Migraines
Migraine Headaches
I have a ten year history of migraine headaches. They first started when I was in my early 20's and were more of a nuisance than anything else. I'd get one about every 6 months, and I has typical symptoms - throbbing pain on one side of my head, sensitivity to light, and of course, nausea. I'd be bedridden for a few hours and maybe even miss a day of work, but one bad headache every six months wasn't so bad. I went to my doctor, and she confirmed the diagnosis. She said that a migraine a year wouldn't constitute going on medication and that I should take Excedrin or some other over-the-counter pain reliever when the headaches occured. The Excedrin didn't really do much to relieve the pain, so most of the time, I would just "wait it out". This continued for the next seven years.
In 2002, my migraines started to become more frequent. I wasn't tracking them at the time, but I remember that they were almost a monthly occurance. They would come on very quickly, and it was difficult to anticipate them. By 2003, I had started tracking them, and a clear pattern had emerged. They almost always occured around the same time of my period. I decided that it was time to go back to the doctor. My doctor said the migraines were most likely caused by my hormonal levels. I was now in my 30's, and the doctor said that my hormone levels were changing. This explanation made sense to me, especially due to the timing of my migraines. Since this particular doctor was my gynecologist, she was hesitant to prescribe medication (which she thought I needed). She recommended that I see my internist, so I did. He also gravitated towards the 'hormone level' theory, and prescribed medication. It seemed to work ok on the pain, but it completely knocked me out. So, I still couldn't function with a migraine. I'd have to go home, take the medication, and lie down for a few hours. If I missed 'the window', the medication wouldn't work at all, and I'd suffer for a day or two. This wasn't a good solution for me, but I decided to give it some time.
Over the next two years, I got migraines once or twice a month. I continued to track them, and I could almost pinpoint the day when I'd have one. I had done a lot of research on migraines, and I was familiar with my migraine triggers - red wine, Chinese food, and cured meat were among the culprits. Even though I stayed away from the triggers, the migraines would not subside. So, I learned to live with the pain. I always referenced my calendar when making vacation or social plans. I even planned my wedding according to it.
But, even after all of this, the migraines proved too much to handle. In the Fall of 2004, I got a terrible migraine - one of the worst ones that I ever had up to that point. The medicine did not kick in, so I was in terrible pain. I was vomitting and couldn't stop. I ended up in the emergency room. I decided that it was time to see a neurologist. The neurologist agreed with the 'hormone level' theory and decided to switch my medication. He told me to come back in a few months. The new medication was good, but again, it didn't stop the migraines. In the Spring of 2005, I got another terrible migraine that lasted for three days. None of my medication helped. Again, I went to the emergency room. They were able to ease the pain and stop the vomiting. This time, I walked away with a prescription for Vicodin. I went back to the neurologist, and he asked me how his 'experiment' was going. I gave him the update, and he decided to put me on yet another medication.
By July of 2005, I was at my breaking point. I was sick of the pain, sick of trying new medications that weren't really working, and sick of all the dotors who told me that this was a hormone problem. I felt like everyone was concentrating on a good medication to alleviate the pain, but no one wanted to figure out how to prevent them. In their minds, the hormones were to blame. They believed that there was not way to prevent the migraines, and that the focus should be on pain management. I was told that I would just have to learn to live with them. That was it.
Throughout all of this, my sister had mentioned IMT to me several times and told me that I should look into it. She has been treated on the East Coast and had experienced amazing results. I had been resistant to the idea because it wasn't mainstream medicine. But now, I was willing to try anything new, even if it sounded unorthodox. My sister's therapist on the East Coast suggested that I contact Mission Hills Physical Therapy. I took the next step and called for an appointment.
July 22,2005 is the day everything changed. It was my first day at Mission Hills Physical Therapy. Everyone was so understanding and sympathetic. They asked a lot of questions, and then sat back and listened. Initially, I went to therapy three times a week. I was advised to go off of sugar, as well as sugar substitutes. Appartently, this had helped quite a few migraine suffers. I decided to give it a shot, and it worked. I was also religious about doing my 'homework' which involved putting my hands on my body in specific places and holding them there for twenty minutes intervals.
A few weeks into my treatment, I was in San Francisco for my brother's wedding. On the morning of the wedding, I got a migraine. Luckily, my trusty therapist had given me some literature on IMT 'just in case'. I quickly enlisted the help of my sister and my husband. They spent about two hours targeting and isolating my process centers with their hands. Miraculously, I felt better and was able to attend and enjoy my brother's wedding. This was by far the fastest recovery from a migraine that I has ever experienced.
Over the past three and a half months, I've only had one migraine, and it lasted less than six hours. I've had a few other minor headaches, but nothing compared to before. There have been a few times I have felt a mmigraine coming, but I've been able to keep it at bay by doing my 'homework'.
