptoms while treating underlying causes of pain as well. As everyone’s pain (and situation) is different, not everyone will find relief with every treatment.

The best course of action is to work closely with your pain specialist to find a comprehensive treatment plan that addresses the physical and mental side effects of occipital neuralgia. These are the most common occipital neuralgia treatment options.

Keep in mind that many of these options can and should be combined for best results. For example, your doctor may prescribe medications or interventional treatments for acute pain management and then put you on a therapy regimen to manage your pain long-term.

1. Change your diet

Just changing your diet will not fix the issues causing your occipital neuralgia, but it can provide support. Anti-inflammatory diets help the body reduce inflammation, which can relieve pain.

2. Work on stress relief

Chronic stress is a chronic problem that can lead to tight shoulders and neck and, yes, occipital neuralgia. Stress-relieving meditation (mindfulness meditation or sleep-improving yoga nidra) can help you release chronic stress.

3. Explore massage

If your skin is sensitive to touch, massaging the neck is a no-no. Massaging the upper back and shoulders, though, may be a good way to relax those tight muscles first to allow the neck to unclench.

4. Exercise

Hard-hitting, fast-paced exercise may be one option to relieve stress, but you may also want to explore slower, more meditative workouts like yoga and tai chi.

5. Attend physical therapy

Your physical therapist can prescribe specific exercise that strengthen the supporting muscles in your shoulder and neck. This can counteract the effects of years of slumping over a desk. They can also help release tension and tight muscles leading to pain.

6. Use over-the-counter medications

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen are an option for relieving pain and inflammation. Taken as directed, they may be the key to providing enough relief to attend physical therapy sessions or receive other treatments.

Topical over-the-counter medications and patches can also help.

7. Explore prescription medication

There are prescription medications that can help relieve the pain of severe occipital neuralgia. These include:

• Antidepressants
• Anti-convulsant medications
• Muscle relaxants

It is important to note that opioids are not indicated in the treatment of chronic pain.

8. Consider acupuncture

Acupuncturists place hair-thin needles at specific spots in the body to open energy channels and release pain-relieving endorphins.

Treatments are minimally invasive and are a great complementary treatment option.

9. Talk to a chiropractor

In cases where spinal misalignment is causing your pain, chiropractic care can help. Using manual techniques or special tools, a chiropractor can help restore balance in the spine.

10. Work on proper mechanical function

Mechanical function is the way in which you use your body and walk, sit, and otherwise move through the world. Improving your mechanical function through posture training and gait analysis can help.

Further, at work, make sure all of your office furniture is ergonomically supportive to help you maintain good mechanical function throughout your day.

11. Consider occipital nerve blocks

Occipital nerve blocks are a diagnostic tool that can also provide significant pain relief. A numbing agent and a steroid are injected into the affected nerve. This provides relief from both pain and inflammation, while also diagnosing the source of your pain.

12. Ask about radiofrequency ablation

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) uses heat to damage any affected nerves and relieve pain. This damage affects pain signaling, and the effects can last for months.

13. Look to Botox for relief

Some patients find that Botox relieves their occipital neuralgia symptoms. Used mostly for headaches and migraines, there is growing evidence that Botox may be helpful in treating head pain related to occipital neuralgia.

14. Investigate surgical options

Surgery is usually a last resort when more conservative treatments have been unsuccessful. If your pain is unrelieved and your daily life is being negatively impacted, talk to your doctor about specific procedures that might help.

Get help for occipital neuralgia

What is occipital neuralgia? It’s a complex pain condition that can be challenging to diagnose and treat, but there is help.

At Arizona Pain, we work with you to diagnose the cause of your pain and to help you get your life back. If you are struggling to find relief, get in touch today.

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.

Imagine a condition where brushing a stray hair off of your cheek causes excruciating and debilitating pain, pain that is unresponsive to pain medication and lasts long after the light touch has stopped. This is a brief glimpse into the mysterious pain of trigeminal neuralgia. Understanding what causes trigeminal neuralgia can lead to a proper diagnosis and successful treatment of pain. Here’s what you need to know.

What is trigeminal neuralgia?

Trigeminal neuralgia is a type of neuropathic (nerve related) pain that stems from the trigeminal nerve. This nerve has three branches that bring sensation to different parts of the face. These include:

1. Upper: Controls sensation in the eye, upper eyelid, and forehead
2. Medial: Sensation control in the lower eyelid, cheek, nostril, upper lip, and upper gum
3. Lower: Responsible for feeling in the jaw, lower lip, lower gum, and inside the mouth

Each branch originates between the end of the lower jawbone and the ear, right where the temporomandibular joint comes together. Trigeminal neuralgia pain is most often felt on one side of the face but can occur bilaterally (on both sides) as well.

