child migraine

19 December 2005

Combining therapies in children

In a way, a news story like this is stating the obvious. Still, it’s worth remembering every once in a while that treating migraine is not usually just a matter of finding that magic pill.

Dr. Marielle A. Kabbouche and her colleagues at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center decided to track the progress of children with migraine over the course of 5 years. 94% of the children improved. They had less than 40% the attacks that they used to have. Dr Kabbouche credits this to an approach that combines therapies. This means lifestyle changes and medication in most cases, and often biofeedback, which is an excellent tool for child migraine.

But of course, you knew that. Not only for children – all of us need to try to attack those migraine attacks in various ways. It’s easy to forget, though – migraine is a complicated thing. We make a lifestyle change – maybe start munching on a new food, and we wonder why our migraine drugs aren’t as effective. This study is just another reminder that we need to stay focused on migraine treatment that involves the whole person, and various approaches at the same time.

Read more about child migraine here, or read the news story I mentioned above.

28 February 2005

Migraine website for kids

James Resources 0

It’s not easy being a child with migraine! I was reminded of this while reading an article from the Migraine Action Association in the UK. They’ve done some studies to estimate the impact that migraine has on children in the UK. They estimate that 10% of school age children are dealing with migraine. The problem is that, as with adult migraine, the problem is often misunderstood and under diagnosed. Many people still think that migraine is just another word for a bad headache.

About 85% of children with migraine are missing about 13 days of school, which is a significant amount. Over half of the children felt that their doctors didn’t understand their migraine problem, and even more felt that their teachers didn’t understand.

The Migraine Action Association has launched a website about migraine just for kids! This UK based site is called Migraine 4 Kids, and it has lots of great information for children, and also their parents and teachers. Even if you’re outside the UK, this site is worth checking out. I know it’s one I’ll want to spend more time investigating.

28 December 2004

New guidelines for children with migraine

James Medications, News, Resources 0

Researchers are realizing how crucial it is to understand migraine in children. Many questions need to be answered – are migraine triggers the same in children as adults? What medications work for children, and which ones don’t? What about alternative therapies?

The American Academy of Neurology and the Child Neurology Society published some new guidelines to summarize some of the findings to date. Both ibuprofen and acetaminophen have been found to be good treatments for migraine symptoms. Sumatriptan nasal spray is also an effective treatment in adolescents, but oral triptans so far don’t seem to be all that helpful.

The recent report is a good reminder that we need to watch for symptoms in children, and not just treat them with the medication we use but take them to a doctor and be well informed ourselves.