My journey with migraine disease has been a long one. Starting with the first migraine at the age of four, the patterns of these headaches have changed significantly throughout my life. As a child, I experienced migraine 2 to 3 times a year. They would last days on end, but they were infrequent. In high school, I had chronic headaches every single day (probably caused by rebound headaches from popping advil on a daily basis) and migraines infrequently. In my twenties, my migraine disease intensified to the point of having the worst pain of my life (including a trip to the emergency room). I needed serious help so I turned to Western and alternative treatments. In my thirties, my migraine episodes were managed using holistic treatments. Now, in my forties and going through perimenopause, I’ve needed a combination of medication and holistic treatments to manage the migraine disease.
For alternative treatments, I have explored many different modalities to see what they could offer and how they could help. Over the past 20 years, I have tried acupuncture, chiropractic, naturopathy, homeopathy, physical therapy, osteopathy, feldenkrais, biofeedback, cranio-sacral therapy, massage/bodywork and hypnotherapy. I have also worked with a psychotherapist for support with the emotional impact of the migraine disease and how it affected my life and relationships.
All of these treatments helped in different ways and helped me understand the pattern of my migraine disease. Some of the treatments helped decrease my pain and migraine episodes, some didn’t. And for those modalities that didn’t help my migraine disease, I am still grateful for the experience because I learned about what works for me. I now have tools to support myself. I now have my own combination of modalities that help manage migraine episodes.
In my practice, I offer an integrative approach which means that I respect the integration of Eastern and Western medicine. I have found that a holistic approach is helpful, especially for prevention. I have also found that medications can be a necessary part of migraine management for some people.
But here’s the truth: I still experience migraine episodes; when the weather changes (yes, those barometric changes), when I mistakenly eat a food that triggers, when my neck goes out of alignment, and with hormonal shifts. But now that I understand my pattern, I can be pro-active in taking care of myself to lessen the migraine attacks. I schedule appointments with the practitioners that can help.
I have come to see migraine pain as a sign that I need to get back into alignment with things that work for my body- like getting regular acupuncture treatments, making sure I eat regular meals, and managing my stress levels. I have come to understand what my body needs to make me happy and healthy- like rest, laughter and being kind to myself.
Migraine reminds me to prioritize myself and my health. I now feel like migraine disease and headaches are just a part of my life- whereas before they ruled my life.