Atypical trigeminal neuralgia includes a variety of other symptoms and may coincide with overlapping conditions, such as temporomandibular joint disorder.

An estimated 150,000 people in the U.S. receive a trigeminal neuralgia diagnosis each year. Commonly misdiagnosed as migraine, trigeminal neuralgia may, in fact, affect many more people than previously thought.

Do I have trigeminal neuralgia?

In the early stages of trigeminal neuralgia, trigeminal neuralgia symptoms may be sporadic and fleeting. Because there is no regularity to them, patients may not seek immediate treatment. Shooting pain and spontaneous pain not traced to a particular cause may be the first symptoms that occur. They may disappear as suddenly as they arrive, making a person believe the pain was caused by something episodic (e.g., a sudden movement or slight injury).

Other early trigeminal neuralgia symptoms may include:

• Ear pain
• Nausea
• Fatigue
• Sensitivity to light

These are similar to symptoms experienced by migraine sufferers and may lead to an incorrect diagnosis. When symptoms are treated as migraine pain, they will continue and worsen.

As symptoms get worse, patients may experience episodic pain. This occurs with increasing regularity as patients endure an intense period of pain followed by remission. As nerve damage worsens, so does the pain and periods of remission get shorter.

In some cases, patients begin to experience a constant ache or burning sensation. For patients who do not experience a constant dull ache, increasingly frequent attacks occur. This pain will be unresponsive to any type of pain medication and is uneven in its duration.

Symptoms are different in their onset, severity, and response to treatment from patient to patient due to the cause of the pain and any comorbid conditions that might complicate an accurate diagnosis.

What causes trigeminal neuralgia?

Trigeminal neuralgia is challenging to diagnose because no one thing causes pain 100% of the time in every patient. A potential cause in one person may not produce any pain in another.

However, here are some of the more common trigeminal neuralgia causes:

• Damage to the trigeminal nerve: Any kind of blow or injury to the jaw can potentially damage the trigeminal nerve. This damage can cause excruciating pain while the injury heals.
• Nerve compression: Nerve compression caused by a tumor or other mass of tissue is not the most common cause but does occur in some patients. Tumors can be benign and still press on the nerve, causing pain.
• Multiple sclerosis: Multiple sclerosis causes damage to the myelin sheath, the protective coating on the trigeminal nerve. Once this sheath is compromised or worn, exposing the nerve, pain can occur.
• Scleroderma: Scleroderma is a very rare chronic connective tissue disorder that is classified as an autoimmune condition. Among other symptoms, trigeminal pain can occur in later stages.
• Shingles (herpes zoster): Shingles is a viral infection of the nerves. Common symptoms include a raised, painful rash and, less typically, trigeminal neuralgia pain. Trigeminal pain generally occurs when the shingles rash in located near or on the head, face, or neck.
• Deformity in the arteries and veins: Tangled arteries and veins that become swollen with blood can compress the trigeminal nerve.

What are trigeminal neuralgia risk factors?

Age and gender are primary risk factors, as women over the age of 50 are most likely to develop this condition. Hypertension (high blood pressure) is also a risk factor, as is the occurrence of a stroke.

Excessive or improper dental work can cause neuropathic facial pain, as can surgery on the sinuses.

Finally, any blow or injury to the face (i.e., as a result of a contact sport injury) is a risk factor for trigeminal neuralgia.

What causes trigeminal neuralgia to flare up?

One of the most challenging aspects of trigeminal neuralgia is how sensitive the pain response becomes. Even the lightest stimulation of the painful area can produce lightning bolts of pain across the face.

Some common trigeminal neuralgia triggers include:

• Shaving
• Touching your face
• Eating
• Drinking
• Brushing your teeth
• Talking
• Putting on makeup
• A breeze on the face
• Rising or falling barometer
• Showering
• Smiling (or frowning)
• Increase in blood pressure
• Cold weather
• Drinking alcohol
• Stress
• Washing your face

Oral surgeries and even a regular dental cleaning can also be major triggers, causing some patients to neglect their oral health.

Based on this list of major pain triggers, it is easy to see how trigeminal neuralgia can become debilitating, make everyday life excruciatingly painful.

