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Little Riboflavin Relieves Migraine Headaches
by Loren Baker
Supplementing with relatively small amounts of riboflavin
(vitamin B2) may reduce the frequency and severity of migraines in
chronic sufferers, reports a study in Headache
(2004;44:885–90). Previous studies showing that riboflavin can prevent
migraines used 400 mg per day, which is at least 200 times the amount
in a typical diet. In the new study, 25 mg per day appeared to be
effective.
Riboflavin was originally considered for migraine
prevention because researchers observed that migraine sufferers tend to
have impaired energy production in brain cells, which riboflavin has
the potential to enhance as it is a component of a key substance
involved in the body’s energy production. Another nutrient important
for producing energy (magnesium) has already been shown to reduce
migraine recurrence. In earlier studies with riboflavin, a very high
dose was chosen, presumably to give the vitamin the best chance of
working. While riboflavin does not appear to cause any significant
adverse effects even at high doses, it is possible that taking large
amounts of any single nutrient might cause subtle imbalances in body
chemistry. For that reason, if lower doses are equally effective, they
are preferable to higher amounts.
Fifty-two people suffering from recurrent
migraines participated in the three-month study. They were randomly
assigned to receive either a daily combination of riboflavin (400 mg),
magnesium (300 mg), and the herb feverfew (100 mg), or 25 mg of
riboflavin per day. Each of the three components of the combination
product has been shown in earlier research to reduce the recurrence
rate of migraines. A positive response was defined as a reduction in
the frequency of migraines by 50% or more. Forty-two percent of
participants responded to combination therapy and 44% responded to
low-dose riboflavin. In addition, the average headache severity and the
number of days with tension headaches decreased significantly in the
low-dose-riboflavin group, but not in the group receiving combination
therapy.
Because there was no control group in the new
study, one cannot rule out the possibility that the beneficial effects
of low-dose riboflavin were due to a placebo effect. However, the
researchers considered that possibility unlikely, because the effects
of riboflavin were greater than those found with a placebo in previous
migraine studies.
In addition to riboflavin, magnesium, and
feverfew, coenzyme Q10 has been found in one preliminary trial to
reduce the recurrence rate of migraines. Dietary factors also appear to
be important migraine triggers in susceptible people. For some,
tyramine-containing foods such as certain wines and aged cheeses are
the main offenders. For others, allergic reactions to common foods such
as wheat, oranges, egg, coffee, tea, and beef seem to be the main
triggers.
Loren Baker may be contacted at or marketing@webadvantage.net
Do I Have Migraine Headaches?
by Dr. Larry A. Johnson, D.C.
If you have headaches and are wondering if they
could be migraine headaches we can probably help you figure that out.
There are some very distinctive characteristics of migraine headaches
that can differentiate migraines from other types of headaches such as
tension headaches, stress headaches, cluster headaches or other types
of headaches.
Migraine headaches are more often than not
one-sided, meaning the pain is felt on only one side of the head. Most
of the time the pain of a migraine headache can be felt in the temple
area or behind one of the eyes or ears. Migraine headaches can become
severe and disabling. Nausea is a common symptom of this type of
headache as is vomiting or sensitivity to light or sound. About 20% of
patients with migraine headaches experience an aura. An aura is a
disturbance in vision that can consist of bright blinking colored
lights that move across the field of vision.
Migraine headaches can become chronic in nature.
When they are chronic the patient most commonly experiences them once
or twice a month. However, in some instances migraine headaches can
occur as often as once or twice a week. Migraine headaches affect
people between the ages of 15 and 55 and are more common in women than
in men. Migraines affect women about 3 times as often as men.
Migraines affect about 30 or 40 million Americans,
but they are less common than tension headaches. It is estimated that
about 75% of all headaches are tension headaches. Tension headaches are
typically characterized by a dull pain over the entire head while
migraines are usually throbbing in nature and located in one particular
spot. In other words, tension-type headaches are a constant dull pain
while migraines throb like the beating of the heart.
Chronic tension headaches can occur every day
while chronic migraine headaches occur less often, usually once a week
to once a month. Fatigue and stress can cause both types of headaches,
but migraine headaches can be triggered by other factors such as
different types of food. Migraine headaches can sometimes be helped by
eliminating these triggers. Foods that may lead to migraines include
cheese, alcohol, MSG (monosodium glutamate), nuts, beans, caffeine,
chocolate, onions and others. Eliminating the trigger may eliminate the
migraines.
Cluster headaches are far less common than either
migraine headaches or tension-type-headaches. Men are about six times
more likely than women to experience cluster headaches. The pain of a
cluster headache starts quickly, without any warning, and typically
reaches its peak between two and fifteen minutes.
