Fish Oil !?

ForeverWell is doing some amazing research on Migraine and the gut brain. There's growing evidence supporting long term belief that migraine is a brain disorder coupled with the work showing a second brain in the gut might cause some to look at proper neuropeptide production by the digestive system as a root cause of the factors leading to migraine.

As ForeverWell says:

Gut Brain Therapy combines the treatment techniques and philosophies of modern and traditional medicine, creating a 'best of both worlds' migraine treatment strategy. We utilize leading edge medical research from some of the nations finest universities and also incorporate ancient healing traditions and philosophies. This combination enables us to look at chronic disease in general and migraine in particular in new and powerful way.

One company doing just that has recently published an outcome based study in which they focus primarily on healing and improving digestive dysfunction that they believe on some level is occurring in most migraine sufferers. They also provide nutritional support to the liver and kidney believing that these organs are critical in balancing internal function.

This natural migraine prevention approach has shown very positive results in their initial study. Interestingly some of the comments from study participants included that while on the nutritional supplements they found that the migraines they experienced were less severe and that a lower dose of various pain treatments seemed to be more effective.

Some 80% of the 40 study participants reported good to dramatic benefit from this approach. 20% had no benefit. In 60% of the cases the participants quality of life rating was in the 80 to 100 range indicating a virtually migraine free condition.

Some people that've used ForeverWell's Product:

"I have not felt this good in at least 20 years. Never before have I seen products work this effectively and do what they claim to do"… Virginia R. from Vienna, Virginia

"I have more energy and can finally live without worrying about my migraines"… Amy S. Wichita, Kansas

"I had become a prisoner of my pain and I'm truly grateful to have found a key to unlock my prison doors"… Corliss L. from Hobbs, New Mexico

"I used to have at least three migraines a month, lasting from 3-7 days. After taking the products for only two weeks… I was free of migraines!"… Vicki T. from Tacoma, Washington

There is a book called "The Second Brain" by Michael Gershon, MD. He is at Columbia University in New York and seems to be the leading authority in neurogastroenterology. The book is quite fascinating and perhaps does explain why ForeverWell has been getting great results with migraine by treating the gut.

For More Information:

1. Take a look at The Second Brain : A Groundbreaking New Understanding of Nervous Disorders of the Stomach and Intestine (Paperback)
OR The Second Brain : The Scientific Basis of Gut Instinct and a Groundbreaking New Understanding of Nervous Disorders of the Stomach and Intestines (Hardcover) and how it supports and points to the possibilities that healing the gut could help the brain.

2. Review Gary Zaloga, MD’s book Nutrition in Critical Care (Hardcover) and how small chain peptides may provide a pharmacological explanation of ForeverWell’s preliminary success.

Contact Information:
Tom Staverosky, President
Jim Sensenig, ND, Chief Medical Officer
800-619-5969 or 610-374-5258
tstaverosky@verizon.net

You Might Just Feel A Bit of a Prick...
By: Ray Cunningham

But that sensation won't last too long!


People are surprised to find that acupuncture is relatively painless. Whilst the needle is penetrating the skin, there could be in a slight sensation of pain, but this is not usual. Sometimes, but not often, there could be an electric, "shooting" sensation if a nerve is hit. Sometimes, a sharp sensation if the needle is in the vicinity of a vein, or artery. If this happens this is the possibility of a small bruise in that the adjacent area, but this is really of little consequence, compared with the many attributes and advantages of acupuncture.


I one of the reasons for lack of pain, is because our needles are very fine, only about twice the fitness of a human hair. Totally unlike the hypodermic needles used in conventional medicine to inject liquids or take a sample of blood. These are hollow and of course have a greater bore than acupuncture needles. Ours are solid, flexible and much, much thinner. Patients are often very surprised at how flexible the acupuncture needle is and wonder that it can penetrate the skin and underlying flesh in a straight line. Because of the tiny diameter of the needles and the skill of the acupuncturist, this is not difficult. It is possible to penetrate much harder material, than the human skin, with one of these needles, without bending it.


Acupuncture is a very safe and mostly comfortable, form of effective, alternative medicine. Any discomfort that may occur on an occasional basis is more than made up for by its therapeutic activity.


The word 'acupuncture' comes from two Latin words: 'acus', meaning 'needle' and 'punctura', meaning 'to penetrate'. Thus, the word 'acupuncture' means 'to penetrate with a needle'.


