The Migraine Beast

The migraine headache is a beast in and of itself. It has the potential to render its victims debilitated and loss for anything productive. Migraines are the number one reason for people to miss work due to an illness. Even though migraine headaches affect millions of Americans each year, they are not actually an illness; they are more like a condition that affects the vascular and neurological centers in the brain. This condition has no cure and as of right now many doctors don’t even know the most effective way to treat the migraine condition without the use of prescription meds. And these meds tend to come with more side effects than relatable help for the many migraine symptoms.

Risking A Migraine Is Not All Your Fault

As the migraine begins to formulate the body begins to react. The body reaction to a developing migraine differs between migraine patients but they all end with the same conclusion – intense head pain. So to help out the worrying migraine sufferer, I am going to list several risk factors for migraine headaches. If you check more than two risk factors off than you might want to be proactive and speak with your medical professional as soon as possible.

• Gender – out of the millions of people that suffer with migraines 18% of the migraine sufferers are women. This statistic is not limited to the United States only but relevant to women across the globe. During childhood or adolescents, the frequencies of migraines between sexes were not that different but a drastic increase in migraine headaches in females become apparent as they neared puberty. The reason being that as a female enters puberty her hormone levels especially her estrogen levels. It is common for women to complain of migraines during her monthly menstrual, these headaches are often referred to as menstrual migraines.
• Age – one’s age can be a risk factor, if you are between the ages of 15 and 55 you are still in an age group where migraine headaches can be common occurrences. During childhood, migraines are less frequent but not nonexistent. Research has shown that children who suffer from migraines typically will grow out of them as they age, unless other factors are involved.
• Family Genetics – a rather large statistic says that those individuals that come from a family history of migraine sufferers will most likely be at risk of suffering from chronic migraines as well.
• Medical Concerns – men and women that have a history of medical concerns such as depression, anxiety, stroke, epilepsy and high blood pressure are more susceptible to migraines than people who have not suffered with any of the listed medical concerns.

Treating The Risk Factors Accurately

Now anyone can walk into most medical facilities and have a doctor write a prescription for migraine treatment; however it is important for migraine sufferers to understand that often those prescription medications come with the baggage of negative side effects. There are however many alternative therapies available for migraine treatment that would be considered both holistic and natural treatment, these therapies have been through multiple studies and their effects in the area of migraine treatment are both effective and highly beneficial. A few of the most common alternative therapies available for migraine treatment are Acupuncture, Biofeedback, Chiropractic as well as Massage Therapy.

• Acupuncture – Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese practice that involves the insertion of very fine needles into certain points of the body; it has been proven to be very effective for migraine treatment. It is important that a properly trained person administer this type of therapy, but the good news is that the pain relief that is associated with acupuncture in regards to migraines can last for months.
• Biofeedback – Studies have shown that biofeedback is a legitimate management for pain and has shown great results for long term relief in the world of migraine treatment.
• Chiropractic – Chiropractic care or spinal manipulation therapy has been a proven method in migraine treatment. Studies have shown that in the case of tension and migraine headaches, manipulative therapy can be as effective as preventative medications in helping to ward off the onset of migraines. Once a migraine has begun, chiropractic therapy can also greatly reduce the painful symptoms if care is given in a timely manner.
• Massage – Massage Therapy can be a very useful migraine treatment, especially if the headaches and migraines are triggered by stress or tension. A massage therapist is trained in working the muscles around the head, neck, shoulders, and back in order to increase blood flow in those areas and help relieve muscle tension.

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