The Pros & Cons Of Treating Migraine Pain With Medications Verses Other Options

When it comes to the treatment of migraine pain, often times the first line of defense and the route that doctors and physicians choose is the medications route. Prescription and nonprescription medications can help to reduce the symptoms that go along with migraine pain, but often times they can treat the symptoms at a cost of causing other negative side effects.

Using Preventative Medications for Migraine Pain

There are those who experience chronic or regularly occurring episodes of migraine pain, for those individuals there is a great need to find some form of preventative treatment, and often times preventative treatment comes in the form of prescription medications. The most frequently used preventative medications for migraine pain are Antidepressants, Cardiovascular drugs, as well as Anti-seizure medications. The pros of using these forms of preventative medications for migraine pain are that these medications can help to decrease the occurrence, severity, and even duration of the migraine pain attacks. However, there are cons to taking these forms of medications as well. Common negative side effects can include dizziness, lightheadedness, drowsiness, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, cramps, and even hair loss. Additionally, studies show that preventative medications will not work for every single person who suffers from migraine pain.

Using Pain Relieving Medications to Curb Migraine Pain
Medications that are used once migraine pain has begun to help to decrease the symptoms are medications like Ergots, Triptans, Opiates, Anti-nausea medications, as well as Dexamethasone. While these forms of medications are most certainly needed in specific instances and can help to stop the migraine pain once an attack has begun they should be used very sparingly. The cons of using pain relieving medications for migraine pain is that they can cause dizziness, muscle weakness, and they are not suggested for use by those who could be at risk for strokes and/or hear attacks. In addition studies have shown that certain commonly used migraine pain medications can also become extremely habit forming for the individuals taking them.

So, Now What?
After reading the above paragraphs the individual who chronically suffers from migraine pain could very well become discouraged over the discussed results. However, there is some good news to be had, there are other options for migraine pain treatment that can help to reduce the symptoms and frequency of the migraine pain without causing any of the cons that preventative or pain relieving can cause. Alternate forms of migraine pain treatment can include therapies, treatments, supplements, as well as lifestyle changes which can provide symptom relief without the negative side effects. A few of the most commonly used migraine pain treatments that are excellent alternatives to medications are as follows:

• Supplements – are an excellent alternative to treating migraine pain if an individual is trying to avoid the use of prescription medications. The use of supplements can provide relief from migraine pain as well as provide migraine pain prevention without creating any of the negative side effects or habit forming tendencies that prescription medications can so often cause. Some of the most frequently used supplements used to treat migraine pain are Vitamin B-12, Magnesium, Coenzyme Q10, as well as 5-Hydroxytryptophan and many others.
• Massage Therapy – is an excellent form of migraine pain treatment that can be used as an alternative to medications. When massage therapy is correctly administered, this form of migraine pain treatment can help to relieve both tension and migraine headaches that can be stimulated by stress and/or tension. A massage therapist can work the head, neck, shoulders, and back muscles in order to help increase blood flow to those areas which aids in relieving muscle tension. The result of relieving muscle tension is decreased migraine pain.
• Chiropractic Care – is an additional form for treating migraine pain. Chiropractic care uses spinal manipulation (also known as adjustments) in order to better align the vertebrae in the neck and spine which helps to provide relief from chronic migraine pain. Studies have shown that chiropractic care can be as effective (if not more) than the use of prescription medications (either preventative or pain medications) when it comes to relieving migraine pain.
• Acupuncture – is another alternative treatment that can be used for helping to reduce migraine pain. When it comes to acupuncture, it’s important that a properly trained professional control this type of therapy, however when properly administered, this ancient form of Chinese “medicine” which has been used for centuries can help to provide migraine pain relief.
• Biofeedback – is yet another form of alternative therapy which has been proven positive for providing migraine pain relief. Research on this form of treatment has proven that its use can produce results for long term relief of migraine pain.

Tags: Biofeedback, chiropractic care, Massage Therapy, migraine treatment, Migraines, natural migraine treatment, non-conventional methods, prescriptoin medications, side effect free