Managing Time (with a chronic illness)
November 2, 2007 8:25 pm
Getting organized. Managing time. These things are hard enough for the average person. But throw in a chronic illness, and sometimes it seems like an impossible task!
A while ago I created a 5 day e-course for people with chronic illness. The topic was time management. I've never really publicized it, but I thought I'd let you in on the secret. You can take the course for free, and let me know what you think!
To take a sneak peak at what you'll learn in the e-course, visit the Time Catchers page.
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Magnets for migraine?
November 5, 2007 5:35 am
So what about using magnets for migraine - or any kind of pain for that matter? Do they work? Is it worth the money?
The answer is... maybe. But probably not. At least, that's what the research is telling us so far.
From what I've seen, there's no compelling scientific research that magnets - the small kind of normal magnets that you can buy - can reduce pain. On the other hand, the research itself is rather scanty. The problem is that there are so many different kinds of magnets, and different parts of your body to use them all, that it would take a lot of scientific study to cover all that ground.
In fact, in some places (such as the USA), it's illegal to claim that a magnet will relieve pain. So if you see a company offering you magnetic pain relief in exchange for your credit card number, you should be suspicious anyway.
In the end, a few people have claimed that the magnets helped, and that's all we have to go on.
For migraine, proponents suggest a magnetic necklace, or a magnet placed on the point of pain. Or magnets on certain points of the body, such as back, feet, and head.
That being said, there is more scientific research being done with the Transcranial Magnetic Stimulator (TMS). This device is used on the brain to solve neurological problems such as migraine and parkinsons disease. It's looking hopeful that the TMS may provide real help to migraine sufferers.
Thanks to Dr Brent Bauer, Director of the Complementary and Integrative Medicine Program at the Mayo Clinic for some of this information.
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The Migraine Barometer was back
November 10, 2007 7:50 am
Edit: The availability didn't last long. The company is building a new model, and so has ceased production of the new model. When the new model is available, I may make it available here if it's appropriate and I can ensure a steady supply. Here's the original post:
You may be glad to hear that the "migraine barometer" has returned. It was unavailable for several weeks due to problems with supply, but they're available and ready to ship.
The migraine barometer is actually a digital barometer that was developed for use on boats. Out on the water you need quick, accurate information about weather changes. Cheap barometers with a little sun and clouds icon won't cut it in this case!
Many people suspect that weather and barometric pressure changes may be triggering their migraine attacks (other types of headaches as well). They use the barometer to see if and how pressure is impacting their symptoms. Some have been able to use it as an early warning system (it even has an alarm to warn of sudden changes), so that they can take their medication early on and avoid a full-blown attack.
Not only does the barometer show the exact pressure (calibrated to your local altitude), it shows a history chart, so you can see if the pressure has been up and down, or if it has dropped suddenly.
I get particularly nasty symptoms with some weather changes. I'm glad to see the digital barometer back, in hopes that it may help a few more people out there.
An unusually stable weather pattern - good news for me!
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Memantine for migraine
November 17, 2007 11:04 am
Memantine is technically a moderate affinity NMDA-receptor antagonist used for Alzheimer patients to improve memory. It's available in the USA, Europe, Mexico, and some countries in South America. It's sold as Axura, Akatinol, Namenda and Ebixa.
Memantine is now being used "off label" for both migraine and tension headache. In the case of migraine, it may be that the drug blocks the waves of electrical activity (cortical spreading depression - CSD) that spread across the brain during an attack. In a study published in the Journal of Headache and Pain, 66% of patients found significant relief after taking the drug. It was a small study, but it sounds hopeful.
The study into CSD has an interesting side note. Studying mice, it was found that it was far easier to trigger CSD in females than in males. Since the "estrous cycle" was not taken into consideration in the study, it may be that this difference, if it holds true in humans, is not related to the menstrual cycle.
So the reason why women get more migraines than men may be a lot more complex than hormones.
Read more here - Why Women Get More Migraines Than Men from California's UCLA.
Can mice tell us anything about why women get migraine?
Photo courtesy of beijinglaoda
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New research on migraine brains
November 20, 2007 9:49 am
The next time someone calls you "thick headed", don't be so offended. New research says that migraine sufferers may be a little thick headed.
Ok, stop throwing things at your computer screen - let's get serious. New research is showing that the somatosensory cortex (SSC) area of the brain seems to be thicker in migrainuers. The study out of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, and is being published today in the online edition of Neurology.
Though this story is being plastered all over the news this morning, it really doesn't tell us a lot. There is a lot of evidence that the brains of migraine patients are different. Yes, this may lead us to more specific answers. But at this point we don't even know if the SSC is thicker because of migraine attacks (most of these patients had been having severe attacks since childhood), or if the migraine attacks are a result of the thickened SSC.
Now researchers are planning a larger study to find out. The results may help identify people who are predisposed to migraine, or help develop more treatments.
Whatever is discovered, this is more evidence at least of a physical problem. Yes, there are still people that think migraine is an imagined illness. However, it will be a while before this line of research really tells us much that will be a help.
But that's the nature of good research, isn't it? While news media tries to find some instant significance in the latest study, the rest of us will keep an eye on it, and learn patience.
To learn more, read the official press release, or check out this helpful article from the BBC - Migraine brains 'are different'.
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Ear candling
November 29, 2007 4:21 pm
Always on the lookout for treatments for headaches, I recently came across ear candling. But keep reading before you start looking for a practitioner in your area.
Ear candling, also known as thermal-auricular therapy , or coning, is supposed to clean out impurities and wax from your ear. The claim is that the procedure can help with headache, migraine, sinus pain, and a host of other problems. Though it's often promoted as a physical form of alternative medicine, there is also a spiritual emphasis - the belief that the candles can somehow influence the soul or "auras" of the body. Supposedly, it is an ancient practice. Sometimes called "Hopi candles", the claim is that the Hopi peoples of Arizona traditionally practiced ear candling.
The treatment involves using a hollow cone or candle, and placing it over the ear (with ample protection against dripping wax). Supposedly the hollow candle works like a "chimney", sucking out impurities.
When a few people complained that they had been burned by wax, the criticism of the practice started to rise. Wax on the eardrum is, of course, dangerous and can take a lot of work to remove.
Then the Hopi people were contacted, and claimed they never have done any ear candling. Then the "impurities" were analyzed. Turns out it wasn't wax or toxins from the body, but byproducts of the candle itself!
In fact, since the ear canal is cut off from other parts of the body (such as sinuses), no suction can remove anything but wax - in fact, it can't even remove wax, which is sticky and would need a tremendous vacuum before it would come out (such a vacuum would rupture your eardrum!)
So if ear candling doesn't really remove any impurities, what is it doing? Somewhat cornered, one practitioner said, "It doesn't matter whether it's being removed or not because you're going to get some harmony through the changing of the energies and perhaps that's all that's needed."
In the USA, no ear candles can be sold for medicinal use. In Canada, ear candles cannot be legally sold. In a letter to anyone selling the product, Health Canada wrote: Ear candles represent a potential health hazard to users ... There is no valid scientific data available to support any therapeutic benefits associated with the use of ear candles.
So if you're looking for a warm feeling and a nice massage, perhaps you should use the candles for ambiance, instead of letting someone stick them in your ears.
Ear candling photo courtesy of iBjorn
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