Could your teeth be the reason?

REBLOGGED from: http://www.imperialvalleynews.com/index.php/news/health/4475-surprising-solution-to-migraine-pain.html

Written by Imperial, California (NAPSI)

The next time you get a headache, you might care to consider this: If you’re like most migraine sufferers, you don’t even know it, and even if you do, you may not be treating it properly to get the fastest relief.

The Problem

According to M.A.G.N.U.M., the national migraine association dedicated to improving the quality of life of migraine and head pain sufferers, an estimated 60 percent of women and 70 percent of men with migraine have never been diagnosed.

What’s more, even people who know they have the problem may not know the cause. A bad bite is “one factor often overlooked” as a cause of migraine headache pain, reports the International Center for Nutritional Research.

For example, explains Dr. Mark Duncan, clinical director of the Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies, physicians often ask women if the headaches are related to their hormone cycle. Many say “yes” and then it ends up getting diagnosed as hormone-related migraines when in reality it’s bite-related muscle cramps in the temples.

An Answer

Fortunately, this dental problem can be corrected. Once you calm and support those muscles so they’re “happy,” Dr. Duncan says, the pain disappears.

If someone is suffering from migraines caused by a bad bite, also called malocclusion, there are ways to find out.

How To Tell

One simple thing to look for: If you bite your teeth together and more than the tip of your lower front teeth disappear behind your upper front teeth, you are at risk for your bite being the culprit. In fact, ideally, only about 1 mm of your lower front teeth should be covered, and if it is more, the lower jaw is forced backward compared to the head, and that can cause tremendous muscle strain. Other easy-to-spot problems are wear facets or flat spots from grinding, or if your dentist or hygienist has talked to you about toothbrush abrasion. Obviously, patients taking medication for any form of headache owe it to themselves to have a specially trained dentist evaluate their bite.

What To Do

If you have those indicators and migraines, you may want to see a neuromuscular dentist; that is, someone trained to look at all the muscles that support your bite. Proper treatment will almost certainly and quickly lead to an improvement because you’ll be dealing with the source of the pain and not just trying to control the symptoms.

Learn More

For further facts about migraines and to find a dentist with the advanced training to treat them, visit www.leadingdentists.com.

Lifestyle changes can make a difference

REBLOGGED from:http://www.emaxhealth.com/1275/reduce-migraine-frequency-without-drugs-here%E2%80%99s-how

No matter how often you get migraines, you can decrease their severity and frequency by paying attention to some simple lifestyle habits. That’s the word from a Mayo Clinic doctor, who explains how you can reduce migraine frequency without drugs.

If you are among the estimated 18 percent of women or 6 percent of men in the United States who experience a migraine at least once a year, then the suggestions from Dr. Robert Sheeler of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, may provide relief. As migraineurs know, the severe head pain, nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light and/or smell can be debilitating for hours or days with each episode.

Migraine is caused or triggered by a variety of factors, including genetics, hormone fluctuations (in women), environment, and lifestyle. Consider the following lifestyle changes to see if they have an impact on the frequency of your migraine attacks.

• Exercise: Physical exertion can trigger migraine in some individuals, but research suggests certain aerobic exercise, such as using a stationary bike, can be beneficial. Dr. Sheeler recommended gentle exercise such as yoga and tai chi can be beneficial.
• Food and beverages: Certain foods and drinks can trigger migraine in some people, and if you are not sure you are among that population, keep a daily diary of what you eat and drink and your headache patterns. This can help identify if specific items are triggering your migraine symptoms. Common food and drink triggers include wine, citrus, chocolate, caffeine, aged cheese, some food additives, salty foods, and processed foods.
• Dehydration: It doesn’t need to be hot and you don’t need to be thirsty to be dehydrated. The human body needs at least 64 ounces of water per day to replace what is lost during normal activities. To ensure you drink enough water throughout the day, begin each day with a glass of purified water and carry water in a reusable stainless steel container with you during the day.
• Stress: Take steps to manage stress on a daily basis, incorporating activities such as yoga, meditation, progressive relaxation, deep breathing, massage, biofeedback, or similar measures into your daily routine. If you address stress before it has a chance to overwhelm you, your chances of minimizing migraine symptoms increases.
• Sleep: Getting adequate sleep has been shown to help reduce the number of migraine attacks in some individuals, while too much sleep (more than 8 hours nightly) may make it worse. The link between sleep and migraine may be changes in the levels of certain proteins involved in chronic pain. Establish and stick to a routine whereby you go to bed and get up at the same time.