How to treat my pain

It is important to understand that traditional pain treatments are generally ineffective for this type of neuropathic pain. Why this is so is not well understood, but it is one of the main reasons that people suffering from trigeminal neuralgia can feel hopeless about treatment.

Proper diagnosis is key, however, and there are treatment options that can help you manage and reduce your symptoms.

Trigeminal neuralgia diagnosis

Due to the debilitating severity of pain and its accompanying symptoms, trigeminal neuralgia is sometimes referred to as the suicide disease. Patients who experience this condition have a higher rate of suicide and a greater risk of depression and anxiety. Getting a proper diagnosis is key to treating this disease, and it starts with a complete medical history, including identifying any risk factors.

Other conditions such as temporomandibular joint disorder, cluster headaches, migraine, and post herpetic neuralgia will be ruled out first. In some cases, an MRI looks for tumors pressing on the trigeminal nerve.

Your doctor will also rule out any issues with the sinus cavity, eye conditions, or psychologic disorders. Essentially, absent a visible tumor pressing on the nerve, the process of elimination is what leads to a proper diagnosis.

In some cases, a short course of tricyclic antidepressants or anticonvulsant medication may be administered. If pain responds to these treatments, that may lead to a diagnosis of trigeminal neuralgia.

Trigeminal neuralgia treatments

Trigeminal neuralgia treatments begin most often with medication, but not pain medication. Both over-the-counter and prescription pain medications produce little if any pain relief and are more associated with side effects than analgesic effects. Three types of prescription medications instead – anticonvulsants, antidepressants, and muscle relaxants – are the first line of pharmacological defense for trigeminal neuralgia.

Anticonvulsant options include the following four medications.

1. Carbamazepine

The most common medication for treating trigeminal neuralgia, carbamazepine can help with pain in the earliest stages of trigeminal neuralgia. This medication is also used as a diagnostic test. If carbamazepine relieves pain when administered over a short period of time, this may be a sign of trigeminal neuralgia.

This medication is most effective in the early stages of trigeminal neuralgia, and its effectiveness decreases over time.

2. Phenytoin

Phenytoin is the first medication designed to treat trigeminal neuralgia. Note that there are side effects that may include gum overgrowth, balance issues, and drowsiness.

3. Oxcarbazepine

Oxcarbazepine is a cousin of carbamazepine but comes with fewer side effects. Although patients may experience dizziness and double vision, these side effects are usually mild and manageable.

4. Gabapentin

Gabapentin is an anticonvulsant that is also prescribed for anxiety, restless leg syndrome, and withdrawal from some types of drugs and alcohol. Side effects of this medication include increased hostility, motion sickness, and blurred vision.

Antidepressants

Antidepressants are also commonly used to treat trigeminal neuralgia (although the mechanisms behind how they work is not entirely clear).

Tricyclic antidepressants such as amitriptyline or nortriptyline may successfully reduce or eliminate painful outbreaks. They can also help relieve other related symptoms.

If medication does not relieve pain, more interventional approaches may be needed.

Interventional approaches

If the cause of your trigeminal pain is compression of the nerve, microvascular decompression may help. The microvascular decompression procedure identifies the blood vessel applying pressure and moves it away from the trigeminal nerve. This can decrease nerve sensitivity and give the trigeminal nerve the space it needs to repair itself.

While microvascular decompression can be remarkably effective, opening the skull to perform it comes with substantial risk, including facial numbness and weakness and potential hearing loss.

Lesioning techniques is another category of surgical intervention that can help relieve pain. These include:

• Percutaneous stereotactic rhizotomy: Percutaneous stereotactic rhizotomy uses heat that passes through an electrode and into the trigeminal nerve to destroy the pain-causing part of the nerve and block pain signals to the brain
• Percutaneous glycerol rhizotomy: Glycerol performs the same function as heat to block pain signal transmission to the brain
• Stereotactic radiosurgery (also known as gamma knife): A pinpointed dose of ionizing radiation to the trigeminal nerve roots causes a pain-blocking lesion to form
• Percutaneous balloon compression: A small balloon is temporarily placed in the trigeminal nerve itself, inflated to destroy pain-causing fibers within the nerve

The above lesioning techniques are less invasive than an open surgery, but the effects may not be permanent. All surgeries come with risks, and lesioning techniques are no different. Side effects and risks include lingering soreness, nerve damage, or infection.

Even if pain relief is not as long-lasting, lesioning techniques may be best for patients who are in otherwise poor health, suffer from severe pain, and cannot tolerate a more invasive procedure.

