A traditional Chinese medical procedure acupuncture uses very fine hair like needles to release chi, or energy, from some of the more than 800 energy points located throughout your body. These energy points run on meridian lines that go from head to toe.

Your life energy or chi, pronounced as chee, runs through these meridian lines and energy points. The basis of the technique is that chi when blocked causes illness and or pain and blockages can be caused by poor diet, weather and many other outside factors.

Acupuncture treatment plans are developed by practitioners that take into account not just the blockages but also the causes of them. In a similar way to modern western medicine diet and lifestyle changes are often incorporated in this plan in order to address the patients needs in a holistic manner.

If you decide to try acupuncture to relieve your migraines you need to able to tell the acupuncturist exactly where the pain is. There are a large number of acupuncture points in the head, face and neck. Pressure needs to be applied where the pain is worst.

It is possible for those suffering from migraine headaches to find long term relief through consulting an acupuncturist who has specialized in treating the cause of migraine headaches. As part of the migraine headaches treatments your specialist will put together an individual patient assessment and from that create a long term treatment plan. Many sufferers who embark on an acupuncture program like this find relief from their headaches that lasts for years afterwards. For some this form of migraine headaches treatments has proved so good their headaches stop completely.

People who suffer with migraines, though, are far more likely to develop depression than people who do not have these severe headaches.

On the other hand, people who are depressed are more likely to suffer with migraines.

Scientists view the marriage of migraine and depression as a chicken and egg scenario.

Does one cause the other? If so, which one starts the whole process, the migraine or the depression?

The answer is never simple. Migraines, depression, and, surprisingly, insomnia, are in fact associated with both inflictions and have something in common.

All three are in a way associated with the lack of neurotransmitters in the brain.

Professionals believe that while they are associated with, depression and migraine headaches both have distinct causes with the same neurobiology.

Doctors blamed depression in migraine suffers on their loss of life quality.

Now it looks as though the link between the two is a biological shared condition rather than psychological one.

A danger for clinically depressed migraine sufferer is possible pharmaceutical interaction between their depression medication and their migraine medication.

July 2006 the FDA recognized one such red zone, that of mixing triptans for migraines with SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) or SNRIs (serotonin and nor epinephrine uptake inhibitors), used to treat depression.

By having a marriage of these drugs can lead to a nasty condition called serotonin syndrome.

This condition occurs when the serotonin levels in the body are too much.

Symptoms can involve hallucinations, heart rate and body temperature fluctuations, quick changes in blood pressure, and stomach complaints.

Sometimes a migraine sufferer has no other choice but to take these pills together, but the need to discuss options with their medical practitioner is paramount.

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When a migraine strikes, many migraine suffers head for home and settle in to wait out the excruciating pain.

This in fact may be the problem????

While today’s studies of rare migraines types show the condition to be about sixty percent inherited, the other forty environmental.

If someone already prone to migraines is exposed to an environmental trigger, this is often enough to start proceedings for a migraine to ensue.

Can migraine suffers make sure their homes aren’t giving them headaches? A process of elimination one thing at a time is needed. Things to look out for:

* Carbon monoxide. This is odorless, colorless, and a poisonous gas can come from poorly ventilated, furnaces, fireplaces, gas appliances, or vehicles running in the garage. Installing carbon monoxide detectors and checking the batteries regularly may not only prevent migraines, it could save a life.

* Tobacco smoke. Whether it’s a cigarette or a pipe, ask smokers to smoke outside.

* Water-borne impurities. Eliminating potential chemical trouble from the taps can be as simple as a small water filtering jug for drinking water. For extremely sensitive people a household filtration system may be the answer

* Common household allergens, mold, mildew, and dust mites. Regular changing of the air filter and switching to cotton sheets both help with these household horrors.

* Pesticides. No one wants to share their home with insects and rodents, but the chemicals used to repel them may be inviting in migraines. Switching to organic pest control may help.

* Migraine suffers who are allergic to their pet hairs, may want to consider allergy treatment to help them live with the problem.

* Cleaning solutions. The number and variety of dangerous chemicals found in cleansers is mind boggling. Switching to all-natural cleansers may clean up migraines.

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Another interesting example can be the food allergy. When ever you have a headache immediately followed by eating something it means that you are suffering with an allergy headache. Usually the allergy headaches are accompanied with the hives, difficulty in breathing, swelling of lips, vomiting, and / or rapid heartbeats! In case are facing the similar trouble next time, consult your doctor immediately as it might turn out to be a serious one!

