C
Catherine Woodg
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Archive-name: medicine/migraine/natural-cures
Posting-Frequency: Every 27 days
Last-modified: 2001/08/26
Version: 2.3
Natural Migraine Treatment FAQ
(1) Introduction
(2) For Immediate Relief
(3) Definition of Migraines
(4) Chiropractic treatment
(5) Biofeedback
(5.1) Theory of biofeedback
(5.2) Handwarming biofeedback
(5.3) Other biofeedback
(6) Acupuncture, Aromatherapy and Myotherapy
(6.1) Acupuncture
(6.2) Aromatherapy
(6.3) Myotherapy
(7) Nutritional Treatments
(7.1) Food Sensitivity
(7.2) Blood Sugar
(7.3) Not Overusing Salt
(7.4) Nutritional Supplements
(7.5) Herbs
(8) Psychology
(9) Nociceptive Appliance
(10) Books/articles
(11) Links
(12) About the author of this FAQ
(13) Contact info
(14) Disclaimer
(15) Copyright
(16) Introduction
This Natural Migraine Treatment FAQ, posted to
alt.support.headaches.migraine, attempts to summarize all
non-medical treatments that help prevent or cure migraine
headaches. Most treatments mentioned here have worked for
many people, and usually have a theoretical basis as well.
This FAQ doesn't discuss drugs.
Natural treatments are usually harmless, as opposed to
drugs, which usually have side effects (though note that
natural treatments are not always harmless). Therefore,
depending on cost and convenience, it can make sense to
continue a natural treatment even if you're not sure whether
it's doing any good. It often makes sense to apply several
natural treatments at the same time. If one treatment
reduces the number of headaches or the amount of pain, then
several treatments used at once may completely or almost
completely eliminate them.
Different things work for different people. Some of the
treatments mentioned here may actually increase headache
pain for some people. In fact, many treatments which help in
the aura phase make the headache worse if used in the pain
phase, and vice versa. (Many drugs, including caffeine, work
like this.) Some treatments may have no effect on some
people. You may decide to try several things and choose the
ones that help you.
This FAQ can be found on the Web at ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet-by-
hierarchy/misc/health/
alternative/Natural_Migraine_Treatment_FAQ (all one line)
Note the disclaimer at the end of this FAQ.
(17) For Immediate Relief
Most of the treatments in this FAQ are used to prevent
migraines from happening. This section describes things you
can do when you're in pain, to reduce the pain.
-- Have a bath or shower. -- Lie down to rest in a dark
room. -- Avoid bright or flashing light. -- Put something
cold on the back of your neck, such as a cold, wet cloth;
or alternate hot and cold cloths where the pain is. -- Put
a cold compress on your forehead and your feet in a
container of warm water. -- Have a drink of water or
natural juice, especially tomato juice. -- Have some food,
or a nutritious drink, if you haven't eaten for a while. --
Massage your own face, head, neck and shoulders, or get
someone else to do those and your back. Relax your muscles.
-- Press on two pressure points at the back of the neck.
These points are about two inches apart, just below the
base of the skull. Press for a minute or two. This releases
endorphins that help against pain. -- Massage or press on
the fleshy area between thumb and forefinger. -- Gently
lean the head to left or right to stretch the neck muscles.
Massage and relax any tense muscles. -- Avoid sources of
stress. Cancel activities so there's less to worry about.
-- Avoid exercise during a headache if it makes throbbing
pain in the head and neck worse. On the other hand,
generally exercise improves health, and it may help you
relax during a headache. -- Take some niacin (a form of
vitamin B3). Taking enough niacin to cause a flush (blood
rushing to the skin) can provide relief from headache pain,
but this much niacin can also have side effects (flush,
nausea, heartburn, liver damage, etc.) Niacinamide doesn't
have such bad side effects, but isn't as much use against
migraines, either. Smaller, safer amounts of niacin are
also helpful. Niacin can trigger a migraine, though. --
Take some vitamin C, vitamin B6, choline, tryptophan and
niacin and/or magnesium.
(18) Definition of Migraines
The word "migraine" comes from words meaning "half the
head", and sounds like "demi-cranium", because migraine
headaches often hurt on only the left or right side of the
head. However, many people with migraines always have pain
on the whole head.
A migraine headache is caused by hormonal fluctuations which
cause blood vessels in the head and neck to contract and
then dilate. The first phase, or contraction phase, may last
minutes, hours, or days. During this phase, symptoms can be
spots in front of the eyes, difficulty concentrating, and
cold fingertips and hands. This is called an "aura". Many
people recognize this phase of their headaches; many others
don't notice any symptoms at this time. Some people who
think they don't have an "aura" can learn to recognize it.
When the blood vessels dilate, the headache pain starts.
Apparently the hormones over-react. Instead of just going
from a contracted state back to normal, the blood vessels
dilate much wider than normal, causing pain. Other things
also happen about the same time: swelling of the brain,
release of certain chemicals, and perhaps muscle tension.
These things add to the pain.
There are a number of different processes that can cause the
interplay of hormones leading to contracted and then over-
dilated blood vessels. It's not always the same hormones
that are involved. Some of the natural treatments listed
here focus on a single process. Different things work for
different people. Some people may need to use several
treatments at the same time. Some people who think they have
"tension headaches" are actually helped by migraine
treatments. Many headaches are probably a combination of
muscle tension and migraine.
Because migraines occur in a two-phase process, with levels
of certain hormones high in one phase and low in the other
phase, a lot of treatments can either help or make the
headache worse, depending on timing. For the same reason,
treatments that help one person can make a headache worse
for another person.
(19) Chiropractic treatment
Sometimes the bones in the neck are in the wrong place, and
the little muscles near the bones are tense. This is called
"subluxation". It's like having a crick in your neck. The
nerves that lead out from the spine can be irritated when
there is a subluxation, and this can cause migraines. The
bones are very close to being in the right place, so a
medical doctor might say they are in the right place. A
chiropractor treats people by gently pushing the bones back
into place.
Stress on any part of the spine, as from lifting heavy
objects or sitting in a twisted position, can cause
subluxations in the neck, leading to migraine.
Some relief from migraine can be obtained by doing slow,
gentle stretching exercises of the neck. (Rolling motions or
sudden motions are not recommended.) Avoid sitting for a
long time with the head leaning forward, straining the neck.
Avoid lying on your back with your head raised on a pillow.
Lying on your back is OK with no pillow, or with a pillow
that supports the neck but doesn't raise the head much. When
lying on your side, a pillow should support the head and
neck. When sitting, for example at the computer, change
position frequently and check for things like tension in the
shoulders from supporting the arms.
Chiropractors usually ask their patients to be x-rayed on
the first visit, but you can ask your chiropractor to treat
you without the x-ray -- they can do this and normally do
for pregnant women.
The body of literature supporting a cervical spine (neck)
origin of headache is substantial.
Vernon [16] found that 90% of patients were satisfied with
chiropractic treatment of headache. (Note: numbers in square
brackets refer to the list of books and articles near the
end of this FAQ.)
In a study involving 200 patients, Jirout [9] reported
that...manipulation directed to the areas of fixation
resulted in complete relief in approximately 80% of
patients...
A landmark descriptive survey of a chiroparctor's experience
in the treatment of migraine headache was reported by Wight
[17]. Eighty seven patients were included, 34 with common
migraine and 53 with classical migraine. In the common
migraine group, 85% of the females and 50% of the males were
greatly improved. In the classical migraine group, 78% of
the females and 75% of the males were greatly improved.
Frykholm [5] describes the confusion associated in the
diagnosis of cervical ( neck) headache by stating: "In my
experience, cervical migraine is the type of headache most
frequently misinterpreted. Such patients have usually
received an inadequate treatment and have often become
neurotic and drug-dependent."
(20) Biofeedback
(20.1) Theory of biofeedback
With biofeedback, a person learns to control a body function
which was not under direct conscious control, but was
indirectly under conscious control.
Here is an example to explain what is meant by a body
function under indirect conscious control. Generally
speaking, a person can't decide to do the following: "I'll
flip a coin, and if it comes up heads, I'll immediately
make my heart beat faster, even though I'll still be
sitting down." However, a person can decide, "If the coin
comes up heads, then I'll put up my hand to ask a question
in front of this roomful of people, which I'm nervous about
doing." As soon as the person sees the coin come up heads,
their heart starts to pound because of their nervousness.
