Archive for the ‘excercise’ Category

Migraine Self-Care

Sunday, June 1st, 2008

Self-care measures can help ease the pain of a migraine. Try these headache helpers:

* Keep a diary. A diary can help you determine what triggers your migraines. Note when your headaches start, how long they last and what, if anything, provides relief. Be sure to record your response to any headache medications you take. Also pay special attention to foods you ate in the 24 hours preceding attacks, any unusual stress, and how you feel and what you’re doing when headaches strike. If you’re under stress, tell your doctor.
* Try muscle relaxation exercises. Progressive muscle relaxation, meditation and yoga don’t require any equipment. You can learn them in classes or at home using books or tapes. Or spend at least a half-hour each day doing something you find relaxing — listening to music, gardening, taking a hot bath or reading.
* Get enough sleep, but don’t oversleep. The average adult needs seven to nine hours of sleep a night.
* Rest and relax. If possible, rest in a dark, quiet room when you feel a headache coming on. Place an ice pack wrapped in a cloth on the back of your neck and apply gentle pressure to painful areas on your scalp.

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Migraine Prevention

Sunday, June 1st, 2008

Whether or not you take preventive medications, you may benefit from lifestyle changes that can help reduce the number and severity of migraines. One or more of these suggestions may be helpful for you:

* Avoid triggers. If certain foods seem to have triggered your headaches in the past, eat something else. If certain scents are a problem, try to avoid them. In general, establish a daily routine with regular sleep patterns and regular meals. In addition, try to control stress.
* Exercise regularly. Regular aerobic exercise reduces tension and can help prevent migraines. If your doctor agrees, choose any aerobic exercise you enjoy, including walking, swimming and cycling. Warm up slowly, however, because sudden, intense exercise can cause headaches.
* Reduce the effects of estrogen. If you’re a woman with migraines and estrogen seems to trigger or make your headaches worse, you may want to avoid or reduce the amount of medications you take that contain estrogen. These medications include birth control pills and hormone replacement therapy. Talk with your doctor about the best alternatives or dosages for you.

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Migraine Headaches Causes

Wednesday, May 28th, 2008

Although much about headaches still isn’t understood, some researchers think migraines may be caused by functional changes in the trigeminal nerve system, a major pain pathway in your nervous system, and by imbalances in brain chemicals, including serotonin, which plays a regulatory role for pain messages going through this pathway.

During a headache, serotonin levels drop. Researchers believe this causes the trigeminal nerve to release substances called neuropeptides, which travel to your brain’s outer covering (meninges). There they cause blood vessels to become dilated and inflamed. The result is headache pain.

Migraine triggers

Whatever the exact mechanism of headaches, a number of things may trigger them. Common migraine triggers include:

* Hormonal changes. Although the exact relationship between hormones and headaches isn’t clear, fluctuations in estrogen seem to trigger headaches in many women with known migraines. Women with a history of migraines often report headaches immediately before or during their periods, and this corresponds to a major drop in estrogen. Others have an increased tendency to develop migraines during pregnancy or menopause. Hormonal medications, such as contraceptives and hormone replacement therapy, also may worsen migraines.
* Foods. Certain foods appear to trigger headaches in some people. Common offenders include alcohol, especially beer and red wine; aged cheeses; chocolate; fermented, pickled or marinated foods; aspartame; overuse of caffeine; monosodium glutamate — a key ingredient in some Asian foods; certain seasonings; and many canned and processed foods. Skipping meals or fasting also can trigger migraines.
* Stress. A hard week at work followed by relaxation may lead to a weekend migraine. Stress at work or home also can instigate migraines.
* Sensory stimuli. Bright lights and sun glare can produce head pain. So can unusual smells — including pleasant scents, such as perfume and flowers, and unpleasant odors, such as paint thinner and secondhand smoke.
* Changes in wake-sleep pattern. Either missing sleep or getting too much sleep may serve as a trigger for migraine attacks in some individuals.
* Physical factors. Intense physical exertion, including sexual activity, may provoke migraines.
* Changes in the environment. A change of weather, season, altitude level, barometric pressure or time zone can prompt a migraine.
* Medications. Certain medications can aggravate migraines.