Acupuncture, is a potent and efficacious, alternative to many of the treatments of western medicine, Acupuncture hails from China. Its origin goes back several thousand years.It is based on the premise, that there are energy patterns, or energy flows, throughout the body and these are necessary to maintain health and well-being of the organism. He is when these energy flows are disturbed that people become sick. Acupuncture often restores the body's balance of these meridians and corrects the energy flow.


A treatment of acupuncture normally lasts from 30 to 40 minutes and is very relaxing. A number of very fine needles, usually 1 to to 10, are inserted in specific spots on the skin. These are called acupuncture points.


There are a often matched with organs of the body. Almost all acupuncture points lie along acupuncture meridians although there are several off meridian points which are utilised by the experienced acupuncturist. And each acupuncture point can treat many diseases, as it influences many organs of the body.


Acupuncture has also been used in animals to great effect. If you own a beloved animal, try acupuncture. Seek out the veterinarian who uses alternative medicine and who may also use such other natural aids, as homeopathy, herbalism and aromatherapy, etc, on animals. You might be surprised by the beneficial results, on your precious four legged friends. Using alternative medicine in animals is even more convincing, as there cannot be any suspicion of the 'placebo' effect, which is sometimes found in humans, who are taking medicaments.



About the author:
Ray Cunningham is an owner of two diplomas of acupuncture. One from Australia. The other from Hong Kong.
At the moment he resides in Central Florida, U.S.A.. For more information, on acupuncture and alternative medicine, go to his website at: http://alternative-health-4.us

Chiropractic methods employ a holistic approach to pain relief through massage, spinal manipulation and periodic adjustment of joints and soft tissue. Though many who suffer from Migraine are unable to find relief with chiropractic treatment, some have quite positive results. I think you should explore all non-drug options openmindedly. If you enjoy positive results, stick with what you're doing, if not, then maybe it's time to move on.
There are several studies that also show promise. Take a look at the follow example:

One hundred and twenty-seven migraine patients (at least one migraine per month) were divided into two groups for comparison.

• Group 1 received chiropractic adjustments at specific vertebral subluxations determined by the treating practitioner
• Group 2 served as controls and received inactive treatment (electrical stimulation with no current delivered).

Subjects receiving chiropractic adjustments reported substantial improvement. They had fewer migraines, shorter durations in migraines, less disability and lower use of medication for their migraines following two months of treatment. One in five participants reported a 90% reduction in migraines, and half reported a significant decrease in the severity of their migraines.

If you're tired of:

• Migraine headaches ruining your day
• Conventional over-the-counter medications proving less than effective
• Conventional over-the-counter medications being often accompanied by dangerous side effects

Try to fight the pain from another angle. To find out more about the potential benefits of chiropractic care, schedule an appointment with your doctor of chiropractic.

Reference:

Tuchin PJ, Pollard H, Bonello R. A randomized controlled trial of chiropractic spinal manipulative therapy for migraine. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, Feb. 2000: Vol. 23, No. 2, pp91-95.

Acupuncture involves insertion and manipulation of fine needles at various, prescribed body- pressure points. Results for Migraineurs are somewhat mixed with acupuncture. But for may of us, Acupuncture offers relief and a better quality of life which may be worth exploring.
According to the American Academy of Medical Acupuncture there are many areas of Western medicine, rigorously controlled research and carefully documented experience that allow fairly definitive answers to questions of diagnosis and treatment of any given malady.

Although the quality of research in acupuncture is now better meeting the requirements of Western medicine, we still can rarely answer questions based on a Western scientific-evidence-based model. The reasons for which lie in the nature of the two systems themselves. Allah doesn't always reveal to us by which means he heals us, but only gives answers to the questions that we pose through experimentations. In November of 1997 the National Institutes of Health (NIH) convened a conference on acupuncture to determine what answers we do have from a rigorous scientific standpoint.

Read or download (PDF, 160K) the Consensus Statement on Acupuncture

The distinct methods used by oriental medicine have long posed problems of understanding and accreditation for Western practitioners seeking to verify the efficacy of acupuncture. Western allopathic medicine treats diagnoses, and diagnoses are often established by fairly objective impersonal standards. The conventional Western medical model, by treating specific and "objective" diagnoses, can easily design studies which permit statistical inferences about the benefits of an intervention.

