Alternative Therapies | Headache NewsBlog

Acupuncture relieves chronic tension-type headaches

By: Dr. Mauskop

07-11-2022

A recent study by Chinese researchers showed that acupuncture is an effective treatment for tension-type headaches. The results were published in a leading neurology journal, Neurology. Being published in such a journal suggests that the study was scientifically rigorous and the results are likely to be reliable.

The study included 218 patients with half receiving true acupuncture and the other half, sham acupuncture. In the first group, after inserting each needle, the acupuncturist induced a specific deqi sensation. Patients describe it as a sensation of fullness, aching, or tingling. You can experience this sensation without needles – try squeezing hard the thick muscle between your thumb and the index finger. Needling or pressing on this acupuncture spot can provide relief of a headache and facial pain. The second, control group, had needles inserted without any further manipulation.

The main outcome measure in this trial was the number of patients who achieved at least a 50% reduction in the number of monthly headache days. In the true acupuncture group, 68% achieved this result compared to 48% in the control group. The difference was statistically highly significant.

These results are not surprising. Hundreds of clinical trials (admittedly, of varying quality) have shown that acupuncture can relieve migraine headaches and other painful conditions.

I am a licensed acupuncturist but use this treatment very infrequently. It is time-consuming (it should be done at least once a week) and expensive, especially if done by an MD (it is not covered by most insurance plans). For patients who are interested in trying it, I recommend finding a conveniently located non-physician acupuncturist whose fees are usually more affordable.

The 6th Annual International Headache Symposium in Israel

By: Dr. Mauskop

29-10-2022

Alternative Therapies, Botox, Chronic migraine, Headache medications, Migraine, New treatments, Science of Migraine

It was an honor to speak in Israel at the 6th Annual International Headache Symposium along with past presidents of the International Headache Society, Drs. Messoud Ashina and Alan Rapaport, the current IHS president, Cristina Tassorelli, the president-elect, Dr. Rami Burstein, and other leading headache experts. The symposium was organized by the President of the Israeli Headache Association, Dr. Oved Daniel, and by Dr. Arieh Kuritzky.

How to treat nummular headache

By: Dr. Mauskop

05-10-2022

Alternative Therapies, Botox, Headaches

Nummular (coin-shaped) headache is an uncommon condition. It is defined as intermittent or continuous pain in a small circumscribed area of the scalp with the following four characteristics: sharply-contoured, fixed in size and shape, round or elliptical and 1-6 cm in diameter. The pain is usually mild or moderate in intensity, but some patients have severe pain. These headaches often occur in patients who also have migraines.

Nummular headaches often respond to ibuprofen, naproxen, and other NSAIDs. Botox injections are also very effective. They provide relief for 3 months, obviating the need for daily medications which are more likely to cause side effects. A very small amount of Botox is needed to treat nummular headaches, so the cost is much lower than when treating migraine headaches.

A case report just published in the journal Headache describes a patient who suffered from migraines and nummular headaches. His nummular headaches did not respond to medications and Botox injections but he had complete elimination of his nummular headaches along with improvement of his migraines after he received an injection of galcanezumab (Emgality).

Galcanezumab and other CGRP monoclonal antibodies have been also reported to help trigeminal neuralgia as has rimegepant (Nurtec ODT), an oral CGRP receptor blocker. It is possible that nummular headache is the result of damage or irritation of a small terminal branch of a nerve. This is suggested by the fact that the pain is invariably superficial. And we know that CGRP is involved in pain messaging along the nerves. So it is not surprising that anti-CGRP drugs can help relieve nummular headaches.

Exercise prevents not only migraines but also shrinkage of the brain

By: Dr. Mauskop

26-09-2022

Alternative Therapies, Brain disorders, Headaches, Migraine, Science of Migraine

Regular exercise has been proven to prevent migraine headaches in many studies. A Swedish study of 91 patients established that exercising for 40 minutes 3 times a week is as effective as relaxation training or taking a preventive migraine drug topiramate. Topiramate, however, caused significant side effects. Another study by the same group of researchers of 46,648 people found a strong inverse correlation between physical activity and the frequency of headaches.

A report by German researchers in the September 13 issue of the journal Neurology provides strong evidence that physical activity leads to larger brain volumes. This was a rigorous study that included 2,550 participants. The physical activity was measured using an accelerometer, a device similar to a fitness tracker.

