LifeCare Chiropractic

The Best Chiropractic Care in Mesa, Arizona

migraine headache

Mesa AZ Headache Doctor

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Migraine Headaches and Blood Vessel Problems:

VERY EARLY ON, PATIENTS WITH MIGRAINES HAVE THIS PROBLEM

Ok, so this is not the first time I’ve rambled on about the fact that migraines are really a sign of things being wrong with the entire body, and if all we do is use drugs to suppress the headaches, we’ve done nothing at all for the patient except NOT help them make the right changes.  In this particular study, researchers found alterations in the function of the blood vessels in young female patients with migraines.  This is further indication that the problem with migraine is actually NOT in the head, but may revolve around the cardiovascular system.  Problem…not a single drug used to treat migraine helps the cardiovascular system..

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And don’t forget to check out the full Migraines and Epilepsy website by clicking here.

5 Reasons Magnesium May Help Seizures and Migraine Headaches

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Can magnesium affect serious conditions like seizures and migraines? Because magnesium is required for some 300+ enzymes in the body, and many of these are required for healthy brain function, this just might make sense.

Today’s diets are notoriously deficient in this mineral. Foods like whole grains, nuts and seeds are good sources and can be added to the diet to increase overall intake.  Supplementation beyond dietary intake is very inexpensive and safe.

The beauty of oral magnesium supplements is that you cannot take too much.  Certain supplements, like magnesium and vitamin C, can only be absorbed in certain amounts from the gut.  If we take too much, we can’t absorb any more, so the extra stays in the intestines.  When this happens, the magnesium will attract water and create loose stools or diarrhea (not a bad side effect when someone is dealing with chronic constipation).  Anyone who has had a colonoscopy is very aware of what very high doses of magnesium will do to the gut.

Before we go further, I need to remind readers that, while medicine today does not recognize that migraines and seizures are in the same category, I strongly promote that the underlying problems in the brain are similar between the two.  For this reason, what helps or harms with one condition has a strong probability of helping or harming the other.

This particular article reviews the potential of magnesium to have a positive impact on seizures.  The authors base this on several known findings:

  1. Magnesium deficiency in animals increases seizure likelihood
  2. Low magnesium solutions can generate seizure-like activity in rat brain tissues in the lab
  3. Magnesium blocks the N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor, a receptor that can cause seizures
  4. Studies have shown that people with epilepsy have lower magnesium
  5. Children with infantile spasms responded better to hormone therapy when magnesium was used

While none of these items are a slam dunk to assure that magnesium can be an effective treatment tool in seizures, given the low cost and high safety of magnesium, it would make sense to add magnesium supplements to the daily list of supplements that anyone with migraines or seizures should be taking.

Depending on the quality, levels from 400-800 mg would be good to consider.

So what supplements do you use to help manage your migraines or seizures?

ARE MY MIGRAINES DESTROYING MY BRAIN?

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The answer always has been and always will be a strong YES!

It is very, very clear that a migraine indicates that there are problems with the entire body and not merely the organ experiencing the pain (in this case the brain). I cannot stress enough that medications to control the headache do NOTHING to fix the underlying problem. In almost all cases, there is a problem with the mitochondria’s ability to generate enough ATP for normal neuronal function.

This particular study looks at damage to the white matter of the brain in migraine sufferers.  Those with more frequent attacks and those with a longer history of migraines had more damage to the brain.

There is not a single medication on the planet (headache or otherwise) that addresses this. The only answer is to fix the mitochondria by exercising and eating foods and using supplements that protect the mitochondria (low calorie, high phytonutrient stuff…) and stop harming them (chemicals, stress, heavy metals, etc..).

Unless this is the approach the migraine patient chooses to take (and will almost always have to do this independent of their treatment physician), they can expect that the process will create a slow and sure brain damage.

Scary, huh?

So what changes have you made to help protect your brain?