Even though migraine affects 1 out of 7 Americans annually and is a leading cause of outpatient and emergency department visits, many people still think of migraine as “just a headache.” [1] When people call migraine “a headache,” they minimize migraine and its symptoms. First, migraine is a genetic neurologic disease. Second, migraine has an array of disabling symptoms, with headache as just one of the symptoms. Finally, because migraine is a disease that we live with every day, it needs to be managed daily. This article will focus on natural migraine prevention method, such as S.E.E.D.S., to successfully manage migraine disease............
The Allay Lamp for Migraine Light Sensitivity
My migraine light sensitivity is rather legendary. Everyone from my family, friends and even this migraine community has heard me talk about or has read what I have written about it. During bad attacks it seems as if the sun is loud and not just exceedingly bright. I love a dark cave of a room during an attack more than anywhere else. It is my safe place. When I was approached by the Allay company to test the new Lamp for migraine in exchange for my feedback, I was excited to give it a try. This is yet another tool that we can add to our toolbox to fight migraine…
Managing Migraine During Coronavirus, Cold & Flu Season
Cold and flu season comes around every year generally running from about Thanksgiving to Easter. As it reaches it’s peak here in the US along with the new, Coronavirus, it’s important to focus on prevention and safe treatment. When you have migraine disease, adding an additional illness on top of it can definitely complicate things. Developing tools for migraine and flu relief is the key. Cold and flu symptoms entwined with migraine make body aches, brain fog and fatigue unbearable. So knowing how to work through both illnesses at the same time is necessary. The last thing you want to do is unknowingly trigger a migraine attack while trying to…
Cannabis for Migraine: Interview with Jodie Epstein
Cannabis for migraine is a popular topic in our private Migraine Strong Facebook Group. It falls under the Misc. category of our Treatment Pie. While not everyone in the United States and beyond has legal access to cannabis for migraine, a larger number of patients are gaining access each year and are finding that cannabis has a place in their treatment plan. Jodie Epstein is a patient advocate and educator from Toronto, Ontario. She is also the Founder of MigraineBuds.com and the private MigraineBuds Chat Facebook Group which discusses all things cannabis and migraine. She created both channels after finding it difficult to obtain information about cannabis that was specific…
Why is Migraine Such A Pain In The Neck?
I have had neck pain along with migraine for as long as I can remember. It just took me a long time to realize that the migraine neck pain in my was actually a symptom related to migraine. It was not a separate underlying condition. This was certainly complicated by the fact that I had herniated a disc at the C6-C7 area of my spine shortly after my son was born. Because of this, I really thought that the years of neck pain before and after this injury were all related, even though though physical therapy was successful. Why was I still so convinced that the pain in my neck…
Migraine and Special Occasions: Navigating Holidays
Special occasions often include shopping, wrapping, baking, packing, traveling, cleaning, decorating…it’s enough to make our heads spin…and that’s without the added complication of migraine!! So how do we combat the effects of the added stress from all of the holiday craziness? It seems like a simple thing to say plan ahead, but when we break things down and become intentional about how we get things done, it can help our holidays run more smoothly. Before we get into the nitty gritty of how to manage all of the craziness that comes with special occasions, I think it’s important to remember a very important idea that is often hard to put…
Migraine and Parties: Navigating Holidays
The holiday season is in full swing and we, and our migraine, will be heading out to family and office parties in the coming days and weeks. What is the best way to navigate a party where you don’t have any control over the food or drink? Safest cocktails or mocktails to order? What food should you look for in a buffet? What do you do at an office pot luck? Here are some of our best tips for how to survive the holiday party season. The Cocktail/Mocktail The Mocktail has become quite the rage over the past couple of years. You can find all sorts of recipes for them…
Traveling With Migraine: Navigating Holidays
This blog contains affiliate links. As an Amazon affiliate, we earn a small percentage of profit from qualifying purchases at not cost to you. Traveling with migraine can be…challenging. There are so many problematic aspects to it. The excitement, extensive planning and packing, remembering to pack all of our meds and supplements, and planning for head friendly meals away from home are just a few. I have found that if I plan ahead, I can mitigate some of the normal triggers that happen when I travel. Building The ‘Perfect’ Plan Anyone with migraine knows there is no such thing as the perfect traveling plan. The best laid plans are usually…
Gift Ideas For Moms With Migraine
Just like other moms with migraine, I’d love nothing more than a neatly wrapped box full of sleep with a bow on top for my upcoming birthday and holidays. However, since it is unlikely that uninterrupted good night sleep is in my future, I will settle for something less abstract. My only requirement is that my presents or those for my kids do not trigger migraine attacks! And if the presents can help to manage my migraine condition, then it’s a bonus. If your loved ones happen to be moms with migraine, here is a list of gift ideas that will make their life with chronic illness a little easier…
The Benefits Of Practicing Gratitude
The benefits of practicing gratitude are almost too many to count. During this season of thanksgiving, we tend to talk about the things we are grateful about for a day or two. But it’s rare that we break down how practicing gratitude can have long lasting effects on our emotional, physical and social well being. We thought it would be interesting to look at the effects of gratitude on each of these levels and then how we are practicing gratitude in our own lives. Emotionally Uplifting Not surprisingly, practicing gratitude can positively affect our everyday thoughts. While the initial practice of writing in a gratitude journal can give us a…