Now a point worth mentioning here is that often people get confused that the headache they are going through is migraine or the allergy headache.

The idea is that the triggers that give rise to an allergy in case of some of the individuals, for some others these trigger migraine. So to locate the difference is not an easy task.

For example consider an allergy and a headache ailment – Nasal allergies also known as hay fever & migraine. The scientists have proved in a recent study that almost 34% of patients who were suffering with hay fever were also suffering with migraine. And on the contrary, only 4% of the cases who had migraine did not have hay fever. The link, as the study shows, can yet not be defined clearly – it might be histamines that are also incidentally the triggers for migraine. To differ among the two, you can bank on congestion. In cases of migraine the patients would also suffer with congestion.

Hi, I am Anuradha Goel, a web content writer from India. I have been writing about various medical, travel and technical topics for last 5 years. I hope the information shared in this article helps you.

This intertwining of depression and migraine is viewed by many scientists as a chicken and egg situation. Which came first? The two are obviously co-morbid but does one really cause the other and if so which one? There is no simple answer. Migraine, depression and not surprisingly insomnia, which is associated with both these conditions, have in common that they are all associated with neurotransmitter, or serotonin, deficiencies in the brain.

Depression and migraine headaches are thought by doctors to be related even though they both have clear causes with related neurobiology. For many years doctors thought the resultant loss of quality of life experienced by migraine sufferers was a result of depression brought on by the debilitating effect of the headaches. The link now between the two is thought to be a shared biological mechanism as opposed to psychological.

There is a potential danger for migraine sufferers afflicted with depression in that there may be adverse drug interactions between the migraine and depression medications. The FDA acknowledged one such danger in 2006. Mixing triptans for migraines with SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) or SNRIs (serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors) used in the treatment of depression and other mood disorders may result in a condition called serotonin syndrome.

This syndrome comes about because of excess serotonin in the body. This can produce symptoms such as hallucinations, raised heart rate, increased body temperature, rapid changes in blood pressure and stomach upsets. Taking these medications together is obviously not wise however there will be times when there is no option other than to use them together but it is important to bear in mind the possibility of serotonin syndrome occurring in these circumstances.

Your cause of migraine may not be depression just as migraines may not be the cause of your depression as there are many other triggers that can set a headache off. For more information on the cause of migraine visit http://www.causeofmigraine.org.

The problem of caffeine is even more difficult for those who discover their daily fix of caffeine is the trigger that starts their headaches off. Withdrawal headaches are often experienced by regular caffeine drinkers when they cut back in an effort to curtail their headaches. And if they are already prone to getting headaches the headache they experience when they stop the caffeine intake is likely to be a humdinger. Ideally therefore you should reduce your caffeine intake on a gradual and measured basis so that you do not shock your body into withdrawal.

You will find that many of the specialised migraine pain relievers contain caffeine. Caffeine exerts a vasoconstrictive action which helps to relieve the pain of a migraine. When suffering a migraine the blood vessels in your head dilate for some uncertain reason. This then stretches the nerves that are wrapped around the blood vessels causing inflammation and pain. Caffeine, as a vasoconstrictor, attempts to bring the size of the blood vessels back towards their regular size which then helps to reduce the pain. Caffeine also acts as a supplement to the main analgesic and helps to boost its performance helping it to fight your migraine pain far more effectively than if there was no caffeine present at all.

Caffeine is present in many foods and drinks so if it is potentially a cause of a migraine or a problem for you you need to check labels very carefully. We all know caffeine is found in drinks like colas and coffee but it is also found in many clear and fruit flavored sodas. It is also found in chocolate and in many over the counter medications although these may not always be effectively labelled.

The cause of migraine can be many and varied with no one answer for those who suffer. Further more comprehensive information is available at http://www.causeofmigraine.org.

Traditional Chinese Medicine details more than 800 energy points in the human body which are located along meridians which run through your body. Your life energy, or chi, is believed to flow along these lines and through the energy points. In healthy people this energy flows fluently. Illness and pain is thought to be caused by blocked energy lines.

To release chi and invigorate the body’s healing mechanisms acupressure massage exerts pressure to these energy points. Pressure is brought to bear on these energy points by massaging the body with fingers, thumbs or blunt or rounded objects.

The easiest acupressure technique a migraineur can learn is the complete head massage. All you need to do is massage your head as if you were washing your hair with shampoo. You can do this yourself by sitting at a table with your elbows resting on it and your head sitting lightly in your hands. This should prove to be the least tiring method of doing it.