Sometimes medications, either over-the-counter (e.g., ibuprofen, acetaminophen) or prescription, are necessary to manage migraine. Medications can be more effective if they are taken as soon as migraine warning signs appear.

Other drug-free migraine treatments
A new study from Italy reported on the effectiveness of acupuncture versus valproic acid in the prevention of migraine. treatment of migraine. Eighty-two patients were assigned to receive either 20 sessions of acupuncture or 600 mg per day of valproic acid.

At the six-month follow-up, patients who had undergone acupuncture treatments had achieved better improvement in pain intensity and the Pain Relief Score than patients who took valproic acid. In addition, acupuncture patients required less use of medication to treat attacks during the study and also experienced no side effects, while adverse events among valproic acid patients were nearly 48 percent.

A number of herbal remedies have been suggested for treatment of migraine as well. A recent report inHeadache from a researcher at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center noted that “butterbur and feverfew are the 2 herbal oral preparations best studied, and they seem to have real potential to help many patients with migraine.”

A novel approach is being investigated that involves the use of colored glasses. Researchers have found that customized tinted glasses can normalize brain activity in people with migraine who experience intense visual patterns.

Preventing and managing migraine is a challenge for an estimated 40 million people in the United States and millions more around the world. If you are among them, there are a number of drug-free steps you can take to reduce the frequency and severity of your migraine symptoms.

SOURCES:
Facco E et al. Acupuncture versus valproic acid in the prophylaxis of migraine without aura: a prospective controlled study. Minerva Anestesiologica 2013 Jun; 79(6): 634-42
Huang J et al. fMRI evidence that precision ophthalmic tints reduce cortical hyperactivation in migraine.Cephalalgia 2011 May 26
Levin M. Herbal treatment of headache. Headache 2012 Oct; 52 Suppl 2:76-80
Sheeler, R. Lifestyle changes may help reduce how often migraine headaches occur. Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.

In memory of Melissa Dwyer

I shed a silent tear and pray one day people will understand Migraine is serious and not just a headache…. it truly is heartbreaking to read that this sweet, kind, giving women of only 22 yrs – took her own life due to living with chronic migraine…. the work she and the fellow members of CMA do is amazing… and my thoughts, prayers and love goes to her family xxxx

Melissa M. Dwyer

July 13, 1990 – June 7, 2013

Memorial donations may be made to Chronic Migraine Awareness.

Send your donations to Melissa Lorello through PayPal @ Migraines2Go@gmail.com. 
Or you can mail them to Melissa Lorello @ 155 Winding Hill Drive, Etters PA 17319. 

You can also donate directly and individually through the AHMA website. Make you sure indicate your donation is in Melissa Dwyer’s memory: https://ahma.memberclicks.net/index.php?option=com_mc&view=mc&Itemid=124

July 13, 1990

http://chronicmigraineawareness@gmail.com

Beneath the Thinking Cap: The Functions of the Basic Brain

Kindly reproduced with the permission of - Allison Morris whom helped create this simple, fun, interactive; yet informative graphic; which breaks down the basic functions of the human brain.

(Just click on the parts of the brain and then roll your mouse over the graphics for more information – have fun)

President Obama recently announced a proposal for the BRAIN initiative, a research project with lofty goals to map every neuron in the human brain. The idea is comparable to what researchers did with the Human Genome Project, with a similar aim of creating a massive science resource. What happens in between, however, proves far more complex. Whereas the human genome is made up of 20,000 to 25,000 genes, the human brain contains almost 100 billion neurons making trillions of connections. The research will be long and grueling, but the end product could be monumental for understanding brain disease and advancing technology. However, the president’s proposal is hardly novel: a group of Europeans announced a similar plan last year and researchers have been hunting down solutions for brain diseases like Alzheimer’s and autism for years. As the world races for answers, it’s important to note where brain research currently stands. So the question is: what do we know? Where are we starting? The years ahead may reveal a world-is-round-not-flat epiphany in the brain realm, but for now, we present the basics and how we currently understand the brain. Take a look at the cerebral cortex (made up of four lobes), cerebellum and brainstem and how they function.