Other treatment options

Experimental treatments using sodium channel blockers are also having some success in treating trigeminal neuralgia related to multiple sclerosis, but this research is in its infancy.

Complementary approaches including biofeedback, firm facial massage (as tolerated), mindful meditation, and acupuncture may also help relieve the pain of trigeminal neuralgia.

If you have more questions about what cause trigeminal neuralgia and how to treat it, get in touch with Arizona Pain today. Our gentle, compassionate doctors can answer your questions and help you get your life back!

We don’t often associate June with pain. June signals the end of school days and the official start of summer. But for some people, head pain doesn’t care about the weather or the month. June is Migraine and Headache Awareness Month, bringing awareness to the economic and societal impact of migraine and headaches. This year, the National Headache Foundation is driving these efforts to shed light on these invisible illnesses with their “You Are Not Alone” campaign.

Why is Migraine And Headache Awareness Month important?

Because so many people suffer from migraines (42 million in the U.S. alone), this is an issue that will likely affect most people during their lifetime, either as a sufferer or as a family member or friend. Migraine and Headache Awareness Month also seeks to eliminate common barriers to treatment, one of which is lack of knowledge among healthcare professionals and the general public.

As the World Health Organization reports:

“Worldwide, on average, only 4 hours of undergraduate medical education are dedicated to instruction on headache disorders. A large number of people with headache disorders are not diagnosed and treated: worldwide only 40% of those with migraine or TTH are professionally diagnosed, and only 10% of those with medication-overuse headache (MOH).”

In addition to the pain, the impact of migraines may be more widespread than previously thought. From higher rates of suicide and depression among migraine sufferers to an estimated financial impact of $5.6 billion to $17.2 billion per year due to lost productivity and days off. Migraines are the third most prevalent illness in the world. Over 12% of the world population, including children, suffers from migraines. Clearly, migraine pain has consequences that are widespread and serious.

Spreading headache and migraine awareness

Everyone is familiar with a headache. The classic throbbing head is hard to ignore, especially when you are trying to concentrate or sleep. But, did you know that there are actually numerous different kinds of headaches, all with their own symptoms and causes? Here is the low-down on the most common migraine conditions you’ve probably never heard of.

Hemiplegic migraine

This type of migraine is a subgroup of what is known as migraine with aura. This kind of migraine is very rare, but is one of the most dangerous forms. It can cause paralysis, body weakness, confusion, or visual disturbances, and can mimic symptoms similar to a stroke.

When this migraines strikes, it generally only lasts up to an hour. However, the visual disturbances can sometimes last for days to weeks.

Ocular migraine

This condition is similar to migraine with aura, but the symptoms such a visual disturbances only occur in one eye rather than both. This condition is not inherently deadly, but can be potentially limiting. It can even be dangerous as it can interfere with activities like driving.

This condition has the classic head pain on one side of the head. It can also produce nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light and sound.

Abdominal migraines

This condition is odd as it is not associated with the throbbing in the head as other types of migraines are. Instead, this condition often causes chronic abdominal pain, cramping, vomiting, pallor, and the inability to eat. These pain events can last anywhere from one hour to as long as three days.

Silent migraines

Silent migraines are accompanied by many symptoms of migraine, but without the pain and with distinct visual symptoms. Patients may suffer from extreme visual symptoms, such as floating lines, flashing lights, tunnel vision, and hallucinations. They may also lose their speech and have a distorted sense of smell or taste. A silent migraine is a severe sensory condition that can be enough to limit a person’s ability to function.

These are just a few types of migraines that make up a much larger category of migraines. For more information on specific headaches and migraines, check out the International Headache Society’s website and classification system.

Ways to fight back against head pain

If you are ready to find lifestyle habits to reduce your head pain as much as possible, aim to:

• Drinking more water as dehydration is one of the most common migraine triggers.
• Eat good fats like omega-3s that can be found in fish such as mackerel, tuna, and salmon. Research has shown that they can help reduce the frequency, pain level, and duration of migraines.
• Add magnesium as it is a great nutrient that helps prevent migraines. It can also help with increasing energy, calming anxiety, and relieving digestive issues.
• Eat more riboflavin (better known as vitamin B2). It has been shown to decrease the chance of migraines!
• Know your personal trigger foods and make sure you avoid them.

