New Device Zaps Migraines Before They Start

The possibility of easy, sweet relief for migraine pain was the subject of conversation at the recent annual meeting of the American Headache Society (AHS) in Boston.  Dr. Richard B. Lipton, representing Neuralieve, a company that specializes in medical technologies, reported the completion of a study that tested a transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) device for use in patients experiencing migraine with aura.  The device proved to be effective in reducing the pain of migraine headaches and was even able to stop them before the pain developed. Read more

Migraines Get Worse With Barbiturates, Opioids

Ouch!  Seems that some of the more potent drugs used to treat the pain of migraine headaches can cause more frequent and harsher migraines in the future.  Barbiturate and opioid use has been linked to a progression of the disorder from episodic migraine to chronic migraine in a study that involved 24,000 Americans. Read more

High Blood Pressure Means Fewer Migraines

Nobody wants high blood pressure clouding their lives but researchers in Norway seem to have found a silver lining in that cloud.  Seems the stiff, hardened arteries often associated with high blood pressure may actually protect against the agonizing pain of migraine headaches.  Their research indicates that people with low blood pressure are more prone to these crippling headaches. Read more