Yet all that happened was that they made a decision and
then flipped a coin. Thus, their conscious thoughts
affected the heart rate. In this way, heart rate is
indirectly under conscious control.
Body functions such as muscle tension, finger temperature,
and levels of some hormones in the blood (such as adrenalin
in the above example) are under indirect conscious control.
Some of these functions are involved in headaches.
Biofeedback means making information about one's body
available to the conscious mind. Devices which measure
muscle tension, finger temperature etc. and which supply
that information to the person are biofeedback devices.
Gradually, a person learns the semi-conscious thought
patterns that make the device show the desired result, such
as warm fingers. It's like learning to ride a bicycle. Once
the skill has been learned, the person can use it at any
time, without needing the biofeedback device. For example, a
person who has gone through many learning sessions with a
thermometer and has learned to warm their fingers can then
warm their fingers after that without using a thermometer.
(20.2) Handwarming biofeedback
Phase I of a migraine is similar to what the body does in
response to fear, though the reaction may have been caused
by a food the person ate rather than by actual fear. In
phase I, blood is reallocated out of the hands and head and
into the large muscles that would be used for running from
danger. The hands, especially the fingertips, become cold
when the blood is withdrawn. The feeling of confusion, or
inability to think clearly, that can accompany phase I is
similar to fainting from fear.
The pain occurs in phase II, when the blood vessels of the
head and neck over-react and re-expand to larger than the
normal size. The headache can be prevented by reducing the
severity of phase I, thus preventing phase II.
The level of the hormones in the blood that contract the
blood vessels, such as serotonin and adrenalin, can be
brought under semi-conscious control. By thinking relaxed
thoughts, the hormone level can be lowered. The serotonin
level is monitored by checking the temperature of the
fingertips and hands. During phase I, first the fingertips
and then the hands become cold. The finger temperature can
be checked either with a thermometer, or by touching the
fingertips to your cheeks. If they feel warm or hot, that's
good. They should be at body temperature. If they're cool or
cold, it could be either from being in a cold room, from
poor blood circulation due to diabetes or some other
condition, or from a phase I reaction.
After many attempts of trying to think relaxed thoughts and
checking the finger temperature, a person gradually learns
how to get into the right frame of mind to affect the
serotonin levels. Eventually, a person can decide to warm up
the fingers, meditate for a while, and the fingers become
warm. Under a lot of stress, for example if you're about to
speak in front of an audience, it may be impossible to warm
the fingers at that time, though attempting it may reduce
the severity of a migraine later. For learning, it's best to
use a low-stress situation such as sitting at home.
It normally requires trying several times a day for several
weeks before much progress is made. It helps to keep records
of the finger temperature before and after attempting
biofeedback.
A person who has learned biofeedback can become aware of
their finger temperature so that they notice when their
hands suddenly become cold. They can then take a break from
stressful activities, relax until their hands warm up, and
prevent a headache from happening. The feeling of confusion
and stress that usually accompanies phase I can mean that
you tend not to notice things like finger temperature at
that time -- you're too busy thinking about whatever is
causing the stress -- but eventually you can learn to
notice it.
Kohlenberg's book [11], which comes with a thermometer,
explains how to do handwarming biofeedback; unfortunately
this book seems to be out of print. It's easier to do
biofeedback when combining it with cognitive therapy (see
the psychology section of this FAQ).
(20.3) Other Biofeedback
Biofeedback devices can be used to monitor the tenseness of
muscles in the forehead, the amount of sweat on the
fingers, and other things. The person spends time learning
to make the muscles relaxed, the fingers dry, etc. These
forms of biofeedback can help with headaches. A migraine
usually involves some muscle tension in the head which adds
to the pain.
(21) Acupuncture, Aromatherapy and Myotherapy
(21.1) Acupuncture
One woman had been suffering from headaches for seven years.
Her condition was so severe, that the neurologist she had
been seeing recommended she have an operation to sever the
nerve over one eye. Instead, she tried acupuncture. After
her first treatment the headache started to subside. After
two more, it was gone completely.
On alt.support.headaches.migraine, some posters said
acupuncture helped their headaches. Some said it helped
somewhat, and others were enthusiastic about it helping a
lot. Other posters said it didn't help them at all. A few
said it made their headaches worse.
(21.2) Aromatherapy
Sniffing certain essential oils when you have a headache may
help treat migraines. The olfactory (smelling) organ in the
nose is connected to parts of the brain that control
emotions and hormone release. Peppermint, lavender, and
marjoram have been recommended.
The essential oils can be mixed with the edible kind of
alcohol and rubbed on the neck and forehead, also an
opportunity to massage these areas.
(21.3) Myotherapy
"Myotherapy...a method for relaxing muscle spasm, improving
circulation and alleviating pain. To defuse 'trigger point-
s,' pressure is applied to the muscle for several seconds
by means of fingers, knuckles and elbows. The success of
this method depends on the use of specific corrective exer-
cise for the freed muscles. The method was developed by Bo-
nnie Prudden in 1976."
-- Taber's Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary
(22) Nutritional Treatments
(22.1) Food Sensitivity
Many books agree that chocolate is the most likely food to
cause migraines. Other foods which can cause migraines
include avocados, pineapples, beans, peas, lentils, MSG,
pork, shrimp, pickled herring, alcohol, caffeine, cheese,
nitrites as preservatives in hot dogs and other processed
meats, and coconut. One person reports that chamomile or
valerian herbal tea can cause headaches.
The caffeine in chocolate is not the main reason chocolate
causes migraines. There's a group of substances called
amines, common in food, which are the main food trigger of
migraines. There are different amines in different foods.
The one in chocolate is the worst. The one in cheese is
called tyramine and is next worst. Hanington's book [8]
describes an experiment in which it was shown that
tyramine can cause migraines. Migraine people have less
monoamine oxidase (MAO), the enzyme in platelets that
breaks down amines.
The amount of tyramine in cheese varies tremendously by type
and even batch of cheese. Milk is OK, since the tyramine is
produced in the cheese-making process by microorganisms.
Other amines are found in other types of food. The reaction
to amines is not an allergy. The amines cause certain
hormones to be released in the body. Different amines may
cause migraines in different people.
Nitrites in foods can also cause migraines. Nitrites are
present in some processed meats such as hot dogs, sausages
and lunch meat; the nitrites are added as a preservative.
MSG (monosodium glutamate) may also cause migraines in
some people.
A web page [21] describes one person's discovery that it's
essential that food be quite fresh; older foods can cause
migraines, apparently. The bacterial action in the making of
cheese is what creates the tyramine in cheese -- perhaps
similar bacterial action can create migraine-producing
chemicals in a variety of foods such as milk which has been
sitting in the refrigerator a few days.
Each person needs to experiment to figure out which foods
give them migraines. This is not always easy to do. A
food might not cause a migraine every time it is eaten;
perhaps only when another cause of migraines happens at
the same time.
It's better to go on a very restricted diet for a while, a
week or a month, say, than to experiment by eliminating just
one suspicious food at a time. To illustrate this, suppose
you have a list of 20 suspicious foods, and that by
eliminating 5 of them you can cut your headaches in half,
from 10 a month down to 5 ... but you don't know that, and
you don't know which 5 foods are the bad ones. If you spend
20 months, eating everything except one food each month, you
will learn nothing. You will still have about 10 headaches a
month. Some months you'll have about 9 instead of 10, but
that's not enough to notice a difference: you probably vary
from 8 to 12 headaches a month anyway. However, if you stop
eating all 20 foods for a month, you'll notice something
interesting: you'll have only 5 headaches instead of 10. You
can then gradually re-introduce the suspicious foods. Now
that you have fewer headaches, you'll notice it if you have
a headache a few hours after eating a suspicious food. Make
sure your restricted diet contains all the vitamins and
other essential nutrients.
If you combine advice from several books, there will be
nothing left to eat! I recommend the restricted diet
suggested by Brainard [1] as a starting point for
experimentation. When I followed this diet, my migraines
diminished significantly, and over the following weeks,
months, and years I gradually tested and re-introduced to my
diet most of the disallowed foods. Some I went on and off
several times to test for subtle effects. I subjected myself
to several bad headaches to be completely sure I needed to
avoid chocolate!
(22.2) Blood Sugar
Studies show that when a migraine person eats refined sugar,
their blood sugar level goes up very high, then quickly
comes down again. [Low, 12]. Any kind of refined sugar
causes this effect: sucrose, glucose, etc. The blood sugar
level goes up and down so fast that a standard glucose
tolerance test with blood samples taken less often than
every 15 minutes can completely miss the effect. Many
migraine people have been told they're very normal after a
glucose tolerance test, but in fact they have a condition
similar to hypoglycemia.
