Chronic headaches, I think I'm going nuts

[freeekle]

acupuncture worked for me.i had a headache everyday for 2 months. they started by 12 noon and by 10pm, i was just in explosive pain.it took my acupuncturist 3 and 1/2 weeks, twice a week of needling and herbs to get them gone.i have since had 4 or 5 one day events since then, about 3 years ago. i urge you to try it and stick with it.

 

[gutter_fly]

where is the headache pain located?  From my experince most headaches are either caused by tension or tension is added due to the headache.  Work on your upper traps, occipitals, and your scm... there are probably trigger points in all three that cause the pain.  It is worth a shot!

 

[Luis O_O]

If it's a throbby headache, the ice on the head/neck, feet in very hot water may work.A friend of mine even says it helps with her tunnel vision migraines (monthly ones).  I get a tunnel vision migraine every couple of years, and it hasn't worked when I've remembered to try it, but I find it does help with a throbbing one.For treatment, I'd say acupuncture too.

 

[Lenny Kicks In!]

I thought I would just echo Melody's post about diet. My sister suffered from migraines for years and today is virtually (she is also a Type A personality and sometimes struggles to keep her stress levels down!) free of migraines due to changes in diet. She is a vegan BUT she also found other food allergies (wheat, gluten, etc.) that triggered her migraines. I think it would definitely be worth looking into.I'm going to mention one other thing just as a "might be worth looking into". Someone I know swears by  nutritional/supplemental products by RELIV. I myself am not big on supplements but I have heard first-hand from a number of people who really feel they have been helped by these products.

 

[simplekiller123]

My husband gets occasional migraines, usually he experiences the "squiggly line" which grows in his visual field as the headache progresses.   He will take Feverfew with 800mg Ibuprofen.    He also has found if he drinks something massageplanetfeinated at the moment of onset, it seems to help.

 

[sabrina p]

2 thoughts:1. my sister had chronic headaches along w/ sinus problems most of her adult life. she cut out most dairy products, especially all cheese...chronic headaches disappeared!2. check this out:    http://www.massagemag.com/2005/issue114/research114.2.htmgood luck.

 

[J0J]

Breathe, I'm in the same boat as you with chronic headaches...tension/migraine and sinus.  Usually the three kind of meld into one another so that it gets difficult to tell if you have one or all three happening.I have run the gamut of remedies..masage, chiro, cranio, acupunture, etc...all supplied some relief, but never long term or permanent.Imitrex does knock out the migraines, but doesnt' touch the other two.Surprisingly enough, the one thing that did reduce them long term was botox injections.  I had heard that it was a side effect of thsoe going in for beauty treatments.....and there was a Dr in town trying it out so I went for it.  Darned if it didn't work...takes a while to start working but my migraines were reduced about 80% for about 4 months after only one treatment.Down side, very expensive ( about $300 -$600 per treatment) and lord knows what teh long term side effects may be.  I have not been able to afford to go back in again and yes, my migraines are back full force.Mine are brought on by hormones and weather.

 

[PokerFace.]

One of my clients was a daily major migraine sufferer when I met him.  I have been working on him weekly for a little over two years and they are now reduced -- both in frequency and severity -- to an occasional mild migraine about every three weeks.  In addition to my work he started seeing a neurologist about 6 months ago who got him off of Motrin which were causing rebound migraines.When he first came in, I discovered he was drinking gallons of diet coke.  I talked with him about the aspartame so he eliminated that and it reduced his migraines right off the bat.  The work I started him with is regular (weekly) CST sessions combined with specific PNF work in the neck.  All of the occipital release work made a huge difference for him immediately.  I have also found he has chronic tightness between his shoulder blades where the vertebrae are tremendously sensitive to touch.  I work directly on the vertebrae with PNF stretches (I apply light pressure to the vertebrae while he lifts his shoulders off of the table and in different positions).  This initially caused cramping in the rhomboids and lats but after the cramps got worked out the release in that area was significant.  This work in particular really made a difference in the frequency of the migraines.BTW, when I saw him last week I passed along the info I read in this thread about red meat.I also suffer the occasional migraine but Imitrex seems to take care of mine.  I hope you are able to find something that helps you get rid of them.

 

[daphne o]

Not sure if this is going to help at all, not being a migraine sufferer myself, however I do get frequent headaches of varying intensity which can last for days.  I have noticed a significant decrease both in frequency and intensity since I have really focussed on my water intake - I try for at least 1.5 - 2 litres of filtered water each day.  The other thing that has helped is cutting down on my sugar intake.

 

[ellen degenitals]

I agree with the recommended treatments in almost every reply but I think a multi-modality approach will benefit you the most.  Acupuncture, chiropractic if you have someone you know and like, bodywork, and dietary changes. The biggest help I've seen with migraines is balancing neurotransmitter levels using targeted amino acid therapy.  It's a simple urinalysis to find out where serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine, gaba, PEA, epinephrine etc. levels are.  Once you have those numbers, you can balance them with amino acids.....natural proteins that break down in the body as neurotransmitters that we don't get from our food anymore.  Check out these two links.http://www.neurorelief.com  this is the company that has pioneered this research.For a great practitioner check out:  http://www.helpyourbrain.comThis seems to be the missing link in lots of things I've dealt with for clients.  When people are doing all the right stuff and not getting the level of wellness they want, this is where I send them next. Hope this is useful to you.  I can't imagine how much pain you are enduring.Peace and love!

 

[MaDaM]

1ST and Foremost I want to say that I am sorry that Breathe: You are going through this, AGAIN!!!  It is an exhausting, painful, discouraging thing to have to deal with on any basis...BUT when its like this and tiring to the point work isn't even an option...I feel for You though I don't know how it feels EXACTLY for You when You go through them.  I ,Too, have suffered with migraines ALL my life.  They come on and when they do they do so   VERY STRONGLY!!!  Mine are, at times, like mtnmassage described her husband's as being.  The squiggly lines accompany mine.  Also, at times, nausea and great body pains, too.  Sometimes a dark room and cold wash cloth and QUIET (plus the allowance to sleep) take mine away.Thankfully, I haven't had one that has put me down for quite awhile...But my Mom has had them all my life too....if she indulges in TOO MANY M&M'S that will get her.I had pills perscribed by the DR that contained massageplanetfiene amongst other things A LONG Time Ago, but have had some bad health times in my life a couple times in the last 10 years...(Subdermal hematomas and the removal of a non-cancerous Tumor-like mass)...but Ibuprofen is a constant staple when headaches come to visit with me.The massageplanetfiene at the onset when I didn't have the perscribed pills helped a lot.Plenty O' rest was helpful.Staying Away from immense amounts of massageplanetfinated soda intake helps me to have them stay at bay.Not trying to Thread-jump, Breathe, and Again I am SOOO Sorry You had to endure this TIME CONSUMING and $$$ DRAINING time You did.I respond to this due to simular experience...Hope this helps and that things are going better for You, Breath!!!Sincerely,caringHandsMss    

 

[Nomnomnom]

Definitely see your MD if you haven't in a while, there are some wonderful new meds out there for migraine sufferers.I am one myself and always try the natural methods first, but when you can't get down the road at night to get home, because you keep puking, well, then you just needs meds, I guess.  Or at least I do.I also seriously go with acupuncture for these types fo things.  Wow, can it be a lifesaver!