The best relief for the migraine pain is to apply pressure to the GB20 points which are located on either side of the neck, about one inch to each side of the spinal column and just below where the skull and neck muscles join. The Chinese terminology for this location is “The gates of Consciousness”.

Press firmly on your GB20 points with your thumbs for a couple of minutes at a time and breathe deeply and this will bring relief from your headache and neck pain. If this proves to be painful at first, start off by exerting pressure for only five to fifteen seconds at a time.

There are migraine headaches treatments that are available and effective. So next time you experience a migraine headache try this migraine headaches treatment before reaching for the painkillers.

No matter what your cause of migraine is there are effective migraine headaches treatments available, some of which, like acupressure don’t require the use of drugs or painkillers. Find out more about your cause of migraine and the migraine headaches treatments available to you

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Types of Migraine:

• Migraine without aura, also known as “common migraine”.

• Migraine with aura

• Others: basilar artery migraine, hemiplegic migraine, ophthalmoplegic migraine, retinal migraine, abdominal migraine etc.

Symptoms:

The signs and symptoms of migraine attacks vary greatly among individuals. There are 4 phases of a migraine attack commonly described, but not all phases are experienced by all individuals.

Prodrome Phase:

Prodromal symptoms occurs in about 40 – 60% of migraine sufferers. Symptoms include altered mood, irritability, fatigue, yawning, craving for certain foods etc, and may precede the actual headaches by several hours or days.

Aura Phase:

These migraine auras may be visual, sensory or motor disturbances, with the visual auras being, by far, the most common. Visual disturbances may include flashes of light, zigzag lines, cloudy vision etc. These auras usually do not last more than an hour.

Headache Phase:

Migraine headaches are typically severe, throbbing/pulsating, one-sided headaches, lasting from several hours to as long as 3 days. The headaches are usually accompanied by nausea, with or without vomiting. Typically, migraine sufferers in this phase, get comfort by sleeping in a darkened and quiet room.

Postdrome Phase:

This is the “hangover” phase, where one feels tired and weak.

Triggers:

Many factors can potentially trigger a migraine attack. These factors include:

• Emotional, mental or physical stress

• Changes in sleep pattern

• Bright lights, loud noises, certain odours

• Weather changes

• Alcohol

• Smoking or exposure to smoke

• Alcohol

• Hormone related eg. menstrual cycle fluctuations, taking oral contraceptive pills

• Certain foods eg. foods containing tyramine (eg. red wine, aged cheeze), monosodium glutamate (MSG), nitrates (in bacon, salami, sausages), chocolates, nuts, banana, citrus, diary products, onions etc.

Management:

The management of migraine headaches involves treating the acute attacks and preventing future attacks by taking of prophylactic medication and avoiding triggers.

Treatment of acute attacks:

1. Simple pain-killers such as paracetamol (with or without a muscle relaxant) and the NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) group of medication, may be used for pain relief. An anti-emetic (anti-vomiting) may be added to control nausea.

2. Ergot derivatives eg. Ergotamine are also useful as abortive rescue medication for acute attacks.

3. Triptans eg. Sumatriptan, Zolmitriptan, Naratriptan, Eletriptan, are also effective in aborting acute attacks.

Prophylactic treatment:

Prophylaxis (preventive) treatment should be considered with your doctor if your headaches are very frequent A whole range of medication can be used for prophylaxis and they may include beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, antidepressants, anticonvulsants, NSAIDS, angiotensin blockers etc.

Trigger Avoidance:

A “migraine diary” is useful in helping to identify possible triggers. Unless one knows what triggers one’s migraine, it would be impossible to avoid them.

Dr Ang C.D. is has been in medical practice for over 12 years. He graduated with an M.B.B.S. degree from the National University of Singapore in 1997 and subsequently completed his post-graduate diploma in Family Medicine.

He has had training in Emergency Medicine, Internal Medicine, Geriatric Medicine, Orthopaedic Surgery, Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Neurosurgery, General Surgery, Colorectal Surgery and Urology.

Dr Ang currently practices in a family clinic in Singapore, seeing a good mix of paediatric, adult and geriatric patients.

With the goal of providing local and international patients with a resource for specialist care in Singapore, Dr Ang has founded SingaporeDoc.com, a Web Directory of Specialists in Private Practice in Singapore.

http://singaporedoc.com

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