Tag: Migraine Attacks

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Migraine Neck Pain – More Than Just A Pain In The Neck

Migraine neck pain is both a symptom and a trigger of migraines. It is in fact a very common feature of most migraine attacks. While neck pain is common for people with migraines, they don’t associate it with migraines right away. This leads to misdiagnosis and the problems with migraines and neck pains don’t get any better.

Knowing Migraine Neck Pain

Migraine neck pain is most often described as ‘a tightness’ in the neck. Some can feel it at the base while some describe migraine neck pain as coming from the neck and going up towards the head. This is usually followed by a migraine headache where they may experience the symptoms of a migraine such as aura and pain. Nausea and dizziness can also follow.

Migraine Neck Pain More Than Just A Pain In The Neck

Migraine Neck Pain

While neck pain can be common symptom of other ailments, if it is linked with a migraine then migraine treatment is the most appropriate response. Treatment using muscle relaxants, tranquilizers and other pain relievers can prove ineffective. These treat only neck pain and not the migraine.

What To Do About Migraine Neck Pain

Avoiding Neck Pains

Stress and posture have a lot to do with migraine neck pain. Whether the neck pain starts the migraine attack or is a symptom of it, you can benefit a lot from preventing neck pain. Relax your neck muscles by adopting proper posture, especially if your work requires you to sit in front of a computer. Adopt an ergonomic workstation setup so you aren’t tense while sitting down.

Practice proper breathing and relaxation techniques. You may want to attend classes on how to avoid from being too emotional or stressed while at work. Go for therapeutic massages or spas once in awhile.

Medicine for Migraines

For your migraines, you can take several types of medicine. Aspirin and other analgesics are the usual recourse to lessen the intensity of a migraine. While these can work, some medicine may have side effects which may not work well if you have other medical conditions.

Other medication such as anti-depressants, anti-epilepsy and heart medicines have been found to have good effects in preventing migraines. While they do not stop headaches or migraine attacks, they can lessen the frequency and intensity of migraines.

A Final Word on Neck Pain and Migraine

Migraine neck pain prevention and therapy is just one part of the solution. To completely solve migraines, you need to learn what the other triggers of your migraine attacks are. Food as well as other factors can play a role in triggering a migraine. Keep a log of what you do and eat each day so you can see if what you’re doing or eating is the reason for the migraine.

Whatever the course you may take it is important to consult a doctor. Both neck pain and migraines are serious ailments and can also be signs of other conditions. Describe neck pain fully and in detail, especially if accompanied by migraines. This makes the diagnosis of your ailment much easier.

Remember that you need not suffer from migraine neck pain if you act on it early and take the right steps.

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Natural Cures for Migraines

You may find that natural cures for migraines can work as well if not better than pharmaceutical products. Natural cures for migraines involve physical, psychological as well as nutritional aspects. While typical medicine does work, people are starting to give more interest to alternative cures and medicine. These may work in conjunction with the medicine you are currently taking for headaches.

Natural cures also work mostly in the prevention of migraines. They help reduce both the frequency and intensity of migraine attacks.

Natural Cures for Migraines, Of Diets, Herbs and Therapies

* Biofeedback

Biofeedback is essentially a procedure where you are made aware of the different processes going on inside your body. Different equipment and sensors are placed on your body. Measurements such as brain activity, temperature, heart rate and blood pressure are all displayed for you to see. The theory is you can control these parameters since you are aware of the different levels they are in. Relaxation techniques along with focusing can bring pain levels down when you suffer from migraines.

* Spa and Physical Therapies

Breathing exercises and spas all aim to relax the body and help in proper circulation of blood. They can relieve you of the pain caused by migraines as well as prevent them from occurring. Acupuncture and acupressure work to apply pressure or stimulus at pressure points in the body. While they are not steeped in medical research, these treatments have been documented to provide symptomatic relief of migraines and headaches.

Overall these natural cures for migraines can greatly reduce stress and tension which can be one of the triggers of migraines.

* Herbal Cures

Feverfew and butterbur are considered as analgesics and natural cures for migraines which are effective in treating headaches. They have shown promise in migraines as well. Food and vegetables which are rich in magnesium and calcium such as kale and spinach have also been found to be effective in migraine prevention.

Aromatherapy using essential oils such as mint, peppermint and eucalyptus also relax the body and can aid in the reduction of migraine intensity.

* Migraine Diet/Log Book

A natural way to prevent migraine is to determine what causes migraines in the first place. Specific foods and stress events can cause migraines. These can differ from person to person. When a migraine attack happens try to think of what you were doing and what you were eating at the time. This can help you link your own migraine triggers. Once you know what causes migraines, you can work to avoid these.

Natural Cures for Migraines: Safety and Efficacy

It is best to consult a medical professional before undertaking any therapy for migraines. Adverse reactions are a concern, especially if you are allergic to a certain substance. There are also side effects associated with some herbs, but sticking to recommended dosages can help you avoid these problems. Ask your doctor as well so you can be cleared to undergo or take these natural cures.

With proper guidance these natural cures for migraines can help you get rid of your headaches for good.

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What Causes Migraines?

What causes migraines still remains a mystery. Although we now know that several events can cause migraines, it is still uncertain why they do so. Migraines can be very painful and debilitating. Often they interrupt our daily functions and cause serious problems.

What Causes Migraines

While the root cause of migraines remains unknown, there have been many factors that have associated with migraines. These are usually external factors such as changes in weather, stress and foods. Internal causes such as hormonal imbalance and problems have also been known causes of migraines.

Migraines occur when blood vessels in the brain become inflamed or enlarged. This is due to irritation in the brain stem. The inflammation itself causes the pain and the throbbing sensation we often associate with migraine attacks.

The pain felt by migraines is often a throbbing sensation around the head or can also be pain located on one side. The pain can last for several hours, subsiding a little and peaking in different intervals. Migraines can also be accompanied by aura. This is when people start to see jagged lines or waves or colors in their field of vision. Some attacks also result in partial visual impairment or even loss of motor functions.

Food rich in tyrmaines is a likely culprit of what causes migraines. These foods are those that have been aged or fermented. Cheese, hams and other cured meat have been documented to trigger migraine headaches in many people. Chocolate and caffeine are also likely factors as to what causes migraines. While you can limit yourself to about 2 servings of these kinds of foods, it may be best to avoid them. Go for fresh options and fresh ingredients, and avoid preservatives and artificial flavoring such as MSG.

Stress, hunger, fatigue and dehydration are also causes of migraines. This is why changes in lifestyle to avoid stress and unhealthy habits help in avoiding getting migraines. Eat right, and drink plenty of water. Get regular rest and avoid staying up late at night.

Hormonal changes such as those naturally occurring in old age as well as pregnancy can also cause migraines. In these cases you can consult your doctor on what steps to take to avoid migraines.

Getting Help For Migraines

As we understand more about what causes migraines, we can also learn for ourselves how to avoid these triggers. You can make a log of the different times you had migraine attacks and what you were eating at that time. This way you can determine what caused the migraine.

A lifestyle change along with taking different medication can be your best defense against migraines. You can ask your doctor about preventive medicine such as anti-seizure and anti-depressants, this kind of medicine has been shown to be effective in preventing migraines.

Migraine medication such as aspirin and ibuprofen has also been very effective in treating migraines. They are used most often when the migraine attacks already occur.

Learn for yourself what causes migraines in your case so you can be better prepared to manage and altogether avoid getting these attacks.

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