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Headache Prevention

Saturday, May 24th, 2008

Although medications can provide temporary relief, lifestyle changes are ultimately the best way to combat tension headaches. Make sure you’re following a regular sleep schedule and eating balanced meals. In addition, the following tips may help:

* Exercise regularly. Regular aerobic exercise, such as walking, swimming or biking, can help reduce the frequency and intensity of headaches. Exercise relieves stress, relaxes your muscles and increases the levels of one of your body’s natural stress relievers, beta-endorphin. Yoga, massage, stretching and posture classes also can help prevent tension headaches. If you already have a headache, exercise can help relieve the pain. In some cases, however, exercise may bring on a headache, so check with your doctor before starting any exercise program. Your doctor may recommend that you work with a physical therapist to learn exercise techniques that may specifically benefit people with chronic tension headaches.

*Manage stress. In addition to regular exercise, techniques such as biofeedback training and relaxation therapy can help reduce stress. Biofeedback teaches you to control certain body responses that help reduce pain. During a biofeedback session, you’re connected to devices that monitor and give you feedback on body functions such as muscle tension, heart rate and blood pressure. You then learn how to reduce muscle tension and slow your heart rate and breathing yourself. The goal of biofeedback is to help you enter a relaxed state so that you can better cope with your pain. Ask your doctor whether such a program might help you.

Cognitive behavior therapy also may help you learn to manage stress and reduce the frequency and severity of your headaches. During this type of talk therapy, a counselor helps you learn ways to view and cope with life events more positively.

Other relaxation techniques include deep breathing, yoga, meditation and progressive muscle relaxation, which is accomplished by tensing one muscle at a time, and then completely releasing the tension, until every muscle in your body is relaxed. You can learn relaxation techniques in special classes or at home using books or tapes. Many of them may also be helpful for children.

Preventive medications

Certain medications taken at regular intervals may reduce the frequency and severity of attacks. Your doctor may prescribe these if you have more than two headaches a week or have tension headaches that aren’t relieved by acute medication and nondrug therapy. Your doctor also may recommend preventive medication if your headache lasts longer than three to four hours, if severe pain becomes disabling or causes you to overuse acute medication, or if you can’t take acute medication because of other medical conditions.

Doctors often prescribe antidepressants to prevent tension headache, especially the chronic form. These drugs aren’t painkillers. Rather, they work to stabilize the levels of brain chemicals such as serotonin, which may be involved in the development of a headache. You don’t have to have depression in order to use these drugs.

Preventive medications may include:

* Tricyclic antidepressants. Tricyclic antidepressants, including amitriptyline and nortriptyline (Pamelor), are the most commonly used medications to prevent tension headache. They’re effective against both the episodic and chronic forms. Side effects of these medications may include weight gain, drowsiness, dry mouth, blurred vision and constipation. Older adults also may experience confusion or faintness when taking tricyclic antidepressants.
* Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Antidepressants such as paroxetine (Paxil), venlafaxine (Effexor) and fluoxetine (Prozac, Sarafem) produce fewer side effects than do the tricyclic antidepressants but generally are less reliable in preventing headaches. Further studies are needed to demonstrate their effectiveness.
* NSAIDs. Chronic tension headache may be effectively managed with NSAIDs such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) and ketoprofen (Orudis). In these circumstances, you take the medication daily.
* Other medications. Other medications that may prevent tension headache include anticonvulsants such as divalproex (Depakote) and muscle relaxants such as tizanidine (Zanaflex). If you experience migraine-like symptoms, your doctor may prescribe a medication commonly used to treat migraines, such as beta blockers or calcium channel blockers.

Preventive medications may require several weeks to build up in your nervous system before they take effect. So don’t get frustrated if you haven’t seen improvements shortly after you begin taking the drug — it may take a couple of months or longer. You may need a combination of different medications for maximum effectiveness. Also be aware that overusing caffeine or painkillers for acute relief may reduce the effect of a preventive drug.

To obtain the greatest benefit from preventive medication, keep your use of acute pain relievers to a minimum. Your doctor will monitor your treatment to see how the preventive medication is working. If your headaches are under control, your dose of medication may be reduced gradually over time.

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Treatment of Migraine

Wednesday, May 14th, 2008

Life style changes for migraine

Preventing migraine takes motivation for the patient to make some life changes. Patients are educated as to triggering factors that can be avoided. These include smoking cessation, avoiding certain foods especially those high in tyramine or those containing sulphites or nitrates .

Generally, leading a healthy life style with good nutrition, adequate water intake, sufficient sleep and exercise may be useful..

What should migraine sufferers do?

