Health

Migraines, a common but hidden pain

One in ten people suffer from migraine headaches with symptoms that may include intense head pain, light or visual difficulties, sound sensitivity and nausea. The intensity of the pain is such that it often results in a form of social self- isolation, usually a retreat to a quiet dark room.

A big frustration for half of all migraine sufferers is that the source of their pain is not able to be found. Imagine having a debilitating, life changing condition that takes over your life at random, for no reason. Imagine being in intense pain for days or weeks at a time. Worse still, consider how you would feel if the sound of your childrens’ voices increases your head pain. What would you do if the lights in the office or your computer screen intensifies your pain and dulls your ability to think? How long would your boss and colleagues be able to cover your lost time at work? Children can experience similar difficulties with sound and headaches. Ear pain and nausea can be triggered by high pitched noise, typical of those found every day in the school environment. It takes little imagination to understand those children’s apprehension, frustration, embarrassment, and pain. They don’t want to be there; they can’t concentrate or retain what they are expected to learn. It’s not surprising that these children may just want to curl up in a ball on the floor or escape outside. Headaches and migraines rank as the third most common ailment suffered globally. Thankfully half of migraine sufferers are helped by medication, changing diets, and managing stress, but that leaves many others still looking for solutions. How to fix it? Someone who has post- concussion symptoms, which may be the same as migraine symptoms, can eliminate stress or diet as the source of their pain. However, it is possible that the undiagnosed cause of intense headaches and migraines can be sourced at the head, with the bump or blow not remembered because it happened in childhood or even adulthood. A big clue comes from those who have had concussions. The most common symptoms for post concussive people include headaches, neck pain, light and sound sensitivity, concentration issues and memory loss. After a bang to the head and neck it is important that the bones and soft tissues in the area are assessed for localised pain when touched, for changes in shape, and changes in ability to move.

With technological advances, assessment tools like a very simple bio magnetic scanner can add to the findings of MRI scans or X-rays. These tools help to identify if one, or several, of the 23 bones in the head, or elsewhere, has been hurt and needs attention.

Physiotherapist, Walter Geuren says that advances in the understanding of physiological systems provides inroads for resolution of long-standing chronic problems or acute pain and he is seeing positive results when applying those systems. “I have been a physio for many years, and I am now seeing changes happen for chronic conditions that have never responded before. New acute conditions also respond faster allowing people to be back at work or engaging in their sport in less time. And that is surprising and very exciting,”