For more information I recommend visiting the American Academy of Medical Acupuncture website at http://www.medicalacupuncture.org.

I also found an article about a study in which a mock acupuncture treatment was performed on a group of people, while another group was given actual treatment through acupuncture and yet a third group was not given any at all. You'd be surprised of the resutls. I'll put that article up here insha Allah.

Have you tried Acupuncture for your Migraines? Let me know if it helped.

Even with medical treatment you may still find yourself banging your head against the wall from persistent Migraine attacks, asking Allah to cure you.. Many find them self's turning to alternative treatments out of frustration when they are having limited success with prescription drugs and other approved medical treatments. I personally am not a big fan of conventional treatment methods through painkillers, though decongestants can help if your Migraine is sinus-related. The following series will introduce you to some of the better alternative or non-drug therapies. These treatments offer many of us additional relief, but are NOT an excuse to abandoned approved medical care, and remember, no matter what method you use, it's Allah who bestows cure upon the sick.. Rather they will offer you an opportunity to gain more control over your Migraine disease management. They will work better if integrated into your overall care, and you should always advise your attending physician of every non-drug treatment you are experimenting with. Keep in mind, that even so-called natural remedies are drugs too, and some can affect other prescription drugs you may be on, related to Migraine or other illnesses you may also suffer from. In addition, OTC or herbal/vitamins can sometimes cause serious illness or interfere with prescription drug effectiveness.

A number of non-drug approaches are sometimes used to relieve headache and/or Migraine pain. These alternative methods may help to reduce or relieve headache pain, but usually do not treat all of the Migraine associated symptoms. They are often used along with attack-abortive or preventive measures. Remember, these are treatments and not cures.

I was reading an article on the Reuters News Agency's website which appeared initially in the Pediatrics medical journal. It addressed the fact that frequent or severe headaches in childhood are associated with notable pain, mental health issues and functional limitations.

"Headaches are common among children and adolescents, particularly migraine and tension-type headaches," Dr. Tara W. Strine and colleagues from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, write. "They contribute to missed school days, affect children's peer and family relationships, and significantly impact children's quality of life, often times into adulthood."

The researchers evaluated 9,264 children between the ages of 4 and 17 years who were part of the National Health Interview Survey. They based their study on responses to the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire.

They found that about 6.7 percent of the children experienced frequent or severe headaches during the previous 12 months. These children tended to be older, white, non-Hispanic and living in or near poverty. I'm not sure how that might apply here in Saudi Arabia, or back home in Miami, but that's a pretty significant amount of kids.

Compared with children without headaches, children with headaches were:

· 3.5 times more likely to have a high level of emotional symptoms

· 2.5 times more likely to have conduct problems

· 2.6 times more likely to have symptoms of hyperactivity or inattention

· 1.7 times more likely to have peer problems.

High levels of impairments were 2.7 times more frequent in children with headaches, which suggests potential mental health issues. These children were also 2.9 times more likely than children without headaches to be upset or distressed by their difficulties and to have these difficulties interfere with their home life, friendships, classroom learning, and leisure activities, Dr. Strine's team notes.

Overall, 82.2 percent of children with headaches and 77.6 percent of those without had visited a general physician in the previous 12 months. Children with headaches were also significantly more likely to have visited a mental health professional (17.9 percent versus 5.7 percent) or a general physician (9.9 percent versus 3.9 percent) in the previous year because of emotional or behavioral problems.

The authors note that 5.6 percent of the children with headaches and 1.9 percent of those without headaches were currently receiving special education services for emotional or behavioral problems.

Now, I personally have been having migraines since I was in Kindergarten. I think that sometimes people look for excuses to say that a kid has a disorder or that a kid has an excuse not to excel in their studies. It seems these types of people are trying to find, or create, at least one disorder in everybody around them. In the end, they find a disorder in themselves and that's the end of their parade. I don't think one should hastily diagnose a child with a disorder, but parents and teachers should be aware of those children that might suffer from migraines or tension-headaches. I predict, and Allah knows best of the future, that soon we will find adult-related heart diseases due to stress, in our future elementary-schoolers. Perhaps we might find middle-schoolers having panic attacks. Perhaps high-schoolers will have heart-attacks? May Allah help us all, and our children, aameen.

"Given the bidirectional relationship between mental health and headaches, both general doctors and mental health professionals should play an integral role in the care of these children," the authors conclude.

SOURCE: Pediatrics, May 2006