Individuals with mild and infrequent migraine headaches that do not cause disability may require only OTC analgesics. Individuals who experience several moderate or severe migraine headaches per month or whose headaches do not respond readily to medications should avoid triggers and consider modifications of their life-style. Life-style modifications for migraine sufferers include: Go to sleep and waking up at the same time each day.

Exercise regularly (daily if possible). Make a commitment to exercise even when traveling or during busy periods at work. Exercise can improve the quality of sleep and reduce the frequency and severity of migraine headaches. Build up your exercise level gradually. Over-exertion, especially for someone who is out of shape, can lead to migraine headaches.

Do not skip meals, and avoiding prolonged fasting. Limit stress through regular exercise and relaxation techniques. Limit caffeine consumption to less than two caffeine-containing beverages a day. Avoid bright or flashing lights and wearing sunglasses if sunlight is a trigger.

Identify and avoid foods that trigger headaches by keeping a headache and food diary. Review the diary with your doctor. It is impractical to adopt a diet that avoids all known migraine triggers; however, it is reasonable to avoid foods that consistently trigger migraine headaches.

Medications:

There are two ways to approach the treatment of migraine headache with drugs:
1-prevent the attacks
2-relieve the symptoms during the attacks.

Medication therapies for migraine:

Pain relievers (analgesics).
* Many OTC analgesics are available. OTC analgesics have been shown to be safe and effective for short-term relief of headache.
* NSAIDs relieve pain by reducing the inflammation that causes the pain (They are called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
* Aspirin, acetaminophen, and caffeine also are available combined in OTC analgesics for the treatment of headaches.

Finding an effective analgesic or analgesic combination often is a process of trial and error because individuals respond differently to different analgesics.

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What Are Migraine Triggers?

Thursday, May 8th, 2008

Examples of triggers include stress, sleep disturbances, fasting, hormones, bright or flickering lights, odors, cigarette smoke, alcohol, aged cheeses, chocolate, monosodium glutamate, nitrites, aspartame, and caffeine.

For some women, the decline in the blood level of estrogen during the onset of menstruation is a trigger for migraine headaches.

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Headaches - How To Make Them Go Away

Friday, May 2nd, 2008

If you have a headache, you’re not alone. Nine out of ten Americans suffer from headaches. Headaches comprise the top three reasons why one goes to the doctor. Some are occasional, some frequent, some are dull and throbbing, and some cause debilitating pain and nausea. What do you do when you suffer from a pounding headache? Do you grit your teeth and carry on? Lie down? Pop a pill and hope the pain goes away? There is a better alternative. As a chiropractic neurologist, I have been successfully helping patients rid themselves of headaches, oftentimes in as little as one treatment. Research has demonstrated the value of manipulative therapy for a multitude of disorders including headaches. A report released in 2001 by researchers at the Duke University Evidence Based Practice Center in Durham, NC, found that spinal manipulation resulted in almost immediate improvement for those headaches that originate in the neck, and had significantly fewer side effects and longer-lasting relief of tension-type headache than a commonly prescribed medication.

As a neurologist, we have many diagnostic capabilities at our disposal, as well as adjunctive therapies, which have proven to work very well for migraineurs as well as headache sufferers who have yet to be diagnosed. Headaches have many causes, or “triggers.” These may include foods, environmental stimuli (noises, lights, stress, etc.) and/or behaviors (insomnia, excessive exercise, blood sugar changes, etc.). About 5 percent of all headaches are warning signals caused by physical problems. The other ninety-five percent of headaches are primary headaches, such as tension, migraine, or cluster headaches. These types of headaches are not caused by disease. The headache itself is the primary concern. Today, Americans engage in more sedentary activities than they used to, and more hours are spent in one fixed position or posture. Many find themselves in fluorescent lighting and/or in front of a computer monitor all day. Many are on the telephone much of the day, which is very stressful on the muscles of the head, neck and shoulder. These scenarios are fuel for headaches.

So what can you do?

If you spend a large amount of time in one fixed position, such as in front of a computer, take a break and stretch every 30 minutes to one hour. Exercise may help relieve the pain associated with primary headaches, however, this will often aggravate headaches of migraineurs. As migraine headaches are vascular headaches, they should always be evaluated prior to entertaining any course of self-treatment. Drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day to help avoid dehydration, which can lead to headaches. Naturally, I would recommend all headache sufferers to come see us for an evaluation, as most will be helped in a short amount of time without requiring drug therapies, which can often have deleterious side effects and consequences. You will be referred for these types of therapies if felt to be warranted to be used as an alternative course of care, although this is certainly not the norm but rather the minority. The vast majority of our headache patients share a common conclusion; they invariably wish that they had come in to see us sooner and avoided the years of unnecessary suffering.

