Ways To Treat Migraine Headaches As A Last Resort

Over-the-counter medicine has its place and works wonderfully at treating some common ailments, but when it comes to severe intense migraine headaches, let’s face it there are times when over the counter medicine does not even come close to scratching the surface. It is important that migraines sufferers realize that medication prescribed for migraine relief is not a cure for migraine headaches themselves but are used for one of two purposes:

1. Relieve Symptoms
2. Prevent  Attacks

Keep in mind that no prescription medication can prevent a migraine 100% but there are those prescription medications available that can help reduce the number of migraine attacks experienced as well as lessen the level of pain felt by the migraine sufferer. A few of the medication that a doctor might prescribe to assist with lessening the occurrence of migraines would be:

• Anti-depressants
• Anti-Seizure Medication
• Blood  Pressure Medication
• Herbal

There are those severe migraine cases that leave a medical professional with very few treatment options because everything he or she has tried seems to not work. When cases such as these presents themselves here are a few last resort treatments he or she may suggest:

• Migraine Surgery – Migraine surgery has been a treatment option for those individuals who simply do not respond well to medication and feel that their quality of life is habitually hindered as a result of their migraine headaches. Deciding to undergo migraine surgery implies that a surgical cauterization of the superficial blood vessels in your scalp will need to be had in order to limit and possibly remove all signs of migraine pain forever. However, before the surgery could happen, a doctor must first determine with absolute certainty that it is indeed the superficial blood vessels causing the intense migraine pain before operating.
• Prophylactic Medication – The use of prophylactic medication can be somewhat helpful as well in reducing the reoccurrences of migraine headaches. Prophylactic medicine is taken daily as a preventative medication. Prophylactic medication is not effective when taken once a migraine has developed its job if to help reduce migraine frequency not the pain associated with migraines. A few examples of Prophylactic Medication are:
  • Beta Blockers
  • Calcium-channel Blockers
  • TricyclicAntidepressants
  • Antiserotonin Agents
  • Anticonvulsants

Speak with your doctor about prophylactic medication and if whether or not he or she feels you would make a good candidate for prophylactic medication treatment.

• Trigger Sites – There is reason to believe that by the removing of muscles or nerves in certain areas that are considered trigger sites could be helpful in relieving migraines. Trigger sites are said to exist where sensory nerves are stimulated by a certain muscle, due to the stimulation caused by the muscle a series of painful symptoms begin to develop thus creating a migraine. Migraine surgery such as this one is not often considered as a migraine headache treatment plan unless no other form of migraine treatment is providing the needed relief to improve quality of life.

But What If

But what if medication and last resort treatments are not something you personally feel are safe treatments? When looking to treat migraines effectively there are several holistic solutions one may want to consider trying before agreeing to the medicated resort. These treatment options would include:

Acupuncture – Acupuncture as a therapy originated as traditional Chinese medicine. Acupuncture is based on the premise that there are patents of energy that flow through the body are and essential to total body health. Acupuncture uses stimulation of specific acu-points on the skin by inserting needles that range in length from 1 cm to 10 cm. A typical treatment involves the use of 5 to 15 needles and the generally the acu-points vary during each treatment session.

Massage Therapy – The two main symptoms that are presented by the condition of migraine attacks are fatigue and pain. Massage therapy can aid in lessening both of these symptoms by helping the migraine suffer to be able to experience less pain and obtain more sleep. Research has proven that the use of massage therapy as a form of migraine treatment can help migraine sufferers experience deeper levels of sleep and lessen levels of pain and fatigue. The way that massage therapy accomplishes this is by using the different forms of massage to help oxygenate the body as a whole which can decrease the severity of symptoms.

Tags: Acetaminophen (a.k.a. Tylenol), migraine pain, migraine relief, Non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID), over the counter medication, treating migraines