Natural sugars, such as fruit, completely unprocessed sugar
cane juice, etc. do not cause this effect. Eating natural
sugar causes the blood sugar level to go up, but not as
high, and it doesn't come down so fast. There's something in
natural sugar that helps the body absorb it. Glucose
Tolerance Factor (GTF), a molecule containing chromium, may
be responsible. Chromium is usually present with natural
sugars, and is missing in refined sugar. It works with
insulin to help the body process sugar. There may be other
factors present in natural sugars, such as vitamins,
enzymes, etc., that are also important.
When refined sugar is eaten, the pancreas releases a lot of
insulin. For some reason, people who get migraines release
more than the normal amount of insulin. Insulin stimulates
the release of adrenalin. This starts phase I of a migraine.
Going without eating for 3 to 4 or more hours causes low
blood sugar levels which can also trigger a migraine.
In his book [12] Rodolfo Low recommends the following for
all migraine people. He claims that every person who has
followed these recommendations, including himself, has
completely eliminated migraines:
-- Do not eat any refined sugar. Not even small amounts.
Fruit should be fresh, not dried or cooked. Eat a wholesome
balanced diet of natural foods including fruit. -- Eat
every three hours. Have six small meals a day instead of
three. Have snacks of healthy foods at midmorning, midafter-
noon, and bedtime. -- Avoid drinking alcohol. -- Avoid
drugs that stimulate the pancreas. Many drugs taken for
other purposes also stimulate the pancreas, e.g. aspirin.
See the book [12] for a list of drugs to avoid.
[Above recommendations paraphrased by C.W.]
Strenuous exercise may cause low blood sugar which may lead
to migraines. (On the other hand, exercise generally
improves health in the long term and therefore may reduce
headaches.)
Many people are deficient in chromium. Eating refined sugars
leads to chromium deficiency. A supplement of GTF chromium
or chromium picolinate is helpful to hypoglycemic people and
can allow them to maintain good blood sugar levels when
going several hours without eating. Low has shown that
migraines are closely related to hypoglycemia, so perhaps
chromium supplements would help migraine people too. I used
to get a headache if I went 4 or 5 hours without eating;
with a chromium supplement (200
mcg/day, not a megadose) this is no longer the case. Someone
says she gets headaches when she takes chromium, though.
(7.3) Salt
A normal person who eats a very large amount of salt will
get a headache. Brainard [1] claims that for people who get
migraines, a smaller amount of salt can have the same
effect. He describes the hormonal processes that occur when
salt is eaten. [See his book for details.]
Everyone needs some salt (sodium chloride) in order to live.
Natural foods generally contain some salt. Processed foods
often have too much added salt.
Brainard recommends:
-- Moderate amounts of salt with meals are OK. -- No large
amounts of salt with meals. -- No salt at all between
meals; not even a salted cracker or a cookie cooked with
the usual large amount of salt. -- Avoid soups; these often
contain large amounts of added salt.
[Above recommendations paraphrased by C.W.]
During a migraine, a person makes more urine than usual. One
has to drink more in order to make up for the missing water
and avoid getting dehydrated. Drink if you're thirsty. It
has been recommended to drink 15 mls of water every 15
minutess to assist hydration.
(7.4) Nutritional Supplements
There are many vitamins and other essential nutrients which
can have an effect on the complex hormonal processes that
cause migraines.
The following supplements, taken regularly, can help:
-- vitamin C (is needed to convert tryptophan to serotonin)
-- vitamin B6 (also needed to convert tryptophan to
serotonin) -- niacin (see side effect warning under section
2) (is a form of vitamin B3; dilates blood vessels) --
choline -- tryptophan (is converted to serotonin in the
body, when needed) -- omega-3 essential fatty acids
(EFA's), e.g. unrefined, cold-pressed, uncooked flax seed
oil, nuts, seeds, wheat germ, some fish (EFA's are used by
the body to make prostaglandins) -- chromium? (See section
6.2.) -- magnesium; as much magnesium as you take calcium
(magnesium deficiency can also cause a craving for
chocolate.) -- someone says melatonin and B6 at bedtime
treats a headache. (melatonin affects the daily sleep
rhythm and should only be taken at bedtime; it may cause
the body to make less of its own melatonin, leading to a
dependency effect. Melatonin aids sleep and causes
drowsiness.) -- someone says sublingual vitamin B12 helps.
(7.5) Herbs
Feverfew helps many migraine sufferers. It's claimed by
some to be best to eat fresh leaves, one small leaf per
day. It should be taken regularly; benefit is seen after
6-8 weeks. Side effects include sore mouth, mouth ulcers
and upset stomach (and vivid dreams?). Damage to smooth
muscle or vasculature is indicated in some experiments: see
the Medicinal HerbFAQ [19] or do your own medline search
[20]. Take after eating. Someone warns not to take it if
pregnant as it is a natural abortifacient. Others state
three fresh leaves chewed and swallowed as soon as the
migraine commences can dispose of the migraine. It has a
very bitter taste.
Jacquie Naughton ([email protected]) uses a combination of
equal amounts of feverfew, lavender, sage, mint, lemon balm
and rosemary infused as a tea when she has a migraine.
Reishi mushroom is also said to help against migraines.
Tiger Balm rubbed on the pain has been used, but only helps
some people.
Someone recommended the book "Herbs for Headaches and
Migraine" [6].
See also the Medicinal HerbFAQ [19].
(8) Psychology
People often think thoughts that are just a little
frightening. When normal people think these thoughts,
nothing much happens. But migraine people have over-reactive
hormone systems, and adrenalin and other hormones are
released along with just slightly scary thoughts. A migraine
person may not feel scared at all, may claim to be relaxed,
but at the same time may be showing the physical symptoms of
fear. These symptoms may be partly resulting from various
chemical processes such as the foods the person ate.
However, they are also the result of thoughts.
The scary thoughts that bring on phase I of a migraine are
usually semi-conscious ... just outside the range of
conscious thinking. For instance, a migraine person may look
at a gift they're wrapping and consciously think, "Maybe I
should have bought something better." But at the same time,
in a semi-conscious way, the following thoughts flit rapidly
through the mind: "I'm no good at buying presents. People
will look down on me for being cheap. I might lose a
friendship." These thoughts go by so fast it's hard to pin
them down. But they're real, and are accompanied by cold
fingers and other symptoms of phase I of a migraine. The
person might not notice the symptoms. Later, when they have
a headache, they might not realize they had been under
stress. "I was just having fun quietly wrapping presents."
It helps to write down such thoughts. Kohlenberg [11]
recommends writing the thoughts down in the form of a proof
that either there's a threat to one's life or health, or
that a law of nature has been broken, i.e. that something
"should" be happening and isn't. Writing the thoughts out
slows them down so that they come under conscious scrutiny
and control. Then, on another part of the page, write down
arguments against each point. "I may not be the best in the
world, but I'm capable of buying reasonably good presents. I
have no evidence that people will look down on me, and if
they do it won't hurt me. If the friendship is worth keeping
it involves a lot more than just gifts."
It helps to avoid thoughts with words like "should" and
"ought" in them. Instead of thinking, "I should wash the
dishes now," think "I want to wash the dishes now." One good
way to eliminate a "should" thought is to start doing the
thing. If you don't want to, there's probably a good reason
not to. Then, instead of thinking, "I should ...", think, "I
decided not to... because ...". Accept that every decision
has both good and bad results.
It's useful to combine this technique with biofeedback. See
Kohlenberg's book for both. Since that book is difficult to
obtain, other books which are excellent for dealing in a
similar way with emotions (but which don't specifically
address headaches) are Burns [2] and Ellis [4], Greenberger
[7], and other books by the same authors.
(9) Nociceptive Appliances
The FDA has approved a device that prevents migraine pain
without drugs or surgery: the NTI-tss. ("Nociceptive
Trigeminal Inhibition Tension Suppression System").
Everybody tenses their temporalis muscles while sleeping.
Some migraine sufferers do so with such intensity, that it
causes morning headache and allows the stage to be set for
migraine attacks.
The special appliance makes the teeth bite together only
at the front. This stimulates a reflex to relax the jaw
muscles. The effect is similar to placing one's finger
or other object between the front teeth. It is removed
while eating.