 


Created by: OnlineCollegeCourses.Com

Social Security Disability Benefits for Migraines

Written for Migraine Talk with thanks by Ram Meyyappan

Social Security Disability Help

Anyone who has ever experienced a migraine can understand that the severe symptoms associated with this medical problem can completely debilitate a person, making it impossible to complete normal every day activities, and continue working. If you suffer from chronic migraines, or a medical condition or treatment that causes migraines, you may be able to qualify for disability benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSA).

Qualifying for Disability Benefits with Migraines

In order to be eligible for disability benefits, you need to meet the SSA’s definition of disability. Your medical condition must:

* Must be expected to last at least a year or result in death, AND

* Prevent you from doing the work or you did before and from any other work for which you are qualified.

The SSA does not provide a listing for migraines in their listing of conditions that qualify for disability, called the Blue Book. However, it is possible to qualify for benefits by providing the SSA with evidence that the migraines are causing symptoms that greatly restrict your ability to function. The SSA will be interested in knowing how your migraines affect your ability to perform common workplace tasks such as following directions, socializing with others, carrying items, standing, or sitting for extended periods of time.

Some individuals regularly experience migraines that are so severe that they have a significantly increased vulnerability to lights and sounds, blurred vision, or they become frequently nauseous. If you can provide medical evidence that these symptoms, or other debilitating symptoms, happen recurrently and for substantial amounts of time, it may be possible to receive approval for benefits.

When determining your eligibility, the SSA will also take into consideration factors such as your work history, level of education, and your age. These types of information allow them to determine if it would be possible for you to return to a previous job or a similar field, or if it would be possible for you to train for a different field.

The Different Disability Programs Available

There are two different disability programs available: Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI):

* For SSDI, you must have the work credits from your previous employment that are required for a person of your age, and if you are still able to work, you must have monthly earnings of $1,040 per month or less (as of 2013).

* For SSI, which is a need-based program, you must have very limited income and other financial resources with which to support yourself.

You can learn more about the differences between SSDI and SSI here: http://ssa-custhelp.ssa.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/245/~/difference-between-social-security-disability-and-ssi-disability

Submitting a Disability Application

You can submit an application for SSI or SSDI either online or at your local SSA Office. To find a list of offices in every state, please visit: http://www.disability-benefits-help.org/social-security-disability-locations

Before submitting an application for either program, it is essential to gather all of the necessary medical and financial documentation that you will need in order to prove that you are eligible.

Along with financial records that verify your work history and income, you will need medical documents that detail any physician’s visits, hospitalizations, and treatments that you have undertaken in relation to your migraines. Being approved for disability can be a very challenging process, and the strong your evidence is, the higher your chances will be for receiving approval.

For more information on applying for disability with migraines, please visit: http://www.disability-benefits-help.org/disabling-conditions/chronic-migraines

Get your head around Migraines….

Get Your Head Around Migraines – An infographic by the team at Napiers

Reproduced with the thanks to Napier – http://www.napiers.net/migraine-infographic.html

Migraine Infographic
Migraines impact an estimated 1 in 7 people across the UK and in total about 610,000 suffer from them chronically. Women are more than twice as likely to be affected as men with 18% of all women affected and 8% of men. Symptoms of migraines include visual disturbances to the eyes, intense and throbbing pain on one or both sides of the head, nausea and vomiting, sensitivity to noise, sensitivity to smells and tingling, pins and needles, weakness and/or numbness in limbs.

Migraines are undiagnosed and untreated in at least 50% of patients and less than 50% of migraine sufferers seek medical help. The headaches can be so serve that the World Health Organisation classifies chronic migraines as more disabling than blindness, paraplegia, angina or rheumatoid arthritis but migraines remain the least publically funded of all neurological illnesses when adjusted for economic impact. Severe headaches also leave sufferers at three time’s greater risk of depression than non-sufferers.

