Weight: is it associated with migraine?
Being overweight or obese is associated with chronic migraine. Many studies have confirmed this. In consequence, physicians are taught to advise people with migraine to «lose weight». Is there anything more frustrating than being told that «you should lose weight?» Like it was an easy…
Weight loss : tips for the person with migraine…or, really, anyone
Your weight is a reflection of your genes, environment, and lifestyle choices. You can’t change your genes, but you can modify your environment and lifestyle. Being overweight or obese increases the risk of chronic headaches. (See this post) Environment: It is common in North America…
Patient Home Exercise Program
Topics: Seated Scalene Stretch Cervical Isometric Neck Extension Hitchhicker Stretch Shoulder Squeeze Standing Pivot Latissium Dorsi Stretch Supine Shoulder Squeeze Position 1 Supine Shoulder Squeeze Position 2 Supine Shoulder Squeeze Position 3 Hitchhicker Standing Patient Home Exercise Program Post#727
Magnets for migraine : transcranial magnetic stimulation
Modulating the electrical activity of the brain can be done with devices. We call those neuromodulation devices. One such therapy is single pulse transcranial magnetic stimulator (sTMS), now approved in the USA for the acute and preventive treatment of migraine in adults. How does sTMS…
Cefaly: transcutaneous stimulation for migraine
What is the Cefaly device? Cefaly is a device that sends electrical signals to stimulate the sensory nerves of the face. The stimulus passes through trigeminal nerve to the trigeminal nucleus in the brainstem. This area is involved in initiating migraines. It is thought that…
Migraine in School
What is the effect of migraine on school activities? Migraine is common in children and adolescents as well as university students. Before puberty, 10% of children, boys and girls equally, have migraine. Disabling and frequent migraine attacks can have an impact on the quality of…
Botox for migraines: how does it work and how effective is it?
What is Botox? Botox is a protein called Onabotulinum toxin A. In nature, this protein is produced by a bacteria, Clostridium Botulinum. The protein used for medical therapy is a purified form. Botox has been used for many years for wrinkles or to treat strabismus,…
You will have your first Botox injections soon. What can you expect?
Can any physician inject Botox for migraine? Injecting Botox for migraine is not a difficult procedure, but it has to be done by a health care provider with proper training and experience, according to a specific protocol called PREEMPT. When you choose an injector, make…
Botox side effects and risks
Is Botox dangerous? «toxin» sounds scary Botox is a protein, purified from a bacteria called Clostridium Botulinum. It blocks neurotransmission, which means it stops the nerves talking to their targets (muscles, sweat glands, skin receptors). See more on how Botox works here. (See this post)…
BOTOX® : coverage and access in Canada
What is BOTOX®? BOTOX® was approved by Health Canada in 2011 to treat chronic migraine and it has been available in Canada for over 30 years. It is also used to treat a number of other medical conditions including blepharospasm, strabismus, spasticity (including spasticity of the foot…
Nerve Blocks anatomy: they put a needle where and why?
The head and the neck are closely related, even more than we might think. Look at the image below, describing the nerve networks of the face and neck. A nerve is like an electric wire. When they bundle together, they form roots (equivalent of a…
Injections and blocks for headaches: practical details
There are different types of injections that can be made to improve neck-influenced headache (cervicogenic headache). The link between neck pain and headaches can be complex. See this post The injections can be made with local anesthetics (similar to the freezing product used by dentists),…
Migraine: the ultimate treatment list
According to the Golden Rule of the Migraine World, there are no one-size-fits-all treatments. Therefore, how can you find the treatments and approaches that will help YOU? There are so many, it can be bewildering. How can you find your way among the quick fixes,…
Top Ten Facts about the neck and migraines
In humans, the head and the neck pain networks are linked and can cross-talk The sensation of the face, head, sinuses, teeth, jaw are carried through the trigeminal nerve (V1, V2, V3). The sensation of the neck and upper shoulder are carried through the cervical…
Hydration and Migraine
Dehydration is a common trigger for migraines, but how does it happen, and what can we do to prevent it? Dehydration occurs when the body loses more liquid than it takes in. We have to consider what gets in, what gets out and the body…
Migraine Triggers
Understanding migraine triggers is a helpful tool for managing migraine. While triggers can be different for everyone and there is no single trigger that all migraine sufferers experience, there are some triggers that are common, especially when it comes to diet. How many people report…
Checklist : Healthy nutrition for migraine
Here is an easy checklist of healthy changes you can make to your diet that could help your migraine. Do this before you engage in any more complicated diet. Drink more water, herbal tea Drink less juice, caffeine, alcohol Stop drinking sodas Do not skip…
The ketogenic diet for migraine
What is the history of the ketogenic diet? Is it true it works for epilepsy? The ketogenic diet was designed in the 1920s to help control seizures in epileptic children. The traditional treatment for epilepsy was fasting (going for an extended period of time without…
Relaxation, exercise, biofeedback for migraine… it’s all great but why is it so difficult to stick to it?
More skills, less pills. For many people with migraine, avoiding medications is a priority. Good news! There are many behavioral options available to control migraines – either on their own or in addition to medications. Let’s Explore the Options: Diet: Diets attract many people, but…
Vestibular physiotherapy : what is it, and what to expect
What is vestibular physiotherapy? Vestibular rehabilitation is an exercise-based therapy targeting vestibular symptoms that do not go back to normal between episodes of vestibular migraine. For example, if vertigo or imbalance is still an issue after a crisis, exercises could improve steadiness and get rid…