In clinical trials submitted to the FDA and soon to be
published in "CRANIO: The Journal of Craniomandibular
Practice", 82% of migraine suffers had a 77% average
reduction of migraine events.
For more information, see the web page listed in the
links section [18]. The device can be obtained by seeing
your dentist.
involved in migraines. For both men and women, it's common
for migraines to begin around puberty. [8]. Women often
notice headaches corresponding to certain times of the
menstrual cycle. Menopause can mean fewer or no headaches
for some lucky women (or the onset of migraines for others).
Someone whose headaches stopped at menopause got headaches
when taking Premarin.
brings on headaches for other people. Nutritional treatments
can help reduce symptoms of pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS),
including headaches. ([13],[15]).
Birth-control pills contain artificial hormone-like
chemicals which are different molecules from the hormones
normally present in the body. They have some of the same
effects as real hormones, and some different effects -- they
have long lists of side effects which vary from one brand to
another and include migraines. Women who get migraines are
advised not to take these pills.
The modern processed diet tends to be deficient in omega-3
essential fatty acids. These EFA's are used by the body to
make prostaglandins, which in turn are converted into some
hormones. Supplementation of omega-3 and/or omega-6 EFA's is
helpful for some people.
It's normal during breast-feeding for a woman to have no
menstrual periods for a time which can be 3 months, 2 years
or more, averaging about 14 months. [10] For some, this is a
welcome rest from a range of symptoms which can include PMS
and headaches. Unfortunately, breast-feeding is often
disrupted, resulting in increased health risks to both
mother and baby and the inconvenience of early return of
menstrual cycles, along with the familiar accompanying
symptoms. The return of menstruation is an individual thing;
a slight reduction of nursing may bring it on in one woman,
while another may be nursing only a few times a day and
still not menstruate. Early return of menstruation can be
caused by:
(Things to avoid, if you don't want to start menstruating
soon
-- early weaning -- use of bottles or pacifiers --
mother-baby separations, e.g. use of babysitters -- other
foods given to baby before about 6 months of age --
encouraging baby to "sleep through the night" -- limiting
breast-feeding, based on clocks and calendars
Speculation: It is known that pollutants such as pesticides,
PCB's and by-products of chlorine bleaching can act as
hormone mimics, disrupting the development of animals and
humans. Chemicals which mimic estrogen have been most
extensively studied, but pollutants mimic other hormones as
well. [3] Hormones are involved in migraines. Are migraines
more common these days than they used to be? Could migraines
sometimes be partly caused by hormone-disrupting pollutants?
(10) Books/articles
[11] Brainard, John B., 1979. Control of Migraine. W.W.
Norton & Co., New York -- London.
[12] Burns, David. Feeling Good: A New Mood Therapy
[13] Colborn, Theo, Dianne Dumanoski, and John
Peterson Myers, 1996. Our Stolen Future. Penguin
Books, New York, NY.
[14] Ellis, Albert. A New Guide to Rational Living
[15] Frykholm R. Cervical Migraine: the clinical pictures.
In : Hirsch C, Zotterman Y, eds. Cervical pain. Oxford,
Great Britain: Pergamon Press 1972; 13-16.
[16] Gosling, Nalda. Herbs for Headaches and Migraine. ISBN
0-7225-0396-2 Thorsons Publishing Ltd. 1978.
[17] Greenberger, Dennis and C.A. Padeskey. Mind Over Mood.
ISBN 0898621283 Guilford Press, 1995.
[18] Hanington, Edda, MD MRCP, 1980. The Headache Book.
Technomic, Westport CT.
[19] Jirout J. Comments regarding the diagnosis and
treatment of dysfunctions in the C2-3 segment. Manual
Medizin 1985; 2:1617.
[20] Kippley, Sheila. Breastfeeding and Natural Child
Spacing.
[21] Kohlenberg, R.J. Migraine Relief: A Personal
Treatment Program
[22] Low, Rodolfo, 1987. Migraine: The Breakthrough Study
That Explains What Causes It and How it Can Be
Completely Prevented Through Diet. Henry Holt & Co.
Inc. New York NY.
[23] Nazzarro, Dr. Ann, and Dr. Donald Lombard, with Dr.
David Horrobin, 1985. The PMS Solution: Premenstrual
Syndrome: The Nutritional Approach. Eden Press,
Montreal -- London.
[24] Sacks, Oliver. Migraine. ISBN 0-330-32988-X Picador/Pan
Books, 1993.
[25] Shannon, M. Fertility, Cycles and Nutrition.
[26] Vernon H. Manipulative therapy in the chiropractic
treatment of headaches: a retrospective and prospective
study. J Manipulative Physiol Ther 1982; 5:109-12
[27] Wight JS. Migraine: a statistical analysis of
chiropractic treatment. J Am Chiro Assoc 1978;
12: 363-67.
(28) Links
[29] Nociceptive Appliances http://www.nti-tss.com
[30] Medicinal HerbFAQ http://ibiblio.org/herbmed/faqs/medi-
cont.html or http://www.cis.ohio-
state.edu/hypertext/faq/usenet/medicinal-herbs
[31] Medline searches for titles/abstracts of medical
experiments: ttp://www4.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/PubMed/
[32] This page says that food which is not fresh can cause
migraines: http://www.oases.com/Migraines.html (page no
longer accessible)
[33] Tips on starting an MSG-free diet
http://www.magicnet.net/~btnature/page11.html
[34] Migraine Association of Canada
http://www.migraine.ca/default.htm
[35] Migraine Action Association (UK)
http://www.migraine.org.uk/
[36] New Zealand Migraine Sufferers Support Group
http://www.migraine.co.nz/
[37] Migraine: Sites Francophones http://www.chu-
rouen.fr/ssf/pathol/migraine.html
[38] Rhonda's Migraine Page
http://www.migrainepage.com/index.html (includes a
migrainepage chat room)
[39] Migraine and Magnesium Deficiency
http://www.execpc.com/~magnesum/migraine.html
[40] Light Therapy for PMS, Migraine, SAD...
http://www.lightmask.com/
(41) About the author of this FAQ
I've had migraines since about age 16. Sometimes I had daily
mild headaches and often worse ones. Using some of the
natural treatments listed here, I've mostly eliminated them.
I'm interested in many things: nutrition, alternative
medicine, evolution, societal cooperation, barter,
mathematics, car-free living, psychology and
psycholinguistics, midwifery, breast-feeding, and natural
family planning. My web page has information on a barter
system I invented, on Natural Family Planning, and on
Explorers, that is, people with a drive to think creatively.
I hope to put up sections on breastfeeding, teaching
phonics, and family discipline.
Parts of this FAQ were written/contributed by other people.
I've left off names for privacy reasons; if you're one of
these people let me know if you want your name mentioned.
Thanks to all who contributed.
Comments are welcome but to be honest I rarely get around
to updating the FAQ. Polite criticism is welcome.
Messages containing emotionally-charged criticism or
strongly pejorative language will be ignored. Do not
include a copy of this whole FAQ, or any other large
files, in your email. Please don't email me about
products you're selling even if they're to help with
migraines. Word your message so I can see it's not spam.
I'm always happy to hear about it if you found this FAQ
useful. Very specific information about important dangers
of any treatment mentioned here is welcome.
Cathy Woodgold [email protected].
http://www.ncf.carleton.ca/~an588
(42) Disclaimer
This information about natural migraine treatments,
collected from various sources, is provided for your
convenience. Though effort has been made to make it
accurate, it may contain errors, omissions or inaccuracies.
It is hoped that readers will tell me about any errors. It
is not to be considered to be medical advice. Different
things work for different people. Some of the suggestions
here may actually increase headache pain for some people,
or cause other problems. If you decide to use any of the
treatments mentioned here, you are responsible for that
decision and for any effects that occur. You may wish to
collect information from other sources before beginning to
use the treatments mentioned here. Some headaches are
caused by other serious problems requiring other treatment;
this FAQ only discusses migraines. If the author knows of
serious safety problems, they will probably be mentioned
here, but absence of specific warnings does not constitute
a statement or guarantee that the treatments are safe. Any
nutritional supplement can be harmful in very large
amounts. This FAQ is provided with no warranty of any kind.
Life is full of unknowns.
(43) Copyright
Copyright (c) 2001 Catherine Woodgold Copies for personal
use or to give to a friend are allowed and encouraged, but
it is requested that instead of putting a copy of the FAQ on
your web site, you put a link to it, so that any updates
will show immediately. When copying this FAQ do not make any
changes or deletions.
