Migraines: Problem Solved
Noel Peterson, ND
"Thank you, Dr. Peterson! I have been completely headache free and off all my migraine drugs for three months. I feel like my self again. "
Four months earlier, S.W., an otherwise vibrant 28 year old, had been at the end of her rope when she first came to see me. After 5 years of worsening headaches, her migraines were running almost back to back. She would just get over a migraine and then wake the next morning with another. She had tried all the drugs her neurologist had to offer, and was on Topamax, an anti-seizure drug often prescribed for migraines. The drug left her feeling muddled in her ability to think clearly, and she still had migraines.
"It is ruining our lives," she cried. "All of our activities are determined by the intensity of my headaches." I go to work and try to finish the day. It doesn't do any good to stay home; the pain is there no matter what, and I've just learned to endure it. I have no energy for exercise, or anything else beyond work and what I have to do to survive."
Migraine headaches come in many forms and many causes. As with every case I've treated, we first begin with a detailed history. We look for all the possible triggers, including allergic reactions to foods, chemical triggers, nutritional deficiencies, and structural causes. Often we find multiple migraine triggers in each person, and have to then put a treatment plan into motion that addresses each one of these triggers.
In SW's case, we found that food allergies and chemical reactions to tyramines were partly at fault. She was also deficient in magnesium, an essential nutrient for proper blood vessel function and muscle tone. She had a cyclic, hormonally induced aggravation of headaches every month. Most importantly, S.W. had active, painful and spastic trigger points in her neck and shoulders. Our strategy involved myofascial trigger point injection therapy, avoidance of her food triggers, and magnesium injections. After two months of being headache free, we were able to add many of the previous reactive foods back into her diet, and she now enjoys her workouts, her work, and her family again.
I have worked with migraine patients now for 24 years, and the results have been remarkable. We have a cure rate of over 80%! It seems like magic, but it is really just a rational, hard work approach to a complex problem.
If you or someone you love has suffered long enough with migraines, encourage them to read this article.