Surprising acupuncture study
May 3, 2005 4:52 pm
Studies are still giving us conflicting answers about acupuncture. First, scientists from Britain brought good news - acupuncture seemed to be better than drugs for headache sufferers. Now, we read in JAMA the bad news - this time from Germany. This was a large, controlled study of 302 patients suffering from migraine. This time there was a baseline group who didn't get treatment, and then a group that got acupuncture, and another group that got "fake" acupuncture. Fake acupuncture basically meant that they got needles in non-acupuncture points. The result? There was a decrease in migraine attacks, in the acupuncture group, and the exact same decrease in the sham acupuncture group!
So what's the moral of the story? Could there simply be a benefit from being pricked anywhere by needles? Is it simply the human interaction that's providing the benefit? No doubt more studies are needed.
By the way, even the group that had no treatment improved, though not as much. Maybe the best treatment is being a part of a clinical trial! Have you volunteered lately?
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Eye pain?
May 3, 2005 7:25 pm
Do you get eye strain, or pain around your eyes when you're having a headache attack? There can be many causes of eye pain, but if it's related to your headache or simple eye sensitivity and not another health issue, there are more and more options to minimize the irritation.
One thing that I've found to be very helpful are eye pillows. Recently I was in the market for a new one, so I checked out the options. I wrote a new article about my findings, which you can read here.
New options are becoming available when it comes to contact lenses. Many people (including me) are trying the new Acuvue contact lenses, which are designed to be easier on your eyes. They're now available in toric, bifocal, astigmatism, and so on, so you've got lots of options. Retail they're more expensive, but if you live in the USA there are some fantastic rebates and sales on at Vision Direct . (If you live in Europe including the UK or Canada, there are also some great discounts on other contact brands, even without the rebates.)
See your optometrist to rule out certain diseases if your eyes are sore for no known reason. Make sure you take care of them - you've only got two!
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The cause of migraine - not so simple
May 6, 2005 2:33 pm
One of the complaints that has come out of the recent Larry King Live show on migraine was the rather vague description of what happens during a migraine attack from Dr Frank Lawlis. According to the rush transcript, what he said was something like this: "What happens in migraine is that your blood vessels start squeezing down...then it just blows up. Your blood vessels just get huge...So, what you can teach your body to do is react to the stress by not suppressing your cardiovascular system...
We talked earlier about the confusion regarding what actually causes migraine. Listening to this quote you would think that stress is causing your blood vessels to contract, and that leads to a migraine attack. Migraine is a lot more complex than that, based on genetic factors and having as much to do will neurons as blood vessels. Some researchers don't even classify stress as a migraine trigger any more.
To start collecting more information about the cause of migraine, I've moved the information to its own page and expanded it. If you want to learn more about the current theories of what happens in the person getting a migraine attack, read this page on the cause of migraine.
You'll also notice some changes at the home page, highlighting the causes of some of the most common headaches, and making it easier to find your way around. Take a look!
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The NTI-tss device
May 10, 2005 9:36 am
For people with TMD (Temporomandibular Disorders), "splints" for the teeth have been a major treatment. But there's much more available than just the basic splint. Basic bite, clenching and grinding problems can cause headaches and tension.
Splints don't work for everyone, and there are many different types. In HeadWay issue 10 we talked about a cheap solution that works for some people. But others are still looking for solutions. One of the newer types is the NTI-tss device, which is approved in the USA for migraine prevention. It's designed to not be "clench-friendly" - to help your jaw properly relax without clenching or grinding. The device can also be made for children with headache. Read this article for more details on how this dental device works. It's now available in the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, UK, South Africa, Singapore, Norway, and many more countries.
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Five more days!
May 14, 2005 8:44 am
Only five more days in the contest to win Elaine Magee's new book (out in March), Tell Me What To Eat If I Have Headaches And Migraines (Nutrition you can live with), along with Relieve-Migraine-Headache.com's exclusive headache diary.