How to get involved during Migraine and Headache Awareness Month

The National Headache Foundation has launched their “You Are Not Alone” campaign that encourages head pain sufferers to share their story. The Foundation explains that:

“Anyone who suffers from headache or migraine is invited to share their story at headachestory.com, either through words or video. Each entry will be on display for others to read and share in a concerted effort to end the cycle of silence. These stories will remain live after June, serving as an ongoing source of comfort and community. With more than 42 million Americans haunted by headache and migraine, it’s time to shed light on the invisible disease. Through sharing stories, the hope is to raise awareness, further the advancement of research and discover new and better treatment options.”

How else can you get involved? Join in their recognition days, for disorders like cluster or pediatric headaches. Finally, jump onto social media to share your experiences with head pain (use #MHAM), to spread awareness among family and friends.

How has head pain affected your life? How will you use Migraine and Headache Awareness Month to spread awareness about this debilitating set of conditions?

With a more than a 3,000 year history, acupuncture is a low-risk method that helps many with pain relief. It was first introduced in China and spread throughout Asia before making its way westward to Europe and the United States. Partly due to its ancient history and efficacy, acupuncture has been acknowledged by both the National Institutes of Health and the World Health Organization as an effective alternative treatment for a variety of chronic pain conditions. We’ll talk about more of the history of acupuncture later in this post, but first let’s look at how acupuncture for headaches could help.

Why acupuncture for headaches? 

For people dealing with the effects of chronic head pain, such as migraines, acupuncture can be an excellent alternative to medications or invasive treatments. It may also work in conjunction to traditional medicine.

Research in the early part of the new century indicated that head pain was extremely susceptive to the relief provided by acupuncture. The results showed that patients who were given acupuncture treatments:

• Had fewer days of head pain
• Used less medication
• Required fewer visits to their doctors

Based on this evidence, the consensus of the medical community is that acupuncture treatments won’t hurt in addition to traditional care and may, in fact, enhance the overall experience and relieve more pain than would be eliminated by medical methods. You may not be able to stop taking prescribed medications, but you could cut back which would always be considered desirable.

How long does acupuncture for headaches take?

For head pain most treatment plans will be about six to 12 sessions. You can talk with your doctor and practitioner to develop the best treatment options for your specific needs.

There are a variety of conditions that cause head pain. They include:

• Migraine headaches
• Tension headaches
• Chronic headaches
• Cluster headaches

Having the proper medical diagnosis and treatment plan in place before pursuing alternative treatments is essential. Head pain can be a symptom of a more critical problem. If head pain occurs in conjunction with vomiting, dizziness, fever, extreme neck pain, or hypertension seek medical advice immediately.

How to find someone who offers acupuncture for headaches?

The most important first step when getting acupuncture for headaches is to find a licensed and reliable practitioner. The licensing requirements do vary from state to state, so look into what is required where you live.

You may also want to work with someone who has been certified by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. You should always discuss alternative treatments like acupuncture with your doctor or specialist. They may even be able to provide you with a referral.

Now that you have some idea of why acupuncture for headaches may be useful to reduce your pain, let’s look more into this fascinating treatment approach.

How does acupuncture work?

Acupuncture centers on the idea of channeling the body’s natural energy, known as qi. This energy flows through 12 meridians of the body, which acupuncturists are trained to map and understand. These channels are divided along a line that represents masculine and feminine energy, known as the yin and yang. Three yang meridians are in the upper extremities and three are in the lower extremities. There is an equal balance of yin in these areas of the body as well.

In addition, there are eight non-designated meridians in the body. When there is disease, pain, or distress in the body the flow of energy is blocked or imbalanced. Acupuncturists will insert fine needles at very specific points along these energy channels to help the correct flow of energy resume.

Ultimately, we don’t really know exactly how acupuncture works, although we are gaining new insight every year. It appears that acupuncture sends signals physiologically through the body’s neurotransmitters which then restore the natural balance. Without the presence of a specific condition in need of treatment, or energy realignment, the practice does not work.

There are very few risks reported with acupuncture and many of them date back to a time before single-use, sterilized needles. Since sterile practices were adopted universally, the risks dropped dramatically. What risks that remain are usually caused by individuals who are not trained properly. Before seeking acupuncture treatment, thoroughly research the clinic and practitioner.

Acupuncture benefits 

A NIH Consensus Conference on acupuncture in 1997 concluded:

“There is sufficient evidence of acupuncture’s value to expand its use into conventional medicine and encourage further studies of its physiology and clinical value.”

The mechanism of action for acupuncture has been studied, leading to the current theories of how acupuncture is actually affecting the body regarding pain control. Current research suggests acupuncture can affect neurotransmitters, resulting in an increase of endogenous opiates, which influence pain sensitivity.

