Tips

9 March 2015

Chicken Tikka Masala for Migraine?

A recent article in PainPathways was highlighting the importance of diet in fighting pain. Eating foods that are “anti-inflammatory”, such as cold water fish, fruits, and vegetables. Avoiding highly processed foods. Losing just a little weight.

One of the suggestions that was made was a greater focus on good spices. Sure enough, some spices do fight pain.

We’ve talked about some of these here before – cayenne, oregano, and ginger, for example.

Chicken Tikka Masala — Modified from this picture courtesy of Kelly Sue. License

The article focused especially on turmeric. Turmeric is actually related to ginger. Usually the underground stem of the plant is used in powdered form for culinary uses.

Readers in many parts of Asia are probably already using turmeric regularly. But we all will be glad to hear that turmeric is an anti-inflammatory, which has been used for osteoarthritis among other things.

For those of you who aren’t used to using turmeric, here are a few recipes to get you started, from the great community at allrecipes.

Curry Stand Chicken Tikka Masala Sauce – also contains ginger and cayenne. Takes a while to cook, but not a lot of prep time.
Marrakesh Vegetable Curry – packed with healthy vegetables. Spinach is in there, along with cayenne and almonds.
Indian-Style Rice with Cashews, Raisins and Turmeric – just a fragrant, delicious Indian-style rice.
Harira – a Moroccan soup with ginger, cayenne, and lots of other good stuff.

Remember, if you have a great migraine-fighting recipe, you can share it with the community here.

via Pain and Nutrition

5 March 2015

Migraine Scalp Tenderness – Should I be worried?

James Information, Tips 0

You’ve suffered from other migraine symptoms – maybe headache, or visual aura, nausea – but what about migraine scalp tenderness? Is it a sign of something more serious?

When your migraine symptoms change, or become much worse, you should see a doctor as soon as possible. In the case of migraine scalp tenderness, it’s not likely to be something serious, but it could indicate a change – and you may need to change to a treatment which will be more helpful.

The most common reason for a tender scalp for a migraine patient will be cutaneous allodynia. Even brushing your hair may be painful. Although most common on the scalp, allodynia may also affect your arms, or other parts of your body.
Migraine Scalp Tenderness?
For a migraine patient, the symptoms are temporary (they generally come and go with migraine attacks). They often come early in the migraine attack, before the headache strikes (if it does).

Some doctors may recommend a change in treatment if you have allodynia. It’s a controversial topic, but it may be worth investigating with your doctor.

However, scalp tenderness can be a sign of other conditions, such as giant cell arteritis (GCA). GCA will likely cause headache as well. If your headache just isn’t going away, see your doctor right away. GCA can lead to permanent tissue damage and even blindness.

Various skin disorders can also lead to tenderness or pain which comes and goes. Chemicals that are bothering your skin, shingles, and infections. It could also be a sign that the medications you’re taking are causing problems.

Although migraine scalp tenderness may not be a serious change in your symptoms, it could still indicate a change in treatment. But if your symptoms change, or the tenderness and/or headache isn’t going away, it’s another sign that you need to talk to a doctor or specialist.

26 February 2015

A Migraine Trigger You Shouldn’t Ignore

James Tips 0

When most of us think about migraine triggers, we think of food. Things like caffeine, chocolate, bananas, red wine, and old cheese.

But triggers – those things that set off the migraine chain-reaction for certain people – are a very individual thing. And the truth is, patients report many triggers that aren’t foods.

Migraine Trigger - Change in Schedule One of the most common triggers, in fact, is a change in schedule. That includes changes in sleep schedule. Sleeping too little, too much, or even sleeping in.

If you have migraine disease, your body is probably very sensitive to changes. And when you think about it, on any given day a change in schedule is actually a pretty big deal.

Just why a change in schedule makes such a big difference probably varies from person to person. Sometimes it may have to do with a change in meal times. When you sleep in, and eat breakfast later, or even drink that first cup of coffee later, your body notices. This may be one of the reasons why some people tend to get “weekend headaches”.

Sleep disorders may also wreak havoc on your body. You’re always trying to catch up on your rest, taking naps at odd times, waking up tired. If you’re not feeling refreshed from your sleep, it could be a sign of a number of issues, including restless leg syndrome, sleep apnea, problems with medications, even mental health problems.

The bottom line is this. Pay attention to your daily schedule – especially your sleep schedule. Ask yourself, what’s keeping it from being consistent? And what can you do about it?

Is it simply a matter of discipline – going to bed and getting up at the same time each day?
Could you do certain things to help you get a deeper sleep? Turn of the computer/TV/smart phone a couple of hours earlier? Ease up on the afternoon caffeine?
Do you need to talk to your doctor about the medications/”painkillers” you’re taking, and make some adjustments?
Do you need to see a specialist about your sleep patterns? Could there be another disorder that’s knocking your schedule off-kilter?
Do you need to discuss the problem with your boss, or your family?

Don’t ignore problems with a constantly changing schedule, or interruptions in your normal sleep schedule. These things are actually very common triggers for migraine attacks.

Again, it’s not just a matter of a lack of sleep, although that is a big problem. Even sleeping more than usual could trigger a serious migraine attack. Pay attention, keep a diary, and you may find a powerful new way to fight migraine.

19 January 2015

Why this Essential Oil may help, but won’t ever be popular…

James Discoveries & Stats, Tips, Treatments 1

There is an essential oil that is sometimes used to treat migraine and headache, and yet I don’t think we’ve ever talked about it here.

I was recently reminded of this essential oil because of a report from The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA). They reported that this oil was actually effective in easing menstrual pain.