Posting-Frequency: Every 27 days
Last-modified: 2001/08/26
Version: 2.3
Natural Migraine Treatment FAQ
(1) Introduction
(2) For Immediate Relief
(3) Definition of Migraines
(4) Chiropractic treatment
(5) Biofeedback
(5.1) Theory of biofeedback
(5.2) Handwarming biofeedback
(5.3) Other biofeedback
(6) Acupuncture, Aromatherapy and Myotherapy
(6.1) Acupuncture
(6.2) Aromatherapy
(6.3) Myotherapy
(7) Nutritional Treatments
(7.1) Food Sensitivity
(7.2) Blood Sugar
(7.3) Not Overusing Salt
(7.4) Nutritional Supplements
(7.5) Herbs
(8) Psychology
(9) Nociceptive Appliance
(10) Books/articles
(11) Links
(12) About the author of this FAQ
(13) Contact info
(14) Disclaimer
(15) Copyright
(16) Introduction
This Natural Migraine Treatment FAQ, posted to
alt.support.headaches.migraine, attempts to summarize all
non-medical treatments that help prevent or cure migraine
headaches. Most treatments mentioned here have worked for
many people, and usually have a theoretical basis as well.
This FAQ doesn't discuss drugs.
Natural treatments are usually harmless, as opposed to
drugs, which usually have side effects (though note that
natural treatments are not always harmless). Therefore,
depending on cost and convenience, it can make sense to
continue a natural treatment even if you're not sure whether
it's doing any good. It often makes sense to apply several
natural treatments at the same time. If one treatment
reduces the number of headaches or the amount of pain, then
several treatments used at once may completely or almost
completely eliminate them.
Different things work for different people. Some of the
treatments mentioned here may actually increase headache
pain for some people. In fact, many treatments which help in
the aura phase make the headache worse if used in the pain
phase, and vice versa. (Many drugs, including caffeine, work
like this.) Some treatments may have no effect on some
people. You may decide to try several things and choose the
ones that help you.
This FAQ can be found on the Web at ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet-by-
hierarchy/misc/health/
alternative/Natural_Migraine_Treatment_FAQ (all one line)
Note the disclaimer at the end of this FAQ.
(17) For Immediate Relief
Most of the treatments in this FAQ are used to prevent
migraines from happening. This section describes things you
can do when you're in pain, to reduce the pain.
-- Have a bath or shower. -- Lie down to rest in a dark
room. -- Avoid bright or flashing light. -- Put something
cold on the back of your neck, such as a cold, wet cloth;
or alternate hot and cold cloths where the pain is. -- Put
a cold compress on your forehead and your feet in a
container of warm water. -- Have a drink of water or
natural juice, especially tomato juice. -- Have some food,
or a nutritious drink, if you haven't eaten for a while. --
Massage your own face, head, neck and shoulders, or get
someone else to do those and your back. Relax your muscles.
-- Press on two pressure points at the back of the neck.
These points are about two inches apart, just below the
base of the skull. Press for a minute or two. This releases
endorphins that help against pain. -- Massage or press on
the fleshy area between thumb and forefinger. -- Gently
lean the head to left or right to stretch the neck muscles.
Massage and relax any tense muscles. -- Avoid sources of
stress. Cancel activities so there's less to worry about.
-- Avoid exercise during a headache if it makes throbbing
pain in the head and neck worse. On the other hand,
generally exercise improves health, and it may help you
relax during a headache. -- Take some niacin (a form of
vitamin B3). Taking enough niacin to cause a flush (blood
rushing to the skin) can provide relief from headache pain,
but this much niacin can also have side effects (flush,
nausea, heartburn, liver damage, etc.) Niacinamide doesn't
have such bad side effects, but isn't as much use against
migraines, either. Smaller, safer amounts of niacin are
also helpful. Niacin can trigger a migraine, though. --
Take some vitamin C, vitamin B6, choline, tryptophan and
niacin and/or magnesium.
(18) Definition of Migraines
The word "migraine" comes from words meaning "half the
head", and sounds like "demi-cranium", because migraine
headaches often hurt on only the left or right side of the
head. However, many people with migraines always have pain
on the whole head.
A migraine headache is caused by hormonal fluctuations which
cause blood vessels in the head and neck to contract and
then dilate. The first phase, or contraction phase, may last
minutes, hours, or days. During this phase, symptoms can be
spots in front of the eyes, difficulty concentrating, and
cold fingertips and hands. This is called an "aura". Many
people recognize this phase of their headaches; many others
don't notice any symptoms at this time. Some people who
think they don't have an "aura" can learn to recognize it.
When the blood vessels dilate, the headache pain starts.
Apparently the hormones over-react. Instead of just going
from a contracted state back to normal, the blood vessels
dilate much wider than normal, causing pain. Other things
also happen about the same time: swelling of the brain,
release of certain chemicals, and perhaps muscle tension.
These things add to the pain.
There are a number of different processes that can cause the
interplay of hormones leading to contracted and then over-
dilated blood vessels. It's not always the same hormones
that are involved. Some of the natural treatments listed
here focus on a single process. Different things work for
different people. Some people may need to use several
treatments at the same time. Some people who think they have
"tension headaches" are actually helped by migraine
treatments. Many headaches are probably a combination of
muscle tension and migraine.
Because migraines occur in a two-phase process, with levels
of certain hormones high in one phase and low in the other
phase, a lot of treatments can either help or make the
headache worse, depending on timing. For the same reason,
treatments that help one person can make a headache worse
for another person.
(19) Chiropractic treatment
Sometimes the bones in the neck are in the wrong place, and
the little muscles near the bones are tense. This is called
"subluxation". It's like having a crick in your neck. The
nerves that lead out from the spine can be irritated when
there is a subluxation, and this can cause migraines. The
bones are very close to being in the right place, so a
medical doctor might say they are in the right place. A
chiropractor treats people by gently pushing the bones back
into place.
Stress on any part of the spine, as from lifting heavy
objects or sitting in a twisted position, can cause
subluxations in the neck, leading to migraine.
Some relief from migraine can be obtained by doing slow,
gentle stretching exercises of the neck. (Rolling motions or
sudden motions are not recommended.) Avoid sitting for a
long time with the head leaning forward, straining the neck.
Avoid lying on your back with your head raised on a pillow.
Lying on your back is OK with no pillow, or with a pillow
that supports the neck but doesn't raise the head much. When
lying on your side, a pillow should support the head and
neck. When sitting, for example at the computer, change
position frequently and check for things like tension in the
shoulders from supporting the arms.
Chiropractors usually ask their patients to be x-rayed on
the first visit, but you can ask your chiropractor to treat
you without the x-ray -- they can do this and normally do
for pregnant women.
The body of literature supporting a cervical spine (neck)
origin of headache is substantial.
Vernon [16] found that 90% of patients were satisfied with
chiropractic treatment of headache. (Note: numbers in square
brackets refer to the list of books and articles near the
end of this FAQ.)
In a study involving 200 patients, Jirout [9] reported
that...manipulation directed to the areas of fixation
resulted in complete relief in approximately 80% of
patients...
A landmark descriptive survey of a chiroparctor's experience
in the treatment of migraine headache was reported by Wight
[17]. Eighty seven patients were included, 34 with common
migraine and 53 with classical migraine. In the common
migraine group, 85% of the females and 50% of the males were
greatly improved. In the classical migraine group, 78% of
the females and 75% of the males were greatly improved.
Frykholm [5] describes the confusion associated in the
diagnosis of cervical ( neck) headache by stating: "In my
experience, cervical migraine is the type of headache most
frequently misinterpreted. Such patients have usually
received an inadequate treatment and have often become
neurotic and drug-dependent."
(20) Biofeedback
(20.1) Theory of biofeedback
With biofeedback, a person learns to control a body function
which was not under direct conscious control, but was
indirectly under conscious control.
Here is an example to explain what is meant by a body
function under indirect conscious control. Generally
speaking, a person can't decide to do the following: "I'll
flip a coin, and if it comes up heads, I'll immediately
make my heart beat faster, even though I'll still be
sitting down." However, a person can decide, "If the coin
comes up heads, then I'll put up my hand to ask a question
in front of this roomful of people, which I'm nervous about
doing." As soon as the person sees the coin come up heads,
their heart starts to pound because of their nervousness.
Yet all that happened was that they made a decision and
then flipped a coin. Thus, their conscious thoughts
affected the heart rate. In this way, heart rate is
indirectly under conscious control.
