The common failure in migraine conventional treatment globally and its response to low-level laser therapy, also called cold laser, is well appreciated in science. It has an enormous effect on reducing pain and improving the quality of life by stimulating the nervous system in favor of human body (acupuncture) and improving the circulation in local tissues (laser therapy). It also releases the spasms of the tight muscles like a release of trigger points. The anti-inflammatory effect produced by laser therapy also provides the site of pain, an opportunity to repair tissue, and thus improve mobility.
LLLT / Acupuncture Treatment
Common Known Conditions
Cluster Migraine
Other Migraine
Overview
A migraine can cause severe throbbing pain or a pulsing sensation, generally on just one side of the head. Nausea, vomiting, and extreme sensitivity to light and sound may be felt along with it.
Migraine attacks can lead to significant pain for hours to days. The pain may be very severe and can restrict your daily activities.
Warning symptoms called aura may occur before or along with a headache. These can be flashes of light, blind spots, or tingling on one side of the face or in the arm or leg.
Some migraines can be prevented and be made less painful with the help of medications. Discuss the different options for treatment with a doctor if you do not find relief. The right medicines, coupled with self-help remedies and changes in lifestyle may prove helpful.
Symptoms
Migraines often begin during childhood, adolescence or early adulthood. Migraines may advance through four stages: prodrome, aura, headache, and post-drome, however, you may not experience all stages.
Prodrome
One or two days prior to a migraine, you may notice mild changes that indicate an upcoming migraine, including:
- Constipation
- Changes in mood changes, due to depression and euphoria
- Food cravings
- Stiffness of Neck
- Increased thirst and urination
- Frequent yawning
Aura
The aura may occur prior to or during migraines. However, most people experience migraines without aura.
Auras are symptoms that involve the nervous system. They are usually visual disturbances, like flashes of light or vision that is wavy, zigzag.
At times auras can also be touching sensations or sensory, movement or motor or speech or verbal disturbances. Your muscles may become weak, or you may have a feeling as though someone is touching you.
Each of these symptoms generally starts slowly, builds up over several minutes and persists for 20 to 60 minutes. Examples of migraine aura are:
- Viewing different shapes, bright spots or flashes of light
- Vision loss
- Sensations of pins and needles in an arm or leg
- Getting a feeling of weakness or numbness in the face or one side of the body
- Difficulty in speaking
- Hearing noises or music
- Uncontrollable jerking or other movements
Sometimes, migraine with aura may be associated with weakness in limbs (hemiplegic migraine).
Attack
A migraine usually lasts from four to 72 hours if not treated. The frequency with of occurrence of headaches differs from person to person. Migraines may be uncommon or strike several times a month. During a migraine, you may experience:
- Pain on one side or both sides of the head
- Pain with a feeling of throbbing or pulsing
- Sensitivity to light, sounds, and at times smells and touch as well
- Nausea and vomiting
- Blurred vision
- Lightheadedness, sometimes followed by fainting
Post-Drome
The final phase occurs after a migraine attack. It is known as the post-drome. During this phase, some people may feel drained and washed out, while some may feel elated. For about 24 hours, one may also have a feeling of:
- Confusion
- Moodiness
- Dizziness
- Weakness
- Sensitivity to light and sound
Migraine Triggers
A number of factors may trigger migraines, including:
- Hormonal changes in women. Changes in estrogen seem to trigger headaches in many women. Women with a history of migraines often report headaches immediately prior to or during their periods. This is the time when they have a major drop in estrogen. Many have an increased tendency to develop migraines during pregnancy or menopause. Hormonal medications, like oral contraceptives and hormone replacement therapy, also may cause migraines to get worse. Some women, however, feel that the frequency of their migraines has decreased after taking these medications.
- Foods. Cheeses that are aged, salty foods, and processed foods may trigger migraines. Skipping meals and fasting may also lead to migraine attacks.
- Food additives. Aspartame, which is a sweetener and monosodium glutamate (MSG), that is a food preservative, found in many foods, may trigger migraines.
- Drinks. Alcohol, especially wine, and beverages high on caffeine may trigger migraines
- Stress. Stress at work place or home can trigger migraines.
- Sensory stimuli. Bright lights, glare of the sun glare, and loud sounds can cause migraines. Strong smells such as perfume, paint thinner, secondhand smoke, and others can lead to migraines in some people.
- Changes in wake-sleep pattern. skipping sleep or sleeping too much may trigger migraines in some people, and also can jet lag.
- Physical factors. Excessive physical exertion, including sexual activity, may trigger migraines.
- Changes in the environment. A change of weather or barometric pressure can cause a migraine.
- Medications. Oral contraceptives and vasodilators, like nitroglycerin, can increase migraines.
Risk Factors
Many factors make you more prone to having migraines, including:
- Family history. If you have a family member with migraines, then you have an increased risk of developing them too.
- Age. Migraines can begin at any age, though the first often occurs during adolescence. Migraines tend to surface during your 30s and decrease in severity and frequency in the decades that follow.
- Sex. Women are three times more prone to suffer from migraines as compared to men. However, headaches tend to affect boys more than girls during childhood, but by the time of puberty and beyond, the equation gets reversed as more girls are affected.
- Hormonal changes. Many women have migraines, just before or shortly after the onset of menstruation. They may also alter during pregnancy or menopause. Migraines generally get better after menopause. Some women have migraine attacks during pregnancy, or their attacks get worse during pregnancy. For many, the attacks got better or didn’t occur during later stages in the pregnancy. Migraines often recur during the postpartum period.
Causes
Even though the causes of migraine causes are still unknown, hereditary and environmental factors seem to have a hand in it. Migraines may be caused by alterations in the brainstem and the way it interacts with the trigeminal nerve, which is a major pathway of pain. Imbalances in brain chemicals including serotonin, which helps in the regulation of pain in the nervous system may also be responsible. Researchers are still studying the role played by serotonin in migraines. Levels of serotonin drop during migraine attacks. This may cause your trigeminal nerve to release substances known as neuropeptides, which travel to your brain’s outer covering also known as the meninges. As a result, one may experience migraine pain.
When To See a Doctor
Migraines are often not diagnosed and not treated. If you have regular signs and symptoms of migraine attacks, maintain a record of the attacks and how you treated them. You can then consult your doctor and discuss your headaches. Even if you have regular headaches, consult a doctor if the pattern changes or the headaches suddenly feel dissimilar. Consult your doctor right away or go to the emergency room if you experience any of the following signs and symptoms, as these may be indications of a more severe medical problem:
- An abrupt, severe headache such as a thunderclap
- Headache accompanied by fever, stiffness of the neck, mental confusion, seizures, double vision, weakness, numbness or trouble while speaking
- Headache that is experienced after a head injury, especially if the headache worsens
- A chronic headache that gets worse after you cough, strain or after a sudden movement
- New headache pain if you are aged 50