Migraine treatment has come a long way over the last two decades. Doctors and researchers have put their heads together to form a firm understanding of migraines and have battled to find a number of techniques that can be used to treat the signs symptoms of migraines.
There are two different migraine treatment plans that are commonly followed; abortive and preventative. Holistic or natural remedies can also be used to deal with migraine pain. Each treatment option should be considered before picking a path that best works.
Abortive Migraine Treatment
Abortive migraine treatment aims at ending an attack once it has begun by alleviating the pain associated with migraines. Abortive treatment generally relies on medications to stop the migraine pain or greatly diminish the length of the migraine pain. The medications commonly associated with this type of treatment are Axert and Relpax.
The drugs can be taken orally, by nasal spray or via injection and generally work quickly to alleviate migraine pains. Abortive medications are also often prescribed to deal with the nausea associated with migraines. Reglan is the most commonly prescribed nausea medication used for migraine treatment.
Occasionally narcotics and barbiturates are prescribed to treat migraine pain, but only as a last resort. They are generally used when other courses of treatment have failed to work. The strength of these medications are dangerously high and have a tendency to be habit forming. They are not to be used at the onset of every migraine and generally are only used when other medications have failed to alleviate the pain associated with a specific attack.
Preventive Migraine Treatment
Preventive migraine treatment is generally used if migraines are frequent or severe. The frequency of the migraines is the most common factor in deciding how to proceed. Frequent migraines generally occur at least once per week.
In the case of these types of migraines doctors generally look for an underlying cause to treat in an attempt to alleviate the frequency of the migraines. Blood pressure medications, for example, are often prescribed as a migraine treatment in some patients. Anti-depressants and anti-seizure medications have also been found to be useful as preventative treatment.
Preventive treatment is difficult to nail down because the true cause of migraine remains a mystery. There are many theories as to what causes the pain but there has been no true answer garnered by research yet. Preventive migraine treatment operates under the principles of each theory. For example preventative treatment with anti-depressants operates under by the theory that serotonin levels are to blame for migraine pain.
Blood pressure medications operate under the theory that migraines are simply related to the blood flow to the brain. Blood pressure medication is used to regulate the blood flow in hopes of altering the constriction and dilation of blood vessels.
Botox is, experimentally, used as a migraine prevention treatment. The treatment is based on the notion that nerves are to blame for migraine pain. The deadening of the nerve, under this theory, through the use of botox would then prevent the migraines.
Because so little is known about the true root cause of migraine pain several preventative medications might be tried in an attempt to find a migraine treatment plan that actually does prevent or ease the frequency of migraines. Not all preventative treatments will work for all patients and it is important for the triggers of the migraines to be discussed with a doctor in order to find the most likely cause and thus the most productive preventative treatment.
Find Out How To Eliminate Your Migraine Pain Completely In The Next 48 Hours
Holistic Migraine Treatment
There are several holistic migraine treatment options for those sufferers who are uncomfortable with traditional medical treatment. Butterbur root is a relatively new treatment that is used to calm migraine pain. A double blind study found that 77% of migraine pain was reduced or eradicated through the use of the treatment.
Butterbur root is a relatively new treatment but there have been holistic approaches for decades. Vitamin B-2 and magnesium have both been used with success to treat migraine pain naturally. Both operate on the principle that migraines are caused by a deficiency in the body.
It is believed that restoring the vitamin and mineral balance in the body can prevent migraine pain. While there has not been a great depth of research on this course of treatment anecdotal evidence suggests that vitamin balance and proper diet can help to prevent migraines from actually happening
While treatment plans can be a difficult road to follow there is hope for migraine sufferers, and the prognosis of migraines is only looking better. The first step in dealing with migraine pain is to understand your options as a sufferer.
There are web resources that can help you better understand the treatment plans that are available. For example; The Migraine Relief Guide is a resource that encapsulates all of the information that a migraine suffer might need to form an informed opinion about their migraine treatment options.
