Alternative Medicine Options for Migraine Sufferers

Having suffered through countless migraines since I was 13 years old, I've tried almost every medication on the market. Relpax, Frova, Imitrex, Maxalt, Zomig and Topamax, which in my experience was a nightmare of side effects, provided very little if any relief and I found myself taking twice the recommended dose of Ibuprofen several times a week. If you have any experience taking something like Ibuprofen over an extended period of time, you know it not only loses it's effectiveness but can also cause what is referred to as 'rebound' headaches and now some studies suggest, liver damage. There were several periods over my 20 years of migraines where I had headaches every day, and the rest of the time, weekly. You can imagine how much Ibuprofen I've ingested over the years.

After several neurologists, a CT scan and a seemingly endless pile of empty medication sample packets, I finally had enough. I set out to find a way to not only prevent but stop a migraine in it's tracks without the use of medications, and I did just that.

I began an in-depth on-line search for anything that could help, from acupuncture, yoga and massage therapy to other forms of alternative medicine. I came across a medical center in Green Bay, WI called Bellin Center for Health and Healing. I found a doctor who specialized in pain management using alternative medicine, including the treatment of migraines, got a referral from my neurologist and made my first appointment. I met with a wonderful doctor who recommended physical therapy which was something I hadn't considered.

Having been through physical therapy for a knee problem a few years prior, I went in expecting a similar experience and walked out with a whole new perspective on the profession. After a 45 minute consultation, my therapist had me lie down on a table while she pressed and held certain areas on my forehead, face, neck and scalp all the while telling me where she felt tightness. Very slowly she would balance my head in her hands while turning and tilting it in various directions. In her opinion, some of my headaches were likely tension headaches which can mimic and be confused with and even cause migraines.

The experience was unique and at first I felt like she wasn't really doing anything. After a few weeks I wondered if we were making any progress, even though by that time my therapist was starting to comment on how the tightness was subsiding. It wasn't until a month or more of twice weekly sessions that I realized my migraines were not only less frequent, but less severe. I found myself taking less and less Ibuprofen. Previously, my migraines would last anywhere from a few hours to 3 days often resulting in an extended period of time spent in a dark bedroom. At this point the headaches were tolerable enough that I was no longer missing work.

My therapist and doctor also suggested a biofeedback session which was something I had been interested. I was hooked up to a machine and computer that measured my body temperature and heart rate. By changing the way I was breathing, using my diaphragm instead of my chest, I was able to raise my body temperature several degrees. I learned that a warm body increases circulation and makes healing and pain management easier, making how I was breathing suddenly seem like a huge part of the pain management equation. I left the session armed with some very useful tools for preventing and even halting migraines. Several times since my biofeedback session, when I have felt a migraine coming on, I have practiced slow and controlled diaphragm breathing and have successfully stopped the pain before it became unmanageable.

It's been a year since I first started therapy and well over 6 months since my last session and I have gone from daily migraines to one per month at most. Had I not taken that step outside the box I would probably still be sampling migraine medications and still suffering on a weekly basis. Countless times over the years I've had to leave events early, or miss out on them altogether because of migraines. Those days are long gone thanks to alternative medicine.

Check the yellow pages in your area to find alternative medicine solutions that might work for you, or even ask your general practitioner for suggestions or referrals. It's been one of the best decisions I've made where my health care is concerned.