Body functions such as muscle tension, finger temperature,
and levels of some hormones in the blood (such as adrenalin
in the above example) are under indirect conscious control.
Some of these functions are involved in headaches.
Biofeedback means making information about one's body
available to the conscious mind. Devices which measure
muscle tension, finger temperature etc. and which supply
that information to the person are biofeedback devices.
Gradually, a person learns the semi-conscious thought
patterns that make the device show the desired result, such
as warm fingers. It's like learning to ride a bicycle. Once
the skill has been learned, the person can use it at any
time, without needing the biofeedback device. For example, a
person who has gone through many learning sessions with a
thermometer and has learned to warm their fingers can then
warm their fingers after that without using a thermometer.
(20.2) Handwarming biofeedback
Phase I of a migraine is similar to what the body does in
response to fear, though the reaction may have been caused
by a food the person ate rather than by actual fear. In
phase I, blood is reallocated out of the hands and head and
into the large muscles that would be used for running from
danger. The hands, especially the fingertips, become cold
when the blood is withdrawn. The feeling of confusion, or
inability to think clearly, that can accompany phase I is
similar to fainting from fear.
The pain occurs in phase II, when the blood vessels of the
head and neck over-react and re-expand to larger than the
normal size. The headache can be prevented by reducing the
severity of phase I, thus preventing phase II.
The level of the hormones in the blood that contract the
blood vessels, such as serotonin and adrenalin, can be
brought under semi-conscious control. By thinking relaxed
thoughts, the hormone level can be lowered. The serotonin
level is monitored by checking the temperature of the
fingertips and hands. During phase I, first the fingertips
and then the hands become cold. The finger temperature can
be checked either with a thermometer, or by touching the
fingertips to your cheeks. If they feel warm or hot, that's
good. They should be at body temperature. If they're cool or
cold, it could be either from being in a cold room, from
poor blood circulation due to diabetes or some other
condition, or from a phase I reaction.
After many attempts of trying to think relaxed thoughts and
checking the finger temperature, a person gradually learns
how to get into the right frame of mind to affect the
serotonin levels. Eventually, a person can decide to warm up
the fingers, meditate for a while, and the fingers become
warm. Under a lot of stress, for example if you're about to
speak in front of an audience, it may be impossible to warm
the fingers at that time, though attempting it may reduce
the severity of a migraine later. For learning, it's best to
use a low-stress situation such as sitting at home.
It normally requires trying several times a day for several
weeks before much progress is made. It helps to keep records
of the finger temperature before and after attempting
biofeedback.
A person who has learned biofeedback can become aware of
their finger temperature so that they notice when their
hands suddenly become cold. They can then take a break from
stressful activities, relax until their hands warm up, and
prevent a headache from happening. The feeling of confusion
and stress that usually accompanies phase I can mean that
you tend not to notice things like finger temperature at
that time -- you're too busy thinking about whatever is
causing the stress -- but eventually you can learn to
notice it.
Kohlenberg's book [11], which comes with a thermometer,
explains how to do handwarming biofeedback; unfortunately
this book seems to be out of print. It's easier to do
biofeedback when combining it with cognitive therapy (see
the psychology section of this FAQ).
(20.3) Other Biofeedback
Biofeedback devices can be used to monitor the tenseness of
muscles in the forehead, the amount of sweat on the
fingers, and other things. The person spends time learning
to make the muscles relaxed, the fingers dry, etc. These
forms of biofeedback can help with headaches. A migraine
usually involves some muscle tension in the head which adds
to the pain.
(21) Acupuncture, Aromatherapy and Myotherapy
(21.1) Acupuncture
One woman had been suffering from headaches for seven years.
Her condition was so severe, that the neurologist she had
been seeing recommended she have an operation to sever the
nerve over one eye. Instead, she tried acupuncture. After
her first treatment the headache started to subside. After
two more, it was gone completely.
On alt.support.headaches.migraine, some posters said
acupuncture helped their headaches. Some said it helped
somewhat, and others were enthusiastic about it helping a
lot. Other posters said it didn't help them at all. A few
said it made their headaches worse.
(21.2) Aromatherapy
Sniffing certain essential oils when you have a headache may
help treat migraines. The olfactory (smelling) organ in the
nose is connected to parts of the brain that control
emotions and hormone release. Peppermint, lavender, and
marjoram have been recommended.
The essential oils can be mixed with the edible kind of
alcohol and rubbed on the neck and forehead, also an
opportunity to massage these areas.
(21.3) Myotherapy
"Myotherapy...a method for relaxing muscle spasm, improving
circulation and alleviating pain. To defuse 'trigger point-
s,' pressure is applied to the muscle for several seconds
by means of fingers, knuckles and elbows. The success of
this method depends on the use of specific corrective exer-
cise for the freed muscles. The method was developed by Bo-
nnie Prudden in 1976."
-- Taber's Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary
(22) Nutritional Treatments
(22.1) Food Sensitivity
Many books agree that chocolate is the most likely food to
cause migraines. Other foods which can cause migraines
include avocados, pineapples, beans, peas, lentils, MSG,
pork, shrimp, pickled herring, alcohol, caffeine, cheese,
nitrites as preservatives in hot dogs and other processed
meats, and coconut. One person reports that chamomile or
valerian herbal tea can cause headaches.
The caffeine in chocolate is not the main reason chocolate
causes migraines. There's a group of substances called
amines, common in food, which are the main food trigger of
migraines. There are different amines in different foods.
The one in chocolate is the worst. The one in cheese is
called tyramine and is next worst. Hanington's book [8]
describes an experiment in which it was shown that
tyramine can cause migraines. Migraine people have less
monoamine oxidase (MAO), the enzyme in platelets that
breaks down amines.
The amount of tyramine in cheese varies tremendously by type
and even batch of cheese. Milk is OK, since the tyramine is
produced in the cheese-making process by microorganisms.
Other amines are found in other types of food. The reaction
to amines is not an allergy. The amines cause certain
hormones to be released in the body. Different amines may
cause migraines in different people.
Nitrites in foods can also cause migraines. Nitrites are
present in some processed meats such as hot dogs, sausages
and lunch meat; the nitrites are added as a preservative.
MSG (monosodium glutamate) may also cause migraines in
some people.
A web page [21] describes one person's discovery that it's
essential that food be quite fresh; older foods can cause
migraines, apparently. The bacterial action in the making of
cheese is what creates the tyramine in cheese -- perhaps
similar bacterial action can create migraine-producing
chemicals in a variety of foods such as milk which has been
sitting in the refrigerator a few days.
Each person needs to experiment to figure out which foods
give them migraines. This is not always easy to do. A
food might not cause a migraine every time it is eaten;
perhaps only when another cause of migraines happens at
the same time.
It's better to go on a very restricted diet for a while, a
week or a month, say, than to experiment by eliminating just
one suspicious food at a time. To illustrate this, suppose
you have a list of 20 suspicious foods, and that by
eliminating 5 of them you can cut your headaches in half,
from 10 a month down to 5 ... but you don't know that, and
you don't know which 5 foods are the bad ones. If you spend
20 months, eating everything except one food each month, you
will learn nothing. You will still have about 10 headaches a
month. Some months you'll have about 9 instead of 10, but
that's not enough to notice a difference: you probably vary
from 8 to 12 headaches a month anyway. However, if you stop
eating all 20 foods for a month, you'll notice something
interesting: you'll have only 5 headaches instead of 10. You
can then gradually re-introduce the suspicious foods. Now
that you have fewer headaches, you'll notice it if you have
a headache a few hours after eating a suspicious food. Make
sure your restricted diet contains all the vitamins and
other essential nutrients.
If you combine advice from several books, there will be
nothing left to eat! I recommend the restricted diet
suggested by Brainard [1] as a starting point for
experimentation. When I followed this diet, my migraines
diminished significantly, and over the following weeks,
months, and years I gradually tested and re-introduced to my
diet most of the disallowed foods. Some I went on and off
several times to test for subtle effects. I subjected myself
to several bad headaches to be completely sure I needed to
avoid chocolate!
(22.2) Blood Sugar
Studies show that when a migraine person eats refined sugar,
their blood sugar level goes up very high, then quickly
comes down again. [Low, 12]. Any kind of refined sugar
causes this effect: sucrose, glucose, etc. The blood sugar
level goes up and down so fast that a standard glucose
tolerance test with blood samples taken less often than
every 15 minutes can completely miss the effect. Many
migraine people have been told they're very normal after a
glucose tolerance test, but in fact they have a condition
similar to hypoglycemia.
