MTCA Magazine January 2013 issue by North American Spine

Drug Free Migraine Resolutions for 2013

Also in this issue: • • • • • • •

Coenzyme Q10 Could Be Migraine Treatment Gaming Addiction Could Be Triggering Migraines Chronic Migraines Shown to Affect School Performance Celebrity Lifestyle May Trigger Chronic Migraines Post-Holiday Migraine Gift Guide Jet-lag Aid Might Help Your Migraines Data Suggests Workweek Migraine Treatments Needed

Migraine Treatment Centers of America Courtesy Magazine january 2013

Drug Free Migraine Resolutions for 2013

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It has been said that when we put things in writing, we are more likely to follow through on intention. Since migraines respond to positive lifestyle modification, check out these 10 easy New Year’s Resolutions…

Eat Nutritiously

Banish Trigger Foods

Hydrate

Supplement

Relax

Exercise

Do Massage Therapy

Sleep Tight

Conquer Stress

Create a Supportive Surrounding

Veggies, lean protein and whole grains provide important nutrients like vitamin B2, magnesium and omega-3 fatty acids. One at a time and track your migraine response. Culprits include chocolate, aged cheese, processed meat and red wine. Prevent migraines from dehydration. Check with your doctor before adding minerals and vitamins. Mind body techniques like Yoga, Tai Chi and meditation perk up body and soul. Add fresh air to 20-30 minutes of daily de-stressing aerobic activity for a health and mood booster. Treat yourself to massage treatments that relieve muscular and emotional tension. Get 7-9 hours of zzz’s daily. Develop coping strategies with behavioral therapy. Supportive friends, family and pets relieve stress and tension.

So, put your pen to paper or journal, and get cracking on those migraine preventing New Year’s Resolutions!

Coenzyme Q10 May Be a Migraine Treatment

Isn’t Coenzyme Q10, (ubiquinone, often called CoQ10), the new trendy anti-aging skin care product? Absolutely! This fascinating supplement may have a wide array of health benefits.

It has been linked with brightening complexions, aiding in cardiovascular health, treating gum disease, boosting compromised immune systems, helping Parkinson’s, increasing male fertility and relieving chronic migraineurs. Produced naturally in the body, CoQ10 is an anti-oxidant that’s instrumental in helping to provide cellular energy. Coenzymes allow enzymes to speed up necessary bio-chemical processes. Some believe CoQ10 supplements enhance athletic and physical performance, and even prolong life. A 2002 study from the Jefferson Headache Center in Philadelphia, PA found that the frequency of episodic migraines decreased at a growing rate over three months in response to CoQ10. A later 2005 study from the University Hospital Zurich in Switzerland found that CoQ10, compared with a placebo, was better at preventing migraine headaches and nausea.

If you are considering trying CoQ10 for chronic migraines, check with your physician as you would before taking any drug. This may turn out to be the magic bullet striking your migraines, wrinkles and lagging energy all in one shot! © Can Stock Photo Inc. / yuriyzhuravov

Gaming Addiction Could Be Triggering Migraines

Are you obsessed with winning badges, reaching higher levels and beating your virtual opponents in World of Warcraft and Angry Birds? Unless nature…or work… calls, are you content gaming for endless hours? If you also suffer with headaches or chronic migraine, ‘gaming’ may be the trigger. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, tension headaches may arise from sitting in the same position and playing video games for too long. Muscle tension may cause neurotransmitter levels to fluctuate, sending pain signals to the brain. They also send pain signals during migraine attacks. The following are ‘gaming headache triggers:’ • Ear-splitting firing weapons, vehicles crashing and loud music • Vibrating “bass” that ‘rolls’ through your body • Flashing lights and images • Heightened stress for long periods • Body tension and stiffness from sitting with terrible posture • Dehydration and poor nutrition habits of the gaming ‘lifestyle’ (salty snacks without water breaks)

Depression has also been linked to both addictive behaviors like video gaming, as well as chronic tension or migraine headaches. As with most things, moderation and selfawareness are the keys to balancing fun with good health.

Chronic Migraines Shown to Affect School Performance

Now there is scientific support to validate your suspicion that your child’s lagging school grades may have something to do with his/her migraines. A research study out of Brazil, published recently in Neurology, found that kids with migraines were more likely to perform below average in school compared with their headache-free counterparts. It also noted these kids were more likely than those with tension headaches to miss a day of school or leave before the end of a school day within a sixmonth period.

Treating migraines in kids can be tricky since some medications and interventional methods may be inappropriate. Here is some assistance you can provide as a parent: • Make sure your child is well rested before heading to school each day. • Communicate with the school nurse and teachers about your child’s condition and medication requirements, so everyone is prepared to help. • With your child, set up a calm and predictable daily schedule. • Educate your child about migraine prevention, recognizing warning signs and self-care.