If menstrual pain – could it be used for headache?

Indeed it could – and has been. This oil has been used for a number of conditions related to headache and migraine as well, including anxiety and depression. It can also be used on the skin (many essential oils can’t be used directly on the skin, or must be diluted with other oils. However, it is still wise to either dilute or carefully test this oil first). It’s used to moisten skin and prevent acne, among other things.

So what could possibly be better than an essential oil that could be massaged into the temples, that would help relax you and improve your mood and help your skin, and even fight headache?

And it gets better before it gets worse. This is not an obscure scent – it’s one that has been used for a very long time – in the art of romance. Yes, it may actually be an aphrodisiac.

So what is this amazing treatment we’ve never talked about?

It’s a form of rose oil. In particular, it’s rosa damascena (the Damascus Rose). It’s sold as “100% pure rose otto”.

So why won’t this become a popular migraine treatment? Go and look for yourself – click the link: rose otto essential oil. Go ahead, just take a look.

Yes, that’s 0.12oz – a little over 3.5ml.

For those who didn’t click the link, the key point here is that rose otto oil may be great, but it’s expensive. Very.

Now you do have other options, but the benefit may or may not be there. You can get a diluted version, or a type called rose absolute which is not considered a therapeutic essential oil because of the way it’s extracted. However, these are obviously much cheaper options, so if there’s no way you’re going with rose otto, you could try one of the others (and then ask for rose otto for Valentine’s day).

There are other oils, made from other parts of the rose or other varieties, but they’re a whole different thing.

On the bright side, you obviously don’t need to use a lot of rose otto at a time. Remember, one single drop of this oil was made with about 60 roses!

Though this will never be the next big treatment, some are using it and claiming success. If you’ve tried rose otto (or another rose oil), let us know!

5 January 2015

When Your Vacation is a Battle, not a Break

James Tips 2

Finally! A whole week off! A whole week to do what I want, or to do nothing at all!

It sounds great, but for someone with a chronic headache disorder (not to mention other diseases and syndromes), things may not work out the way you hoped.

Daily pain may make the break seem more like a battle.

Break ... down? And how in the world do you answer questions like,“Did you enjoy your time off?” or “Feeling refreshed? Ready to get back to work?”

No, actually, I don’t feel refreshed at all. I feel like I just returned from a week in the trenches.

Here are a few tips to help you survive after a holiday or vacation that really wasn’t.

First, a couple of notes regarding the time off itself.

Here are three things to do during time off which will help you survive and keep going once it’s over:

Keep life as stable as possible. That means keep a regular schedule, regular bed times and wake-up times, regular meal times, etc. Drastic changes tend to make things worse. This isn’t possible all the time, but the next tip will help with that.
Get the rest you need. Whatever works for you. Don’t over-schedule or plan late nights every night. If you know the big party is coming up, plan to get extra rest before and after.
Make memories. This is a little counter-intuitive, but it really can work. Do fun things with the family, and take pictures. Even if you’re in pain, the good memories can last longer than the memory of the pain. Obviously, if the pain is severe you just need to get away and deal with it however you can. But if it’s possible to do something, even something small at home, with people you trust and love, do it. Make memories.

All right, now your break/battle is over. How do you survive the days ahead? Here are some ideas – leave your own ideas in the comments.

Remember, you are responsible for your own attitude and response. If you decide that you’re a victim and there’s no hope, you’ll become inward focused and you’ll be more miserable than ever. Trying to make your life better is not denying that you have a serious health problem.
Forget the pain, bring on the memories. Easier said than done, of course. Even if you forget the pain, it’s harder to forget what you missed due to the pain. However, focusing on the good, looking at a few pictures, writing a few notes of thanks … these things can go a long way toward “redeeming” a “tough break”.
Ease back into your regular schedule. It can be motivating to have a fresh start, make ambitious goals, and tell yourself that “this year will be better”. But that doesn’t mean you should work for 18 hours on day 1. Be hopeful, but start slow and be forgiving of yourself if you can’t do it all in the first week.
Immediately plan your next (short) break. You may be thinking, why would I want to put myself through that disappointment again? Then again, after a week of your normal schedule you may be wishing for something else. Don’t plan a two week hiking and canoeing trip. Plan two days off in February with someone you love. Or a weekend away in March. Something small, simple, and easy on your body, that you can look forward to. Just because your recent time off was difficult doesn’t mean that the next one will be as bad.
Redefine “break”. While we’re talking about future breaks, it’s time to get creative. A break/holiday/vacation/sabbatical/whatever can be a thousand different things. A couple days at the beach. Taking a day off to visit that friend you haven’t seen in ages. How about a couple days just to read? Or three days at the hotel with your spouse to finish your wills, plan for the year ahead, and – well, do something fun! If you’re stuck thinking about a break as being one thing, get creative. Have a change instead of a rest. Physical, mental, emotional, spiritual – we need many different kinds of breaks.
Forgive. After your “break”, you might just need to forgive. Forgive that family member for not understanding. Forgive yourself for pushing too hard. Maybe you actually need to talk to someone, and ask forgiveness, or explain how they hurt you. Don’t bring grudges from your time off into the rest of your life.
Be honest, but… If someone asks how your time off was, be honest! You don’t need to be bitter, just explain in a few words. But – was there anything good about it? Take a few more words to talk about that. How can you express both of these things in 30 seconds to a co-worker or friend? Well, it was difficult, I was in a lot of pain. But I was thankful to spend some time with my Mother…

A few of us understand just how difficult a “break” can be. But on a Monday morning, if we can take just a little control, and demonstrate a little gratitude for something, we might be able to fight back just a bit.