Natural sugars, such as fruit, completely unprocessed sugar
cane juice, etc. do not cause this effect. Eating natural
sugar causes the blood sugar level to go up, but not as
high, and it doesn't come down so fast. There's something in
natural sugar that helps the body absorb it. Glucose
Tolerance Factor (GTF), a molecule containing chromium, may
be responsible. Chromium is usually present with natural
sugars, and is missing in refined sugar. It works with
insulin to help the body process sugar. There may be other
factors present in natural sugars, such as vitamins,
enzymes, etc., that are also important.
When refined sugar is eaten, the pancreas releases a lot of
insulin. For some reason, people who get migraines release
more than the normal amount of insulin. Insulin stimulates
the release of adrenalin. This starts phase I of a migraine.
Going without eating for 3 to 4 or more hours causes low
blood sugar levels which can also trigger a migraine.
In his book [12] Rodolfo Low recommends the following for
all migraine people. He claims that every person who has
followed these recommendations, including himself, has
completely eliminated migraines:
-- Do not eat any refined sugar. Not even small amounts.
Fruit should be fresh, not dried or cooked. Eat a wholesome
balanced diet of natural foods including fruit. -- Eat
every three hours. Have six small meals a day instead of
three. Have snacks of healthy foods at midmorning, midafter-
noon, and bedtime. -- Avoid drinking alcohol. -- Avoid
drugs that stimulate the pancreas. Many drugs taken for
other purposes also stimulate the pancreas, e.g. aspirin.
See the book [12] for a list of drugs to avoid.
[Above recommendations paraphrased by C.W.]
Strenuous exercise may cause low blood sugar which may lead
to migraines. (On the other hand, exercise generally
improves health in the long term and therefore may reduce
headaches.)
Many people are deficient in chromium. Eating refined sugars
leads to chromium deficiency. A supplement of GTF chromium
or chromium picolinate is helpful to hypoglycemic people and
can allow them to maintain good blood sugar levels when
going several hours without eating. Low has shown that
migraines are closely related to hypoglycemia, so perhaps
chromium supplements would help migraine people too. I used
to get a headache if I went 4 or 5 hours without eating;
with a chromium supplement (200
mcg/day, not a megadose) this is no longer the case. Someone
says she gets headaches when she takes chromium, though.
(7.3) Salt
A normal person who eats a very large amount of salt will
get a headache. Brainard [1] claims that for people who get
migraines, a smaller amount of salt can have the same
effect. He describes the hormonal processes that occur when
salt is eaten. [See his book for details.]
Everyone needs some salt (sodium chloride) in order to live.
Natural foods generally contain some salt. Processed foods
often have too much added salt.
Brainard recommends:
-- Moderate amounts of salt with meals are OK. -- No large
amounts of salt with meals. -- No salt at all between
meals; not even a salted cracker or a cookie cooked with
the usual large amount of salt. -- Avoid soups; these often
contain large amounts of added salt.
[Above recommendations paraphrased by C.W.]
During a migraine, a person makes more urine than usual. One
has to drink more in order to make up for the missing water
and avoid getting dehydrated. Drink if you're thirsty. It
has been recommended to drink 15 mls of water every 15
minutess to assist hydration.
(7.4) Nutritional Supplements
There are many vitamins and other essential nutrients which
can have an effect on the complex hormonal processes that
cause migraines.
The following supplements, taken regularly, can help:
-- vitamin C (is needed to convert tryptophan to serotonin)
-- vitamin B6 (also needed to convert tryptophan to
serotonin) -- niacin (see side effect warning under section
2) (is a form of vitamin B3; dilates blood vessels) --
choline -- tryptophan (is converted to serotonin in the
body, when needed) -- omega-3 essential fatty acids
(EFA's), e.g. unrefined, cold-pressed, uncooked flax seed
oil, nuts, seeds, wheat germ, some fish (EFA's are used by
the body to make prostaglandins) -- chromium? (See section
6.2.) -- magnesium; as much magnesium as you take calcium
(magnesium deficiency can also cause a craving for
chocolate.) -- someone says melatonin and B6 at bedtime
treats a headache. (melatonin affects the daily sleep
rhythm and should only be taken at bedtime; it may cause
the body to make less of its own melatonin, leading to a
dependency effect. Melatonin aids sleep and causes
drowsiness.) -- someone says sublingual vitamin B12 helps.
(7.5) Herbs
Feverfew helps many migraine sufferers. It's claimed by
some to be best to eat fresh leaves, one small leaf per
day. It should be taken regularly; benefit is seen after
6-8 weeks. Side effects include sore mouth, mouth ulcers
and upset stomach (and vivid dreams?). Damage to smooth
muscle or vasculature is indicated in some experiments: see
the Medicinal HerbFAQ [19] or do your own medline search
[20]. Take after eating. Someone warns not to take it if
pregnant as it is a natural abortifacient. Others state
three fresh leaves chewed and swallowed as soon as the
migraine commences can dispose of the migraine. It has a
very bitter taste.
Jacquie Naughton ([email protected]) uses a combination of
equal amounts of feverfew, lavender, sage, mint, lemon balm
and rosemary infused as a tea when she has a migraine.
Reishi mushroom is also said to help against migraines.
Tiger Balm rubbed on the pain has been used, but only helps
some people.
Someone recommended the book "Herbs for Headaches and
Migraine" [6].
See also the Medicinal HerbFAQ [19].
(8) Psychology
People often think thoughts that are just a little
frightening. When normal people think these thoughts,
nothing much happens. But migraine people have over-reactive
hormone systems, and adrenalin and other hormones are
released along with just slightly scary thoughts. A migraine
person may not feel scared at all, may claim to be relaxed,
but at the same time may be showing the physical symptoms of
fear. These symptoms may be partly resulting from various
chemical processes such as the foods the person ate.
However, they are also the result of thoughts.
The scary thoughts that bring on phase I of a migraine are
usually semi-conscious ... just outside the range of
conscious thinking. For instance, a migraine person may look
at a gift they're wrapping and consciously think, "Maybe I
should have bought something better." But at the same time,
in a semi-conscious way, the following thoughts flit rapidly
through the mind: "I'm no good at buying presents. People
will look down on me for being cheap. I might lose a
friendship." These thoughts go by so fast it's hard to pin
them down. But they're real, and are accompanied by cold
fingers and other symptoms of phase I of a migraine. The
person might not notice the symptoms. Later, when they have
a headache, they might not realize they had been under
stress. "I was just having fun quietly wrapping presents."
It helps to write down such thoughts. Kohlenberg [11]
recommends writing the thoughts down in the form of a proof
that either there's a threat to one's life or health, or
that a law of nature has been broken, i.e. that something
"should" be happening and isn't. Writing the thoughts out
slows them down so that they come under conscious scrutiny
and control. Then, on another part of the page, write down
arguments against each point. "I may not be the best in the
world, but I'm capable of buying reasonably good presents. I
have no evidence that people will look down on me, and if
they do it won't hurt me. If the friendship is worth keeping
it involves a lot more than just gifts."
It helps to avoid thoughts with words like "should" and
"ought" in them. Instead of thinking, "I should wash the
dishes now," think "I want to wash the dishes now." One good
way to eliminate a "should" thought is to start doing the
thing. If you don't want to, there's probably a good reason
not to. Then, instead of thinking, "I should ...", think, "I
decided not to... because ...". Accept that every decision
has both good and bad results.
It's useful to combine this technique with biofeedback. See
Kohlenberg's book for both. Since that book is difficult to
obtain, other books which are excellent for dealing in a
similar way with emotions (but which don't specifically
address headaches) are Burns [2] and Ellis [4], Greenberger
[7], and other books by the same authors.
(9) Nociceptive Appliances
The FDA has approved a device that prevents migraine pain
without drugs or surgery: the NTI-tss. ("Nociceptive
Trigeminal Inhibition Tension Suppression System").
Everybody tenses their temporalis muscles while sleeping.
Some migraine sufferers do so with such intensity, that it
causes morning headache and allows the stage to be set for
migraine attacks.
The special appliance makes the teeth bite together only
at the front. This stimulates a reflex to relax the jaw
muscles. The effect is similar to placing one's finger
or other object between the front teeth. It is removed
while eating.