The cost of Migraines in the UK alone is staggering. It is estimated that the medication used to treat migraines could cost £150 million each year and that the 25 million working days lost could cost the economy £2.25 billion. Even when suffers are able to make it to work or school efficiency is reduced by more than 50%. Worldwide approximately 400,000 per million work or school days are lots to migraines and it is estimated that headaches cost the EU about £140 billion per year.

Some simple steps you can use to keep the pain at bay are:
Avoid stress
Sleep well in a dark and quiet room at regular hours
Do not strain your eyes
Use physical therapy to help relieve and prevent the pain
Avoid foods that trigger migraines – aged cheeses and other tyramine containing foods, alcohol, food additives and cold foods
Eat at regular hours and do not skip meals
Keep caffeinated beverages to a minimum
Keep hydrated
You may be able to find some relief in herbs and supplements. Tanacetum parthenium or Feverfew has been shown to be beneficial to migraine sufferers. Ginger root can help with migraine associated nausea as well as the headaches themselves. Cayenne (Capsicum Annuum) can be an effective painkiller and can ease migraine associated stress if rubbed into your neck and temples in the form of a cream. You can also try herbal supplements in the form of magnesium, vitamin B6 and 5 HTP to help relieve the symptoms of migraines.

Health Info > Stress & Sleep > Headaches & Migraines >

Do you know someone whom needs a thank you?

WEGO Health, ExL and the Digital Health Coalition are excited to announce the first annual 2013 Community Choice Awards! The Community Choice Awards were created to recognize the healthcare organizations, teams, and individuals that are finding new ways to provide tangible value to online patient communities. E-Patients (A.K.A. Health Activists) will select the awardwinners from nominations provided by the industry and the patient community. Check out the awards below and start nominating!

For more information, check out the rules and Community Choice Awards FAQ Page. 

MORE Info and Nominate >> http://info.wegohealth.com/2013CommunityChoice

 

 

Media Request…

Are you a chronic migraineur living in Scotland?

Have you had Botox as a preventative treatment or would like to have the treatment but have been unable to access Botox?

May you be willing to share your experience or feedback with the media in conjunction with MA?

With a view to the SMC’s forthcoming decision on whether to recommend Botox as a treatment option, we would be keen to hear from you.

Please email info@migraine.org.uk or call the office on 0116 275 8317 for more information.

Is migraine a disease?

Interesting, well written article, which provokes some questions………. I agree with the vast majority of it…….. but do think that migraine patient advocates are needed and the fast majority do not pass on the ‘migraine disease’ – as stated at the beginning of the article a migrainer cannot be ‘cured’ by a doctor – therefore is left to their own devices for the most part to find a migraine management plan which helps them and if it was not for the experience of others whom have walked this path for many years; then many would be lost in the wood for trees… sadly there is no cure – yet – be it a disorder, ailment, illness, sickness, malady…. or disease………….. its MIGRAINE and it is real and it hurts….

RE BLOGGED FROM The Migraine Revolution -  http://www.themigrainerevolution.com/is-migraine-a-disease/#comment-21

Many prominent figures in the world of migraine insist that “migraine is a disease”. One book author actually claims to know how to live well with migraine disease.  Even the Director of the Headache Clinic at Stanford—a neurologist and migraine patient himself—speaks of migraine as a genetic disease. This raises the question:

What is it, that makes migraine a disease?

The educated solution to such a question is to get advice from a reputable Englishdictionary. The usual suspects—Collins, Merriam-Webster, Oxford dictionary—explain that disease is “any departure from health“—just like ailment, illness, sickness or malady. So, why then do these aforementioned migraine advocates not say that “migraine is a malady”? The alliteration makes it sound so much nicer, doesn’t it?

We know that migraine patients—on average, in general, as a group, blablabla—struggle with

• the shame of not being believed
• the hurt of not being recognized as truly suffering
• the fear of being seen as a malingerer
• the guilt of seemingly exaggerating a mere headache.

All these feelings are perfectly understandable in a world that is madly accelerating, increasingly superficial, often impersonal and annoying; a world, in which critical remarks, cool attitudes and dismissive responses are fashionable; a disappointing world for those who are longing for understanding, kindness and compassion, isn’t it?

