OUR RESPONSE: Since migraines can come from many different directions in the body, let me just touch on a few things and you can let us know if anything does help or if we need to go further. Inflammation – if this is the cause, either in the blood vessels or just systemically I would recommend Turmeric. I would suggest this every day and on days of a migraine increase the dose (double it). Vascular – if this is the cause then using herbs like feverfew and butterbur on a daily basis seems to decrease spasms in the vessels (they also have some anti-inflammatory effects). I recommend a routine daily maintenance dose and then if needed on the day of a migraine you can increase. The key effect with these herbs is consistency. Serotonin – we know that with drops in this key neurotransmitter migraines are possible. Some people see a drop in serotonin as depression or anxiety, others develop strong hormone responses and other people may see it as IBS. But low serotonin is linked to migraine headache. I then recommend 5-HTP to boost levels and if needed adding on L-Theanine as a natural calming/de-stressing agent. Diet – this is a loaded cause, since where do you start? I recommend you start with the most well know factors, aspartame(nutratsweet), MSG, Nitrites & Nitrates, and any artificial colors or flavors. Then move into food categories such as wheat containing products and cow’s milk products and eliminate for at least 4-6 weeks to evaluate if these are an issue. Other factors are out there, but start with these and let us know if we need to go further. Thanks for your question.
Read all ‘Pain’
Q. What can ease some really strong arthritic pain in arms and shoulders? – Adrianne
OUR RESPONSE: Over the years our joints have to withstand a lot of wear and tear. Constant movement, exercise and injury can lead us to feel stiff, creak when you move, or just flat out hurt with activity. MSM (Methylsulfonylmethane) supplementation can lead to improvement in all the above. MSM can help with repair of tissue, improvement in joint cushion and less pain. If you currently have active pain start with 3000mg-5000mg of MSM daily until relief is seen. If you are looking for maintaining your health then 1000mg of MSM may successfully do the job. Either way MSM is protecting all joints and tissue and can offer extra benefit to help in recovery if a surgery or joint replacement is necessary.
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