We always recommend exercise as one of the most effective preventive treatments for migraines and tension-type headaches. However, it appears that some patients may have difficult time exercising because of low vitamin D levels. Vitamin D receptors are located within muscle and are important for normal muscle activity. Michael Hooten and colleagues discovered that pain clinic patients who had low vitamin D levels had lower exercise tolerance as well as lower general health perception than patients with normal levels. Most people are familiar with the role of vitamin D in bone health. However, it has many other functions in the body. In addition to exercise tolerance, another unexpected effect of vitamin D deficiency is to worsen symptoms of gastro-esophageal reflux, which causes heartburn and other symptoms. Taking vitamin D supplements relieves reflux symptoms in some patients. Many people are not taking sufficient amounts of vitamin D. If deficiency is documented by a blood test, patients usually need to take 1000-2000 units a day.
Read MoreIt appears that women respond better to morphine than men and men respond better to a different opioid (narcotic) drug, butorphanol. This was the conculsion of a study presented at the American Pain Society. The next step that the researchers plan is to look at possible genetic factors which may explain this difference. Although the study was small and needs to be confirmed, such knowledge could have an important practical impact. Opioid drugs are rarely used for the treatment of headaches, but when necessary it would be useful to know which one has a better chance of success.
Read MoreMany patients tell me that monosodium glutamate (MSG) gives them headaches, but we never had a scientific study to explain or support this observation. A study by Brian Cairns and his colleagues in the November issue of journal Pain reveals possible mechanism by which this happens. The researchers found that rats given MSG had an elevated level of glutamate in their muscles and that MSG made the muscles more sensitive to pressure. Glutamate is a neurotransmitter that promotes pain transmission in the nerveous system and therefore the authors concluded that MSG could increase pain sensitivity in humans as well. The bottom line, if you are prone to headaches or have chronic pain, stay away from MSG.
Read MorePresence of anxiety and depression (“distressâ€) at the time of initial diagnosis of sciatica predict worse outcome of both surgical and non-surgical treatment three years after the onset of pain according to a report in the July issue of journal Pain. Presence of anxiety and depression (“distressâ€) at the time of initial diagnosis of sciatica predict worse outcome of both surgical and non-surgical treatment three years after the onset of pain according to a report in the July issue of journal Pain. The authors speculate that the reason could be lower self-management efforts and maladaptive coping strategies. In fact previous studies have shown that adaptive coping skills training produces improvement in pain that lasts for months and years beyond the actual training. This training is usually performed by cognitive psychologists.
Read More
Recent Comments