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Headache? It’s Time For Sex

Monday, April 28th, 2008

It’s an excuse that just won’t wash any more. “Not tonight, darling, I’ve got a headache,” is no longer a valid reason for getting out of lovemaking.

According to medics sex will actually relieve a throbbing head by reducing the symptoms of pain.

And making love is good for our health in many other ways.

Feeling stressed? Go to bed early for sex to reduce the tension. A good session of  lovemaking will do wonders for keeping the heart in shape – that’s the cardiovascular side of things as well as the cupid stuff.

Intercourse will also boost self-esteem and improve intimacy between couples.

Researchers found it will boost your immunity to illness, burn off calories to keep you trim and reduce the chances of prostate cancer in men. And certain lovemaking positions will strengthen women’s pelvic muscles.

Kathleen Doheny, of internet health advice website WebMD,  said: “When you’re in the mood, it’s a sure bet that the last thing on your mind is boosting your immune system or maintaining a healthy weight. Yet good sex offers those health benefits and more.” And Dr Joy Davidson, a New York psychologist and sex therapist, said that could be a surprise to some.

She said: “Of course, sex is everywhere but the idea we are vital, sexual creatures is still looked at in some cases with disgust or in other cases a bit of embarrassment.”

But many Britons are missing out on the health benefits of sex. A third of people quizzed in a survey complained that they do not have intercourse often enough.

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Got a Headache?

Sunday, April 27th, 2008

How to get rid of Headache

Try putting a cold compress on your forehead or behind the neck. Many headaches are caused by tense neck muscles. Conversely, use a moist hot pack to loosen up tense muscles - see which works best for you.

Massage the ears and ear lobes as well as the neck. If you can, find two tennis balls or racquet balls and put them in a sock. Lay on a flat surface and place the two balls just below the base of your skull on the occiput and relax. You may feel sinus pressure or minimal discomfort at first but it will go away. Lay in this position with the still point on the occiput for as long as needed. This is especially helpful for sinus headaches.

‘Tension headaches’ are ones that create pain in the neck and shoulders. Massages are great ways to get rid of such headaches. Make sure the massage hits key areas like the neck and arms. Massages on the scalp also help to release tension.

Peppermint is excellent against migraines, Chamomile is wonderful for stress or tension, and between the two of them, they taste lovely and will help with just about any headache. Keep in mind however that this is a very gentle remedy and may not help with severe headaches, though they would probably make a wonderful addition to, say, Willow Bark tea.

Take clove, cinnamon and almond in equal quantities (around 1 teaspoon each) and grind together with a little water to make a paste. Apply paste on the forehead. A paste made of sandalwood powder can also be applied on the forehead.

The seeds of Bishop’s Weed (Ajwain) are useful in the treatment of headache and stress. They can be either smoked or sniffed frequently.

An easy remedy for headache pain is simply to go to sleep. Many people are able to sleep off their headaches. Make sure you are not sleeping in an awkward position and do not be tempted to oversleep. Oversleeping is more likely to induce headaches, not to relieve them.

Breathing exercises are a known cure for headaches. Taking very deep breaths and then exhaling slowly may help. The correct breathing exercises will have your stomach moving more than your chest.

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Top 20 DIY Headache Cures That Bring Quick Relief…

Friday, April 25th, 2008

Last week, I was suffering from a ragin’ headache. Not only was it painful. It was like the Energizer bunny…it kept going and going and going.

I asked you, my marvelous readers, if you had any advice to cure the 3 day headache and you really came through! With so many tips, I recovered from my headache and went on to feeling energetic and breathing clear. Since it is springtime, breathing clear is a tough one. But you did it and I thank you.

Since there were twenty tips, I couldn’t do them all - I picked a couple and tried them.

So here are the Top 20 DIY Headache Cures That Bring Quick Relief:

1. You might want to have your eyes checked (if you haven’t done so already). I had a new pair of prescription contact lenses made for me about 4 years ago. But they always gave me problems. I stopped wearing them and I noticed that when I was working (and staring at a computer screen) I got headaches. But the headaches would last and last. I thought there was something else wrong with me. Long story short (too late), I had PRK laser correction surgery done and I’ve been headache free since. I’m fortunate not to have allergies so I don’t have to deal with that possibility.