In clinical trials submitted to the FDA and soon to be
published in "CRANIO: The Journal of Craniomandibular
Practice", 82% of migraine suffers had a 77% average
reduction of migraine events.
For more information, see the web page listed in the
links section [18]. The device can be obtained by seeing
your dentist.
involved in migraines. For both men and women, it's common
for migraines to begin around puberty. [8]. Women often
notice headaches corresponding to certain times of the
menstrual cycle. Menopause can mean fewer or no headaches
for some lucky women (or the onset of migraines for others).
Someone whose headaches stopped at menopause got headaches
when taking Premarin.
brings on headaches for other people. Nutritional treatments
can help reduce symptoms of pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS),
including headaches. ([13],[15]).
Birth-control pills contain artificial hormone-like
chemicals which are different molecules from the hormones
normally present in the body. They have some of the same
effects as real hormones, and some different effects -- they
have long lists of side effects which vary from one brand to
another and include migraines. Women who get migraines are
advised not to take these pills.
The modern processed diet tends to be deficient in omega-3
essential fatty acids. These EFA's are used by the body to
make prostaglandins, which in turn are converted into some
hormones. Supplementation of omega-3 and/or omega-6 EFA's is
helpful for some people.
It's normal during breast-feeding for a woman to have no
menstrual periods for a time which can be 3 months, 2 years
or more, averaging about 14 months. [10] For some, this is a
welcome rest from a range of symptoms which can include PMS
and headaches. Unfortunately, breast-feeding is often
disrupted, resulting in increased health risks to both
mother and baby and the inconvenience of early return of
menstrual cycles, along with the familiar accompanying
symptoms. The return of menstruation is an individual thing;
a slight reduction of nursing may bring it on in one woman,
while another may be nursing only a few times a day and
still not menstruate. Early return of menstruation can be
caused by:
(Things to avoid, if you don't want to start menstruating
soon
-- early weaning -- use of bottles or pacifiers --mother-baby separations, e.g. use of babysitters -- other
foods given to baby before about 6 months of age --
encouraging baby to "sleep through the night" -- limiting
breast-feeding, based on clocks and calendars
Speculation: It is known that pollutants such as pesticides,
PCB's and by-products of chlorine bleaching can act as
hormone mimics, disrupting the development of animals and
humans. Chemicals which mimic estrogen have been most
extensively studied, but pollutants mimic other hormones as
well. [3] Hormones are involved in migraines. Are migraines
more common these days than they used to be? Could migraines
sometimes be partly caused by hormone-disrupting pollutants?
(10) Books/articles
[11] Brainard, John B., 1979. Control of Migraine. W.W.
Norton & Co., New York -- London.
[12] Burns, David. Feeling Good: A New Mood Therapy
[13] Colborn, Theo, Dianne Dumanoski, and John
Peterson Myers, 1996. Our Stolen Future. Penguin
Books, New York, NY.
[14] Ellis, Albert. A New Guide to Rational Living
[15] Frykholm R. Cervical Migraine: the clinical pictures.
In : Hirsch C, Zotterman Y, eds. Cervical pain. Oxford,
Great Britain: Pergamon Press 1972; 13-16.
[16] Gosling, Nalda. Herbs for Headaches and Migraine. ISBN
0-7225-0396-2 Thorsons Publishing Ltd. 1978.
[17] Greenberger, Dennis and C.A. Padeskey. Mind Over Mood.
ISBN 0898621283 Guilford Press, 1995.
[18] Hanington, Edda, MD MRCP, 1980. The Headache Book.
Technomic, Westport CT.
[19] Jirout J. Comments regarding the diagnosis and
treatment of dysfunctions in the C2-3 segment. Manual
Medizin 1985; 2:1617.
[20] Kippley, Sheila. Breastfeeding and Natural Child
Spacing.
[21] Kohlenberg, R.J. Migraine Relief: A Personal
Treatment Program
[22] Low, Rodolfo, 1987. Migraine: The Breakthrough Study
That Explains What Causes It and How it Can Be
Completely Prevented Through Diet. Henry Holt & Co.
Inc. New York NY.
[23] Nazzarro, Dr. Ann, and Dr. Donald Lombard, with Dr.
David Horrobin, 1985. The PMS Solution: Premenstrual
Syndrome: The Nutritional Approach. Eden Press,
Montreal -- London.
[24] Sacks, Oliver. Migraine. ISBN 0-330-32988-X Picador/Pan
Books, 1993.
[25] Shannon, M. Fertility, Cycles and Nutrition.
[26] Vernon H. Manipulative therapy in the chiropractic
treatment of headaches: a retrospective and prospective
study. J Manipulative Physiol Ther 1982; 5:109-12
[27] Wight JS. Migraine: a statistical analysis of
chiropractic treatment. J Am Chiro Assoc 1978;
12: 363-67.
(28) Links
[29] Nociceptive Appliances http://www.nti-tss.com
[30] Medicinal HerbFAQ http://ibiblio.org/herbmed/faqs/medi-
cont.html or http://www.cis.ohio-
state.edu/hypertext/faq/usenet/medicinal-herbs
[31] Medline searches for titles/abstracts of medical
experiments: ttp://www4.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/PubMed/
[32] This page says that food which is not fresh can cause
migraines: http://www.oases.com/Migraines.html (page no
longer accessible)
[33] Tips on starting an MSG-free diet
http://www.magicnet.net/~btnature/page11.html
[34] Migraine Association of Canada
http://www.migraine.ca/default.htm
[35] Migraine Action Association (UK)
http://www.migraine.org.uk/
[36] New Zealand Migraine Sufferers Support Group
http://www.migraine.co.nz/
[37] Migraine: Sites Francophones http://www.chu-
rouen.fr/ssf/pathol/migraine.html
[38] Rhonda's Migraine Page
http://www.migrainepage.com/index.html (includes a
migrainepage chat room)
[39] Migraine and Magnesium Deficiency
http://www.execpc.com/~magnesum/migraine.html
[40] Light Therapy for PMS, Migraine, SAD...
http://www.lightmask.com/
(41) About the author of this FAQ
I've had migraines since about age 16. Sometimes I had daily
mild headaches and often worse ones. Using some of the
natural treatments listed here, I've mostly eliminated them.
I'm interested in many things: nutrition, alternative
medicine, evolution, societal cooperation, barter,
mathematics, car-free living, psychology and
psycholinguistics, midwifery, breast-feeding, and natural
family planning. My web page has information on a barter
system I invented, on Natural Family Planning, and on
Explorers, that is, people with a drive to think creatively.
I hope to put up sections on breastfeeding, teaching
phonics, and family discipline.
Parts of this FAQ were written/contributed by other people.
I've left off names for privacy reasons; if you're one of
these people let me know if you want your name mentioned.
Thanks to all who contributed.
Comments are welcome but to be honest I rarely get around
to updating the FAQ. Polite criticism is welcome.
Messages containing emotionally-charged criticism or
strongly pejorative language will be ignored. Do not
include a copy of this whole FAQ, or any other large
files, in your email. Please don't email me about
products you're selling even if they're to help with
migraines. Word your message so I can see it's not spam.
I'm always happy to hear about it if you found this FAQ
useful. Very specific information about important dangers
of any treatment mentioned here is welcome.
Cathy Woodgold [email protected].
http://www.ncf.carleton.ca/~an588
(42) Disclaimer
This information about natural migraine treatments,
collected from various sources, is provided for your
convenience. Though effort has been made to make it
accurate, it may contain errors, omissions or inaccuracies.
It is hoped that readers will tell me about any errors. It
is not to be considered to be medical advice. Different
things work for different people. Some of the suggestions
here may actually increase headache pain for some people,
or cause other problems. If you decide to use any of the
treatments mentioned here, you are responsible for that
decision and for any effects that occur. You may wish to
collect information from other sources before beginning to
use the treatments mentioned here. Some headaches are
caused by other serious problems requiring other treatment;
this FAQ only discusses migraines. If the author knows of
serious safety problems, they will probably be mentioned
here, but absence of specific warnings does not constitute
a statement or guarantee that the treatments are safe. Any
nutritional supplement can be harmful in very large
amounts. This FAQ is provided with no warranty of any kind.
Life is full of unknowns.
(43) Copyright
Copyright (c) 2001 Catherine Woodgold Copies for personal
use or to give to a friend are allowed and encouraged, but
it is requested that instead of putting a copy of the FAQ on
your web site, you put a link to it, so that any updates
will show immediately. When copying this FAQ do not make any
changes or deletions.