Alternative methods of drug treatment of migraine
People who suffer from migraines can have different treatments, a neurologist explains about the alternative drug treatment of migraine (alternative migraine treatments except drug treatment).
Migraine headaches currently affect more than one billion people worldwide and are considered the second main and debilitating factor.
In almost a quarter of Iranian households, at least one person suffers from migraine. According to estimates, 85.6 million working days are lost annually due to migraines.
However, many people who suffer from migraines can easily get rid of their painful pain.
Despite medical treatments, the condition goes undiagnosed even when accompanied by debilitating symptoms such as sensitivity to light and sound, nausea, vomiting, and dizziness.
What is the cause of migraine headaches?
Researchers have found that genetic and environmental factors influence migraine. They occur when changes in the brain stem activate the trigeminal nerve, one of the main nerves of the pain pathway, and indicate that your body secretes inflammatory substances such as CGRP or calcitonin gene-related peptide. This molecule and other molecules can make blood vessels swell and cause pain and inflammation.
In some people, medication is used to treat migraines It has its limits, migraines can be debilitating. Those who take a drug curl up in a dark room with only their migraine pain. Migraine attacks can last for days and suspend the life of a person suffering from migraine. If you are also looking for an alternative to the drug treatment of migraine, continue this article.
Sensitivity to light and sound and the unpredictability of the disease make a person avoid social gatherings, family, work, and school. There are several prescription medications to prevent and treat migraines. But many people are limited in using conventional treatments for migraine headaches.
A group cannot afford to pay the high costs of medicines and also tolerate their side effects. Another group is pregnant or breastfeeding and cannot use them.
However, as a neurologist with a medical board and expertise in headache medications, I am always amazed at the enthusiasm and intelligence of patients who seek second options.
In general, they are called alternative or complementary medicines.
It may be surprising that a headache doctor; Suggest acupuncture, yoga, traditional medicine and meditation to treat migraine headaches. However, in my work I value these types of traditional treatments.
Researchers have shown that alternative therapies have been associated with better sleep, better emotion, and greater control. A group of patients can avoid prescription drugs and use one or two complementary therapies.
Another group can use traditional treatments along with prescription drugs.
These alternative choices can be used all at once or gradually, depending on the severity and cause of the headache.
If neck pressure also plays a role in this discomfort, massage and physical therapy will be very helpful. If the cause of headache is stress, you can use meditation to solve it. Consult your headache doctor to choose the best option for you.
Mindfulness, meditation, etc
Since stress is a major trigger for migraines, one of the most effective alternative treatments can be meditation and mindfulness, where you focus on the present moment without having a judgmental mindset. Studies have shown that meditation and mindfulness can reduce the number and severity of headaches.
Another suitable tool is biofeedback, which enables a person to recognize the main symptoms in real time and establish a balance. For example, you in times of stress; You have sweating, heart palpitations and muscle stiffness.
You can see these changes on the monitor through biofeedback, and in order to control them, you will be given training by the therapist.
Based on strong evidence, biofeedback can reduce the frequency, severity, and disability associated with headaches.
Yoga originates from the ancient Indian philosophy and integrates physical movements, meditation and breathing exercises in order to unite the mind, body and soul. Yoga can consistently help to reduce stress and migraine discomfort.
Treatment through massage
Physical therapy through manual techniques such as trigger point and connective tissue release, passive stretching and spinal stretching
It is done by skillfully pulling the hand on the head or doing this work using medical tools. Studies have shown that physical therapy combined with medication in order to reduce the frequency of migraines, pain intensity and pain perception can be preferable to medication alone. Massage along with reducing the stress level and increasing the sense of relaxation can reduce the frequency of migraine headaches and improve sleep. Also, in the days after the massage, it reduces the amount of stress and increases resistance to migraine attacks.
Acupuncture
For some patients, they get help from acupuncture, which is a kind of traditional Chinese method. In acupuncture, tiny needles are inserted into a specific area of the skin to increase healing. According to a 2016 large meta-analysis article, it was found that this method reduced the duration and frequency of migraine attacks regardless of their frequency. The benefits of the drug remain stable for up to 20 weeks after treatment. It is interesting to note that acupuncture can change the metabolic activity in the thalamus, which is the main place of receiving pain in the brain, and this change is consistent with the reduction of headache intensity after taking medicine.
Vitamins, supplements and food
Herbal supplements and foods derived from foods can be therapeutic and prevent migraines. Based on the evidence, vitamins work very well compared to traditional prescription drugs. They also have less side risks, below are some examples: Magnesium helps the regular functioning of blood vessels and the regulation of brain electrical activity. In one study, patients took 600 mg of magnesium citrate daily for 12 weeks, which resulted in a 40% reduction in migraines. One of its side effects was diarrhea, which 20% of people suffered from. Vitamin B2 or riboflavin can be useful in preventing migraines. The researchers found that by taking 400 mg per day for 12 weeks, the recurrence of migraines every half hour decreased in more than half of the patients. Another useful supplement is coenzyme Q10, which is found in cellular energy production. By consuming 100 mg of it three times a day for 3 months, half of the patients had their migraine attacks reduced by half. A natural and potential solution is the enamel plant or Parthenium thanasum. A pseudo-sunflower plant that has anti-migraine properties. Taking it three times a day reduces migraine attacks by 40%.
A tool that can be useful for headaches
The FDA has approved several nerve stimulators for the treatment of migraines. Their function is based on the neutralization of pain signals sent from the brain. One of them is the Nerivio device, which is worn on the upper arm and sends signals to the brain stem pain center during a migraine attack. Two-thirds of people reported that the pain was gone after two hours, and side effects were minimal. Another tool they expected is called Cefaly, which delivers a mild electric current to the frontal trigeminal nerve and can reduce the intensity and frequency of migraine attacks. After one hour of treatment, the patients’ pain is reduced by 60% and recovery continues for 24 hours. Its uncommon side effects are skin irritation and drowsiness.
Botox injection for migraine treatment
Today, Botox injections are the latest Migraine headache treatment is discussed and currently it is the current method of treating migraine disease in advanced countries including America and then Europe. This method succeeded in receiving a certificate from the American Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Botox injection for migraine has many fans among patients due to its many benefits, which we have discussed below.
These alternative treatments can help a person to be completely cured.
I have seen many success stories in my career, a student who had chronic migraines and then with a vitamin regimen, rarely had them.
A pregnant woman who refused to take medicine during physical therapy and acupuncture.
A patient who took a lot of prescription drugs and then instead of using another type of them again, used a nerve stimulator for migraine headaches.
The alternative methods presented are not necessarily miraculous, but their ability to reduce pain and suffering is remarkable.
As a doctor specializing in headache in Tehran headache clinic, I must say that the positive response of patients to these treatments is very gratifying.