2. Peppermint oil applied under your nose. (Be careful with application and wash hands!!) Rice packs heated in the microwave for four minutes applied over eyes / back of neck. Also take a hot shower with Peppermint Soap (the liquid version) Oh it makes you tingle.

3. During allergy season I would suggest you use a sinus rinse like Neilmed. Once I started using it regularly, it cut down on my headaches.

4. Tiger balm on your temples, rub tendons in back of neck to release tension.

5. Snort this twice a day:
* Sinus Rinse
* 16 oz. H2O
* 1 tablespoon kosher salt
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* Mix.
Pour some into palm of hand and snort.

6. Brush teeth with flossing and mouthwash. Something about swishing, gargling, changing teeth positions, spitting, etc., makes it so you can clear your head a little.

7. Gargle with salt water periodically to clear head/get rid of drip.

8. Take a bath in fairly warm water. Submerge your head so your ears are covered. Even allow them to fill with water to put pressure on the inside of your head and help it drain. Then — KEY — sit up in the tub so that your wet hair gets cold. This is supposed to help shrink the nasal/sinus membranes and gives some relief. I imagine using a cold wet towel on the head might also help, but I think the bath steam helps and that’s why this is good.

9. Eat hot stuff like chili peppers, salsa. Again, this helps drainage. Even a little bit of heat helps break things up.

10. Cold compress over eyes to help the eyes stop swelling and bring some comfort.

11. Lie down and let head drain. Try with and without a pillow, side to side, head nose pointed up toward wall, and head pointed down toward feet, and rolling from one side to another.

12. Sleep, lots of fluids, and perhaps a walk. (I know this sounds lame,) but it helps the lack of blood flow, which is the initial cause of most headaches.

13. My daughter has used peppermint and lavender essential oils in a rollerball applicator. You apply a small amount to your temples and she said that she felt relief almost immediately. She recommended it to a friend of mine who gets migraines quite often, and she said that, although her headache didn’t go away immediately, it only lasted about 1/10 as long as usual.

14. I suffered from a headache for several days earlier in the year. I went to a regular chiropractor appointment for my back and she adjusted my jaw and the headache went instantly. Apparently my jaw was slightly misaligned (apparently due to stress causing me to tense my teeth) and this was leading in uneven pressure in my head when I moved my jaw. If the other suggestions don’t work I would recommend going to have a check up a chiropractor.

15. I usually find headaches are due to dehydration, stress or tiredness. So upping my fluid intake, getting plenty of sleep or having some time-out (maybe a walk in the fresh air) will usually sort it out. But if my sinuses are at all involved, steam inhalation helps (put your head over a basin filled with hot water and cover your head with a towel for 10-15 minutes. You can add aromatherapy oil or some herbs or a spoonful of vicks if you like. A little lavender oil on your temples, the bridge and sides of your nose and across your forehead will help to relieve sinusitis and stress headaches.

16. If your headaches are allergy related, I have started using a neti pot on a regular basis and found it to be very helpful for relieving sinus congestion. The result is similar to the nasal rinse suggested above, but I’ve done both and much prefer the neti pot. I mix a little sea salt with warm water in the pot and rinse out my sinuses during my morning shower.

17. My worst headaches from barometric pressure. When I feel one coming on, I’ll typically check the weather to see if a front is moving in. If it appears the weather is causing it, I’ll take an Excedrin migraine early on. I hate taking pills, so acting early really does the trick in my case. I’ve wanted to purchase a barometer for some time now so that I can get used to seeing the measurement every day. This way I’d intuitively know what my “feel good” vs. “feel bad” ranges are. Was there some poor weather in your area while you were in pain? If so, a barometer may be a wise investment so you can start using your peppermint oil early on. =)

18. (1) Chlorpheniramine Maleate 4 mg tablet (Walgreens Wal-finate Allergy 4 Hour Tablets) (2) Ibuprofen 200mg each, esgic plus an ice pack. Usually he find that it starts to go away in 20 minutes, but he gets a little sleepy. Try it next time. I also use this for tension headaches.

19. I found that when I reduced my wheat and milk intake my headaches disappeared.

20. Make sure you are hydrated. You can get migraines triggered from dehydration.

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