Knowing what to eat is very important to visitors hear - pages on this site about nutrition and diet are among the most popular. This book has great new tips for what to do when you go grocery shopping to find head-friendly foods, suggestions for how to eat when you're at the restaurant, and much more. For example, if you're a soup lover, do you know what kind of soup is the best for you? What are the pros and cons of all these new artificial sweeteners? How should I eat when I travel? What about magnesium? All this and more from Elaine Magee (also known as the "Dear Abby of Cooking").
So what are you waiting for? If you haven't entered, enter today!
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Back to aspirin
May 19, 2005 8:49 am
Most everyone with headaches have tried aspirin at one time or another. But there have been surprisingly few studies about aspirin and migraine. An interesting new study headed up by Dr. Richard B. Lipton of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in Bronx, New York, showed that aspirin can be quite helpful for some people with migraine.
The study used only a single 1000-milligram dose. After two hours, 20% of the patients with confirmed migraine were pain-free (only 6% with the placebo were pain-free). But the most interesting thing that I found about the study was that there was also a significant reduction in photophobia (sensitivity to light) and nausea. So, for some people, aspirin may still be a big help.
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Body weight and headache
May 20, 2005 8:52 am
What role does body weight play in headache? There are actually a number of connections. A new study was presented at the American Academy of Neurology 57th Annual Meeting in April, showing that people who are obese or very obese (this is beyond just overweight) are more likely to suffer from chronic daily headache. Also, those who are underweight are more likely to suffer from nausea during a headache attack.
A number of headache or migraine medications can lead to weight gain or loss. Topomax, for example, tends to suppress the appetite. Other medications, some of the older ones in particular, can lead to weight gain.
There may be another factor at work here. Migraine and headache attacks can make it difficult to exercise. Check out some exercise tips here. Also, check our Dr Arthur White and Kate Kelly's book The Posture Prescription, which has some great ideas for someone struggling to keep up an exercise schedule.
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More chocolate
May 24, 2005 7:58 am
A while ago we did a feature on chocolate, to try to cut through the hype and find out what it's real health value was. In March, a new study was released from the Department of Internal Medicine and Public Health, University of L'Aquila in L'Aquila Italy. The short term study tested people's reactions to dark and white chocolate. The result? Dark chocolate improved insulin sensitivity and lowered blood pressure.
It may be the Flavanols in chocolate that provide the benefit. They relax blood vessels, which may actually make them good for a headache sufferer, as long as chocolate isn't a migraine trigger for you. Read more about what type of chocolate provides the most benefit in our article.
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Chiropractic care and migraine
May 26, 2005 8:56 am
Dr Peter Tuchin, a chiropractor for the past 20 years, completed a study on chiropractic and migraine as part of his recently-completed PhD thesis at Macquarie University in Australia. In his study, 72% of migraine patients experienced a noticeable or significant reduction of symptoms. One interesting thing is that the group that had significant reduction had been suffering from migraine for an average of 18 years.
The other 50% had less migraines, or perhaps less intense ones, and importantly were able to take less medications.
May 23-29 is National Chiropractic Week in Australia, where migraine is estimated to cause the country 1.5 billion AUD a year (over a billion $US). Watch this website for an upcoming interview with a chiropractor, with advice on what to expect if you're a headache sufferer and how to choose a chiropractor. Meanwhile, check out the overview of chiropractic care in the March 2005 issue of HeadWay.
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And the winner is...
May 27, 2005 8:28 pm
As HeadWay subscribers know, the Spring Away From Headaches contest is ended! I was wondering what country our winner would come from. Of course, we get visitors here from all over the world. Some of the countries that visit most include the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Singapore, Japan, Malaysia, India and Belgium. But there are many more - headaches and migraines are a worldwide problem.
But, when all was said and done, the winner was Dee! And Dee is from the USA. Thanks everyone for entering!
If you're still interested in the book that Dee won, you can get it at your local bookstore or through amazon.com (read more about the book here). Keep watching for more reviews, tips, and treatments right here and throughout the site! Join us in our fight against headache and migraine.
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