Learning these coping skills now will help your kids become better learners in school and throughout life. © Can Stock Photo Inc. / ilona75

Celebrity Lifestyle may Trigger Chronic Migraines It’s a migraineur’s worst nightmare: thousands of feet in the air among the clouds, and trapped in a plane when you’re slammed with the worst migraine ever! This is exactly what happened to rapper Lil Wayne mid-flight from Texas to Los Angeles. According to reports published in the New York Daily News, the private jet made an emergency landing so he could be hospitalized for dehydration and severe migraine. Flying anytime soon? Try these strategies to prevent mid-flight migraine misery of your own:

• Be Prepared: Make sure you are

following your regularly prescribed preventative treatment. If you take abortive medication or pain relievers, be sure to pack them in your carry-on so they’re within reach during your flight.

• Limit Stress: Plan ahead to avoid

frenzied pre-travel packing, work catchup and errands. Get plenty of ZZZ’s before traveling.

• Hydrate: Prevent dehydration from air travel before, during and after flying with plenty of H2O. Skip the alcoholic beverages.

Famous rappers can always opt for luxury tour bus travel. Although this may not be possible for non-famous migraineurs, landbased travel options abound. When flying is unavoidable, the above strategies may help prevent air-borne migraine misery. © Can Stock Photo Inc. / photosoup

Post-Holiday Migraine Gift Guide

ÂŠ Can Stock Photo Inc. / Geleol

Relax! This gift is for YOU! Are you like millions

of guilt-ridden people looking at piles of unwanted gifts like scratchy reindeer sweaters and hi-tech wine-bottle openers from Aunt Louise and best buddy Bob? Forget the guilt and avoid triggering a migraine from stress over it. It’s time to exchange those unwanted presents for some anti-migraine treats like the following:

Delightful Delectables • Sulfite-free white wine • Gift basket with exotic fruit, nuts and soothing peppermint-ginger infused herbal teas to ease nausea symptoms, and black tea for a needed caffeine shot

Preventative Presents • Stress relieving meditation CDs or DVDs • Massage therapy treatments • Noise canceling headphones to block out migraine-triggering loud music or noise

Soothing Statements • Heat/Cold Packs – various themed and fuzzy versions of these packs can be microwaved or placed in the freezer. Warm packs ease muscle tension and cold packs soothe pain. • Aromatherapy accessories – while certain smells might trigger migraines, others like lavender may calm the senses.

Remember, your loved ones want you to be happy and not anxious over useless gizmos.

Jet-lag Aid Might Help Your Migraines

Frequent international multi-time zone travelers swear by it, to help return to work in their own time zone. People who struggle with insomnia turn to it for relief.

Though medical practitioners don’t normally prescribe melatonin for migraines, there is some research suggesting it may help. Melatonin, a hormone secreted by the pineal gland in the brain, plays a role in the function our circadian rhythms (or internal clocks) that regulate our sleeping cycles. A 2004 study published in Neurology, from the Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein in Brazil, found that daily melatonin before bedtime helped reduce the number and severity of migraines in two thirds of the subjects tested. Melatonin may also help with migraine treatment in individuals taking beta-blockers, which often cause interrupted sleep. The National Institutes of Health MedlinePlus reports that a recent study, out of Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, found melatonin might help individuals taking betablockers improve the quality of their sleep. These drugs, often prescribed for migraines, can also lead to insomnia or fragmented sleep.

A physician should be consulted before trying melatonin as some people may experience adverse side effects, and it can interfere with other medications.

Data Suggests Workweek Migraine Treatments Needed

Scientists from Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston conducted a study indicating that migraines and headaches increase during the workweek, peak on Tuesdays and taper off by Fridays. To uncover this trend, they tracked 5 years of Google searches and Twitter posts that included the words ‘headache’ and ‘migraine.’ Can’t quit your job and move to a mountaintop? At least you can be prepared by tailoring your migrainefighting strategies throughout the week.

Schedule Sleep

Calm your home about one hour before heading to bed. Ban media from your bedroom.

Lunch Smart

Avoid migraine-triggering foods like nitrate-loaded cold cuts and aged cheese. Opt for unprocessed lean sandwich meat and fresh veggies. Skip candy bars and reach for fresh fruit.

Cut Coffee

Anticipate afternoon energy drops with healthy snacks like almonds, dried fruit, juice and water. If you can do it, take advantage of your lunch hour to do some quick exercise. It will help to take a break from work-related stress, wake you up for the afternoon stretch, and reduce some of those cravings for migraine-producing foods.

The magazine exclusively for patients and friends of Migraine Treatment Centers of America

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