Headaches

Approximately 75% of all Americans will have some form of migraine headache, and migraine has been included in  the top 20 of the world's most disabling medical illnesses. Every 10 seconds someone in the United States goes to the emergency room with a headache or Migraine. Yet  people often don’t  realize that Migraine is a real illness, like asthma or diabetes.  Migraine treatment has changed dramatically over the years. Researchers such as Dr. Schneider now believe that Migraine is a brain disorder involving a complex relationship between blood vessels, nerve pathways and neurotransmitters in the brain. There is also evidence that links a number of genes to Migraine, so that genetics and family history is undoubtedly involved.

Migraine can often, but not always, be managed with proper diagnosis and treatment. There are three principle approaches to treatment: acute, preventive, and complementary.

• Acute treatment uses specialized medications to relieve the symptoms of attacks when they occur.
   
• Preventive treatment uses medications taken daily to reduce the number of attacks and lessen the intensity of pain.
   
• Complementary treatment, which does not use drugs, includes biofeedback, relaxation techniques, exercise, proper rest and diet and life-style changes. Alternative medicines are being researched and include very specialized alternative supplements and herbal protocols, which can help avoid the triggering or provocation of attacks.