The pain of a cluster headache can be extremely
intense, deep and explosive. Migraines are usually "pulsing" while
clusters are not. Between 10 and 20 percent of cluster patients have
"ice-pick" or "stabbing" pain around the eyes. This stabbing pain
typically lasts for a few seconds, but can occur several times in
succession. When this sudden attack of intense pain occurs it usually
means that the headache is near its end.
For natural migraine headache relief it is often
beneficial to relax and rest. Sometimes lying in a dark room with an
ice pack on the base of the skull can reduce the pressure that is felt
in the head. The same treatment can also help tension or stress
headaches. Reducing stress can go a long way to relieving many headache
symptoms.
If you experience chronic headaches and
over-the-counter medication or natural remedies do not help it may be
wise to consult a physician.
Dr. Larry A. Johnson, D.C. has patented a popular
chiropractor-recommended headache cushion for the home treatment and
relief of tension and migraine headaches. Visit
http://www.soothe-a-ciser.com/tension-headaches.html for more
information.
Dr. Larry A. Johnson, D.C. has practiced
chiropractic for 25 years. He has developed and patented a unique
cushion for the relief of tension and migraine headaches.
Headaches - 3 Home Treatment Methods -
Migraine - Tension
by Dr. Larry A. Johnson, D.C.
There are two main categories of headaches,
primary and secondary. Primary headaches are not caused by underlying
medical conditions while secondary headaches are the end result of some
other medical condition such as a brain tumor, infection or trauma.
Primary headaches make up about 90% of all
headaches and tension-type headaches are the most common of these.
Migraine headaches are also primary and affect as many as 30 or 40
million Americans.
It has been estimated that as many as 75% or more
of all headache sufferers have tension headaches. And upwards of 90% of
adults in the USA have experienced the pain of a tension headache.
In differentiating tension and migraine headaches
the tension-type is usually characterized by a constant dull aching on
both sides of the head. Migraine headaches, on the other hand, are
typically felt on just one side and are throbbing in nature.
Tension headaches usually begin slowly and worsen
over time. They often begin in the middle of the day and are caused by
stress. Because of this they are often called stress headaches. They
can become chronic in nature, occurring every day in some patients.
Many tension-type headache sufferers experience a tight feeling in
their head or neck muscles.
Migraine headaches can also become chronic in
nature, but are usually experienced once or twice a week at most and
not daily. Approximately 75% of patients experiencing migraine
headaches are female. Migraine headaches can be disabling and can be
accompanied by nausea, vomiting and sensitivity to light. About 20%
will experience an aura, a disturbance in vision that can consist of
bright blinking colored lights that move across their field of vision.
There are many types of treatment methods
available to sufferers of both tension and migraine headaches. The most
common approach is to take an over-the-counter pain reliever (no
prescription necessary). Non-prescription medicines can include
aspirin, acetaminophen (such as Tylenol), ibuprofen (such as Motrin),
or a combination of aspirin and acetaminophen. These are the most
popular types of non-prescription pain relievers. People with more
severe pain may need prescription medicine.
There are also different types of natural
treatment methods that don't involve the use of over-the-counter or
prescription medicines. These can often relieve headache symptoms. One
method is to put an ice pack on the base of the skull. When using an
ice pack there should be a barrier between the ice pack and the skin,
such as a wetted cloth that has had the water wrung out of it. This can
lessen the flow of blood to the head resulting in less pressure in the
head. A person can also put their feet in a container of warm water.
This has the effect of attracting the blood to the feet instead of the
head, again reducing pressure to the head.
Migraine headaches can sometimes be helped by
eliminating the triggers. Foods that may trigger migraines include, but
are not limited to, cheese, alcohol, MSG (monosodium glutamate), nuts,
beans, caffeine, chocolate, onions and others. Eliminating the trigger
may eliminate migraines.
Another way to eliminate headaches naturally is to
reduce your stress by relaxing. Get plenty of sleep. Lie down in a dark
quiet room. Or try a combination of lying down in a dark quiet room
while you have a small ice pack positioned at the base of your skull.
This article is a general overview of tension-type
and migraine headaches and may not apply to everyone. But sometimes one
idea is all it takes to reduce painful tension or migraine headaches.
Dr. Larry A. Johnson, D.C. has researched,
developed and patented a popular cushion for the home treatment and
relief of tension and migraine headaches. For more information visit
http://www.soothe-a-ciser.com/eliminate-headaches.html
Dr. Larry A. Johnson, D.C. has practiced
chiropractic for 25 years. He has developed and patented a unique
cushion for the relief of tension and migraine headaches.
Dr. Larry A. Johnson, D.C. may be contacted at
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