Migraines Q & A

What are migraines?
Migraines are a neurological disorder that causes moderate to severe, one-sided head pain and other symptoms like:

Nausea and vomiting
Sensitivity to light and sound
Jaw and facial pain
Fatigue
Migraines typically last 4-72 hours, and most people find relief from the pain by resting in a quiet, dark room. Migraines most commonly affect women, though men can experience them as well. Migraines are common among family members.

What causes migraines?
The exact cause of migraines is unknown, though researchers believe they come from abnormalities in pain perception in the brain. People with migraines often have specific triggers like:

Stress
Irregular sleeping or eating schedule
Hormonal fluctuations
Changes in weather patterns, especially barometric pressure
Food additives like monosodium glutamate (MSG)
Dairy products, alcohol, and tannins in coffee and tea
Keeping a consistent schedule, eating regularly throughout the day, managing your stress levels, and exercising consistently can reduce the likelihood of having a migraine.

How are migraines treated?
While there is no cure for migraines, over-the-counter and prescription medications can prevent migraines or reduce their severity when one occurs. Your doctor may also recommend specific vitamins or supplements like vitamin B2, magnesium, and coenzyme Q10 to reduce the severity of migraines.

If these treatments aren’t enough, ketamine therapy may be helpful. Commonly used in hospitals for intractable migraines — migraines that won’t go away with other treatment — ketamine effectively relieves migraine pain for many people.

Boston MindCare, PC, offers personalized ketamine treatments for migraines so you can get relief from the pain without the hassle of a hospital visit.

How does ketamine relieve migraine pain?
Research has shown that ketamine blocks neurotransmitters from reaching the NMDA receptors in your brain. These receptors naturally signal certain brain activities that increase pain, but when they’re blocked, your brain doesn’t sense the pain.

Ketamine also works on other receptors that affect pain, tension, and muscle activity. When ketamine is given in small doses, the brain doesn’t experience pain signals, and your body is able to relax. Since the doses are so small, side effects are typically rare, and many patients also report a lessening of their other migraine symptoms, like nausea and vomiting.

If you experience severe migraines that don’t respond to traditional treatments, call Boston MindCare, PC, or schedule a consultation online to discuss ketamine treatment now.