The authors discovered that “Physical activity dose and intensity were independently associated with larger brain volumes, gray matter density, and cortical thickness of several brain regions.” The most notable change occurred in people who went from a sedentary lifestyle to a modest amount of low-intensity exercise when compared with those who already engaged in at least moderate amounts of physical activity. And this trend continued – very high frequency and intensity of training did not offer any additional benefits.

Two other reports of various benefits of exercise were published this month.

One was a study published in JAMA Neurology. This study also used accelerometers to count the steps made by 78,430 people. The researchers found that a higher number of steps prevented the development of dementia. The optimal dose was just under 10,000 steps and a higher speed had an additional benefit.

The second report in JAMA Internal Medicine analyzed the same group of 78,430 people and discovered that accumulating more steps per day (up to 10,000) may be associated with a lower risk of all-cause, cancer, and cerebrovascular disease mortality and incidence of cancer and cerebrovascular disease. Here they also found that a higher step intensity may provide additional benefits.

Daxxify, a new Botox competitor

By: Dr. Mauskop

08-09-2022

Alternative Therapies, Botox, Chronic migraine, Headache medications, Headaches, Migraine, New treatments, Pain

No, Daxxify is not really a competitor in the treatment of chronic migraines or any other medical condition. Daxxify, a new botulinum toxin, was just approved by the FDA only for cosmetic use. Daxxify does stand out from five other botulinum toxin brands in that its effect lasts longer. The other toxins are Xeomin, Dysport, Jeuveau, and Myobloc. Myobloc is approved only for medical conditions, Jeuveau only for cosmetics, and Xeomin and Dysport are approved for both cosmetics and a few medical conditions.

Initially, Botox was approved by the FDA in 1989 to treat eye problems. Since then, it has been approved for many medical and cosmetic indications, including chronic migraine. None of the other toxins are approved for such a wide range of indications. It remains by far the most widely used type of botulinum toxin with tens of millions of people treated for medical and cosmetic reasons.

Yes, having a longer-acting botulinum toxin is an advantage. You will need to have less frequent treatments. However, if you have any side effects, they will also take longer to go away. We are talking mostly about cosmetic side effects, such as droopy eyelids. When treating headaches, with proper technique, side effects are uncommon. These may include weakness of the neck muscles or, if treating TMJ syndrome, difficulty chewing.

Since Botox is approved by the FDA for chronic migraines, Botox is the drug insurance companies cover. Allergan (a division of Abbvie), the manufacturer of Botox, has many more years left on their patent to treat chronic migraines. Botulinum toxin is a biological product (made by bacteria rather than synthesized from chemicals) and every version of it is slightly different. This is why when Allergan’s patent to treat migraines expires, the competitors will have to conduct large trials to prove that their product is also effective for migraines.

If the effect of Botox does not last 3 months, taking a zinc supplement might help.

By: Dr. Mauskop

08-08-2022

Alternative Therapies, Botox, Headaches, Migraine

Dr. Brian Loftus, a Texas neurologist, alerted me to the possibility that the shortening of the effect of Botox can be reversed by taking a zinc supplement. Dr. Loftus shared an unpublished report by Houston physicians who showed that zinc supplementation can extend the effect of Botox.

There is a good theoretical reason to suggest that for Botox to work, you need to have sufficient amounts of zinc. You can read about this connection in a review article by one of the leading movement disorders specialist, Dr. Mark Hallet. He concludes that “Toxins are zinc dependent proteases, and supplemental zinc may produce a greater effect.”

It is very likely that taking zinc will benefit mostly people who are deficient. I just saw a patient in whom Botox provides relief for only 2 months and whose blood test showed a low zinc level. I suggested that he takes 50 mg of zinc every day.

Zinc is necessary for the activity of over 100 different enzymes that are involved in vital chemical processes of the body. Zinc is involved in the immune system, growth of cells, building proteins, and many other functions.

We might consider adding zinc to the usual battery of tests done on the first visit to our clinic. These include RBC magnesium, vitamins B12 and D, and routine blood tests.

Magnesium and migraines – an interview with Dr. Amelia Scott Barrett

By: Dr. Mauskop

11-07-2022

Alternative Therapies, Chronic migraine, Migraine, Science of Migraine

Last week I spoke to Dr. Amelia Scott Barrett, a neurologist and headache specialist based in Denver. She shares my interest in combining medications with various non-drug therapies. In our first conversation, we discussed the role of magnesium in treating migraines.