READ MORE >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> http://www.themigrainerevolution.com/is-migraine-a-disease/#comment-21

NEW STUDY – MRI shows brain abnormalities in migraine patients

OAK BROOK, Ill. – A new study suggests that migraines are related to brain abnormalities present at birth and others that develop over time. The research is published online in the journal Radiology.

Migraines are intense, throbbing headaches, sometimes accompanied by nausea, vomiting and sensitivity to light. Some patients experience auras, a change in visual or sensory function that precedes or occurs during the migraine. More than 300 million people suffer from migraines worldwide, according to the World Health Organization.

Previous research on migraine patients has shown atrophy of cortical regions in the brain related to pain processing, possibly due to chronic stimulation of those areas. Cortical refers to the cortex, or outer layer of the brain.

Much of that research has relied on voxel-based morphometry, which provides estimates of the brain’s cortical volume. In the new study, Italian researchers used a different approach: a surface-based MRI method to measure cortical thickness.

“For the first time, we assessed cortical thickness and surface area abnormalities in patients with migraine, which are two components of cortical volume that provide different and complementary pieces of information,” said Massimo Filippi, M.D., director of the Neuroimaging Research Unit at the University Ospedale San Raffaele and professor of neurology at the University Vita-Salute’s San Raffaele Scientific Institute in Milan. “Indeed, cortical surface area increases dramatically during late fetal development as a consequence of cortical folding, while cortical thickness changes dynamically throughout the entire life span as a consequence of development and disease.”

Dr. Filippi and colleagues used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to acquire T2-weighted and 3-D T1-weighted brain images from 63 migraine patients and 18 healthy controls. Using special software and statistical analysis, they estimated cortical thickness and surface area and correlated it with the patients’ clinical and radiologic characteristics.

Compared to controls, migraine patients showed reduced cortical thickness and surface area in regions related to pain processing. There was only minimal anatomical overlap of cortical thickness and cortical surface area abnormalities, with cortical surface area abnormalities being more pronounced and distributed than cortical thickness abnormalities. The presence of aura and white matter hyperintensities—areas of high intensity on MRI that appear to be more common in people with migraine—was related to the regional distribution of cortical thickness and surface area abnormalities, but not to disease duration and attack frequency.

“The most important finding of our study was that cortical abnormalities that occur in patients with migraine are a result of the balance between an intrinsic predisposition, as suggested by cortical surface area modification, and disease-related processes, as indicated by cortical thickness abnormalities,” Dr. Filippi said. “Accurate measurements of cortical abnormalities could help characterize migraine patients better and improve understanding of the pathophysiological processes underlying the condition.”

Additional research is needed to fully understand the meaning of cortical abnormalities in the pain processing areas of migraine patients, according to Dr. Filippi.

“Whether the abnormalities are a consequence of the repetition of migraine attacks or represent an anatomical signature that predisposes to the development of the disease is still debated,” he said. “In my opinion, they might contribute to make migraine patients more susceptible to pain and to an abnormal processing of painful conditions and stimuli.”

The researchers are conducting a longitudinal study of the patient group to see if their cortical abnormalities are stable or tend to worsen over the course of the disease. They are also studying the effects of treatments on the observed modifications of cortical folding and looking at pediatric patients with migraine to assess whether the abnormalities represent a biomarker of the disease.

 

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“Cortical Abnormalities in Patients with Migraine: A Surface-based Analysis.” Collaborating with Dr. Filippi were Roberta Messina, M.D., Maria A. Rocca, M.D., Bruno Colombo, M.D., Paola Valsasina, M.Sc., Mark A. Horsfield, Ph.D., Massimilano Copetti, Ph.D., Andrea Falini, M.D., and Giancarlo Comi, M.D.

Radiology is edited by Herbert Y. Kressel, M.D., Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass., and owned and published by the Radiological Society of North America, Inc.

RSNA is an association of more than 51,000 radiologists, radiation oncologists, medical physicists and related scientists promoting excellence in patient care and health care delivery through education, research and technologic innovation. The Society is based in Oak Brook, Ill.

For patient-friendly information on MRI, visit RadiologyInfo.org.