I call Ralph, Danielle, and Daniza my 'miracle workers' because they truely are. I am constantly amazed at how much better I feel and how my quality of life has improved. This year, I made plans for Thanksgiving and Christmas without as much as a glance at my calendar.
In 2002, my migraines started to become more frequent. I wasn't tracking them at the time, but I remember that they were almost a monthly occurance. They would come on very quickly, and it was difficult to anticipate them. By 2003, I had started tracking them, and a clear pattern had emerged. They almost always occured around the same time of my period. I decided that it was time to go back to the doctor. My doctor said the migraines were most likely caused by my hormonal levels. I was now in my 30's, and the doctor said that my hormone levels were changing. This explanation made sense to me, especially due to the timing of my migraines. Since this particular doctor was my gynecologist, she was hesitant to prescribe medication (which she thought I needed). She recommended that I see my internist, so I did. He also gravitated towards the 'hormone level' theory, and prescribed medication. It seemed to work ok on the pain, but it completely knocked me out. So, I still couldn't function with a migraine. I'd have to go home, take the medication, and lie down for a few hours. If I missed 'the window', the medication wouldn't work at all, and I'd suffer for a day or two. This wasn't a good solution for me, but I decided to give it some time.
Over the next two years, I got migraines once or twice a month. I continued to track them, and I could almost pinpoint the day when I'd have one. I had done a lot of research on migraines, and I was familiar with my migraine triggers - red wine, Chinese food, and cured meat were among the culprits. Even though I stayed away from the triggers, the migraines would not subside. So, I learned to live with the pain. I always referenced my calendar when making vacation or social plans. I even planned my wedding according to it.
But, even after all of this, the migraines proved too much to handle. In the Fall of 2004, I got a terrible migraine - one of the worst ones that I ever had up to that point. The medicine did not kick in, so I was in terrible pain. I was vomitting and couldn't stop. I ended up in the emergency room. I decided that it was time to see a neurologist. The neurologist agreed with the 'hormone level' theory and decided to switch my medication. He told me to come back in a few months. The new medication was good, but again, it didn't stop the migraines. In the Spring of 2005, I got another terrible migraine that lasted for three days. None of my medication helped. Again, I went to the emergency room. They were able to ease the pain and stop the vomiting. This time, I walked away with a prescription for Vicodin. I went back to the neurologist, and he asked me how his 'experiment' was going. I gave him the update, and he decided to put me on yet another medication.
By July of 2005, I was at my breaking point. I was sick of the pain, sick of trying new medications that weren't really working, and sick of all the dotors who told me that this was a hormone problem. I felt like everyone was concentrating on a good medication to alleviate the pain, but no one wanted to figure out how to prevent them. In their minds, the hormones were to blame. They believed that there was not way to prevent the migraines, and that the focus should be on pain management. I was told that I would just have to learn to live with them. That was it.
Throughout all of this, my sister had mentioned IMT to me several times and told me that I should look into it. She has been treated on the East Coast and had experienced amazing results. I had been resistant to the idea because it wasn't mainstream medicine. But now, I was willing to try anything new, even if it sounded unorthodox. My sister's therapist on the East Coast suggested that I contact Mission Hills Physical Therapy. I took the next step and called for an appointment.
July 22,2005 is the day everything changed. It was my first day at Mission Hills Physical Therapy. Everyone was so understanding and sympathetic. They asked a lot of questions, and then sat back and listened. Initially, I went to therapy three times a week. I was advised to go off of sugar, as well as sugar substitutes. Appartently, this had helped quite a few migraine suffers. I decided to give it a shot, and it worked. I was also religious about doing my 'homework' which involved putting my hands on my body in specific places and holding them there for twenty minutes intervals.
A few weeks into my treatment, I was in San Francisco for my brother's wedding. On the morning of the wedding, I got a migraine. Luckily, my trusty therapist had given me some literature on IMT 'just in case'. I quickly enlisted the help of my sister and my husband. They spent about two hours targeting and isolating my process centers with their hands. Miraculously, I felt better and was able to attend and enjoy my brother's wedding. This was by far the fastest recovery from a migraine that I has ever experienced.
Over the past three and a half months, I've only had one migraine, and it lasted less than six hours. I've had a few other minor headaches, but nothing compared to before. There have been a few times I have felt a mmigraine coming, but I've been able to keep it at bay by doing my 'homework'.
I call Ralph, Danielle, and Daniza my 'miracle workers' because they truely are. I am constantly amazed at how much better I feel and how my quality of life has improved. This year, I made plans for Thanksgiving and Christmas without as much as a glance at my calendar.
Mandy Zenus