The 6th Annual International Headache Symposium in Israel

By: Dr. Mauskop

06-07-2022

Alternative Therapies, Chronic migraine, Headaches, Migraine, Science of Migraine

The 6th Annual International Headache Symposium in Israel will be held at Daniel Hotel, Herzliya (8 miles from Tel Aviv), on October 27, 2022. THe symposium is organized by the President of the Israeli Headache Association, Dr. Oved Daniel and by Dr. Arieh Kuritzky.

I am honored to have been invited to speak alongside the President of the International Headache Society Dr. Messoud Ashina, Dr. Rami Burstein of the Harvard Medical School, and other leading headache experts. The topic of my presentation will be “What to do when nothing works”. Other topics to be discussed include, Molecular signaling pathway in migraine: update, (Messoud Ashina), Connecting the line between dizziness, occipital headache, muscle tenderness and the cerebellum (Sait Ashina), Open-label studies: do they have any value? (Cristina Tassorelli), and others.

You can see the full program and registration information on this website.

Intravenous magnesium prevents migraines in children

By: Dr. Mauskop

27-06-2022

Alternative Therapies, Headaches in children, Migraine

Regular intravenous infusions of magnesium prevented migraines in five children, according to a report presented at the annual meeting of the American Headache Society by A.J. Freed and S. Sahai-Srivastava. The children were between the ages of 11 and 16. Four of them had the diagnosis of chronic migraines and one, episodic. Two of them continued to have daily headaches but they were mild with the infusions. The other three also had a significant drop in the number of headache days.

Over the past 30 years, we’ve given monthly infusions to thousands of patients, including children as young as 6. Genetic factors play a role in some patients with magnesium deficiency. We’ve had three generations of a family coming for monthly infusions. Besides genetics, other reasons for magnesium deficiency include stress, alcohol, gastrointestinal disorders, poor diet, and others.

About half of migraine sufferers are deficient. They are likely to respond to oral magnesium supplementation. Many, however, do not absorb magnesium taken by mouth. If we know that a patient is deficient because they have other symptoms of magnesium deficiency (cold extremities, muscle cramping, PMS, palpitations, brain fog, and others) or because their blood level (RBC magnesium) is low or is at the bottom of the normal range, we give magnesium intravenously.

If you cannot find a doctor who gives infusions of magnesium, you may want to search for an infusion center or an urgent care facility that would do it. In many large cities, magnesium and vitamin infusions are done at some spas. There are also companies that offer home visits by a nurse.

Cove presents its data on the efficacy of telemedicine in treating migraines

By: Dr. Mauskop

11-06-2022

Alternative Therapies, Chronic migraine, Headaches, Migraine

With tens of millions of Americans suffering from migraines, access to care is a major problem. Cove, a telemedicine startup, offers a practical and affordable solution. They deliver evidence-based therapies to patients in need. To prove that their approach works, Cove collects and analyzes vast amounts of data. The study I just presented at the annual scientific meeting of the American Headache Society shows that with Cove underserved minorities obtain excellent outcomes that are equal to those of whites.
Disclosure: I am a paid consultant to Cove.

Chiropractic for migraine

By: Dr. Mauskop

28-03-2022

Alternative Therapies, Migraine

A patient recently asked me about trying chiropractic treatment for her migraines. This is a chapter on chiropractic from my last book, The End of Migraines: 150 Ways to Stop Your Pain.

Chiropractors can also relieve migraines if they are skilled and talented. Norwegian researchers conducted a study of chiropractic manipulation for migraine headaches in 104 patients. They divided patients into three groups. One group received real chiropractic manipulation of the spine, another one received a sham treatment that consisted of just putting pressure over the shoulders and lower back, and the third group continued their usual medication. The real and sham chiropractic groups received 12 treatment sessions over 12 weeks. Patients were followed for a year. After 12 weeks patients in all three study groups reported improvement. However, a year later, only the chiropractic groups still felt better. On average, they had about four migraine days a month, down from six to eight before the treatment started. Patients who continued their medications lost all of their improvement and their migraine frequency was back where it was at the baseline.

The results published in the European Journal of Neurology suggest that chiropractic is indeed effective in reducing migraine frequency. However, it also suggests that any hands-on treatment is equally effective. This probably explains the popularity of chiropractic, physical therapy, massage, reflexology, Reiki, energy therapies, and other hands-on treatments.

The same word of caution applies to chiropractic as to yoga. Avoid having high-velocity adjustments – sudden upward pulling and twisting of the head. These adjustments carry a small but not negligible risk of stroke due to a dissection of an artery which is described at the end of this book. I was once consulted on an older man in an emergency department who was found to have a subdural hematoma (bleeding inside the skull) after receiving a chiropractic neck adjustment.