There are three types of endogenous opiates: beta endorphins, enkephalins, and dynorphin. Beta endorphins are found primarily in the pituitary gland, and enkephalins and dynorphin are both distributed throughout the nervous system. With electroacupuncture frequencies, the electrical current can be altered to release more dynorphins or beta endorphins.

New research shows adenosine plays a large role in the pain relieving benefits of acupuncture. Adenosine, a molecule that influences inflammation and sleep, also acts as an endogenous opiate. Using mice with injured paws, scientists first demonstrated adenosine was released during acupuncture. In mice that didn’t have adenosine receptors, there was no relief from pain. A group of mice was given an approved leukemia drug that lengthens the amount of time that adenosine stays in the body. With the drug, the animals experienced relief for three times as long: some three hours instead of just one.

A 2006 Mayo Clinic study for fibromyalgia also found that acupuncture significantly improved symptoms of fibromyalgia. Symptomatic improvement was not restricted to pain relief and was most significant for fatigue and anxiety.

What should I expect during an acupuncture procedure? 

Acupuncture is an elegant medical art. Practitioners use sterilized disposable needles on the body to help rebalance this flow of qi. The needles are very thin and solid which allows them to slide into the skin easily. The insertion of the needle is not typically considered painful and most patients say they never feel the tiny needles as they are tapped into their skin. In fact, most people consider the treatments relaxing while others feel the energy stimulation.

Some acupuncturists are also trained in a practice called moxibustion where the needles are warmed with incense before placed on the body. There is also a form of acupuncture where electrical stimulation is used on the needles. This practice has been performed since the 1930s.

The patient is asked to lie on a treatment table, usually fully clothed. Thin needles are inserted in key locations designed to treat the specific pain pattern of each patient. Once the needles are inserted, the patient relaxes. Many patients fall into a peaceful sleep. After the appropriate amount of time, the needles are removed and the patient is free to go. The practitioner will work with their patients to determine where to focus the acupuncture for the best pain relief specific to the patient’s needs. A typical treatment will last for 20 to 30 minutes.

Does acupuncture hurt? 

Most patients report acupuncture is painless. However, there is sometimes a brief instant of discomfort at insertion.

Once in place, however, there is no feeling elicited from the needles. Most patients would be unable to close their eyes and tell the practitioner where the needles have been placed; they simply fade into the background while the patient relaxes.

Are there any risks? 

With further research, we better understand how acupuncture works. And yet, there is much unknown. Acupuncture seems to be giving the body a physiological message utilizing neurotransmitters to help restore normal function. If there’s no need for a particular condition, acupuncture isn’t going to help.

The adverse effects from acupuncture have been documented, and most of them predate the current use of single, sterilized, disposable needles. When sterile technique is adhered, there are few adverse effects. There are also a few cases of needles being used by those who have been improperly trained, resulting in inappropriate needle depth. The risks of acupuncture are rare when performed by someone with proper training.

There are two groups who practice acupuncture. One set of practitioners have the initials LAC, a licensed acupuncturist. LAC practitioners have graduated from an accredited acupuncture college, and have taken and passed a national board exam. The other group consists of medical professionals; MD, Do, DC, or NP who have taken a special courses and are certified in acupuncture. Always look for certified practitioners to avoid any risks.

What is the history of acupuncture? 

Acupuncture history is fascinating. Acupuncture has been used as a treatment modality for more than 3,000 years in China. This treatment modality was first in the spotlight of the U.S. public in 1971.

In the United States, acupuncture was first described by James Reston, a New York Times reporter, in 1971. While on an assignment in China he became ill with appendicitis. While his surgical treatment was conventional and his appendix was removed, his post-operative care was augmented with acupuncture to help ease the pain. In July of that year he wrote an article that detailed the experience and introduced the Western world to this Eastern medicine.

While acupuncture does indeed have an ancient history in Eastern medicine, it has become both accepted and prescribed as an effective treatment for many painful conditions in Western medicine too. Both the National Institute of Health (NIH) and the World Health organization have acknowledged acupuncture as an effective treatment modality for conditions involving pain and nausea.

Get acupuncture for headaches

If you seek out acupuncture for headaches and find it successful, share your experience with others. Acupuncture is widely accepted in the United States but it still has an air of mystery. Shedding a light on the practice, what to expect, and the results are an important part of furthering a better understanding of this and other alternative medical treatments.

Have you tried acupuncture for headaches? How did it help you? 

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.