Biofeedback for Migraines?

Hi there, It looks like you have had a lot of good suggestions. I thought I'd add mine to the mix. I had regular migraines (though not vertigo). A year ago I followed the plan outlined in this book, and I know it sounds ridiculous, but it has absolutely changed my life! Please feel free to write with any questions. -- Steph

http://www.amazon.com/Heal-Your-Headache-Program-Taking/d...

Sorry, I'm not familiar w/ migraine related vertigo (I did google it to learn more for my own knowledge). However, I'm very familiar w/ migraines, as my son and I deal with them, on occasion. We do not experience vertigo with them but, definitely auras. The key for us is to take our medication as promptly as we can - ibuprofen can ward them off for us. Especially my son - he didn't want to tell his teacher, in school, so he would ignore the onset symptoms and the delay made it harder for him to get rid of the severe headache pain. He's much better about it now.

Have you gone the route of a food allergy trigger. Recently I know of two people (my daughter's friend who is a young teen, and a mom I know through school activities) who were diagnosed with a gluten allergy.

I saw this mom last year at a school function and she discussed her terrible migraine problems w/ me. Just recently, a year later, I ran into her. She is off ALL medications and has been migraine free since they discovered her gluten allergy. She looked fantastic.

My daughter's friend went through a debilitating time for four months, with her migraines until it was determined, through many tests, that she has a gluten allergy. Her headaches are virtually gone - when she "cheats" she pays big time.

I hope some of this is a help to you. It's just so hard to see kids like this - very frustrating. You may be familiar with this place but, The Diamond Clinic is a state-of-the-arts place for headache care. Just thought I'd pass along the information. I know someone who benefitted greatly from their outstanding care.

http://www.diamondheadache.com/

Best of luck to you and your son.

It would be worth your while to check out neuro biofeedback. I did not use it for migraines, but it helped with other issues. All the research says it can help with migraines. I recommend Neuro Health Assoc. in Schaumberg and Lombard. Have you looked into allergies? Sometimes a gluten, soy, or other allergy can trigger a migraine.

Good luck

I have migraines, but haven't tried biofeedback.

Just a thought - w/ the dizziness, headaches and age, I wonder if he has POTS

info at Dynakids.org or Stars.org
there's also a facebook group on it:

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=75183049224&ref=ts
"POTS, (postural, orthostatic, tachycardia syndrome) a form of dysautonomia, is a dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system. The autonomic nervous system is the system that controls our body's involuntary actions such as: heart rate, pulse, digestion, breathing, etc.. POTS lays dormant until it is triggered by a virus, diabetes, growth spurt, etc... This illness was not studied in most medical schools and as its symptoms are so global, that most kids who have this are either misdiagnosed or not diagnosed, at all. Symptoms can include any of the following: fainting or near fainting, chest pains, dizziness, headache, visual disturbances, insomnia,anxiety, shortness of breath, racing heart, joint pains, lower back pain, neck pain, fatigue, etc... these symptoms can be of varying degrees and can come and go at any time. A drop in blood pressure of 20 or more from laying to standing or a pulse that goes up by more than 30 (tachycardia) can determine whether a person has POTS. In many cases a tilt table test can provide an accurate diagnosis. In terms of awareness, POTS today is what Autism was 15 years ago. Many people who have this syndrome are not believed by their doctors, friends, and even family members. This is because POTS has only been being diagnosed for the past decade( although people have had these symptoms for centuries) and many people have not yet heard of the syndrome. There are very few doctors who specialize in autonomic nervous system dysfunctions, and many have to go to Mayo Clinic, Children's Memorial or other out of state hospitals to find a doctor who can diagnose and treat this disorder. Most doctors who treat this syndrome are cardiologists. POTS is hereditary. It is estimated that 1 in every 100 teenagers has some form of this illness. People can have varying degrees of POTS. Some people who have this can have fully functioning lives, while others are completely debilitated and need to be home schooled. Adults can get POTS, as well. Please help us spread awareness by joining this group and passing this information on to your friends on facebook. Please see the news video clips and articles below for more information on this Illness"

My pediatrician 40 years ago believed in the following:
1) strict sleeping routines, going to bed and waking up at same time everyday.
2) exercise
3) no meal skipping
4) avoiding a list of foods: fresh breads, pizza, chocolate, corn syrup, red wine, etc. I unfortunately lost the list ages ago, but remembered these because I missed them so much.

My grandmother's tricks for dealing with the pain:
1) drink water & eat crackers right away (to help with nausua)
2) use a WARM washcloth versus cold on the head
3) and obviously find a quiet, dark place to rest

Good luck!

I have never done biofeedback but...
I had migraines for YEARS and then got tested for "sensitivities". Similar to allergies except you do not have to get poked! Anyway, I found the thing that was triggering all my problems was corn syrup! If you want the info of where you can get your son tested let me know. She is a friend of mine with three teenage boys of her own. Here is the website
http://www.tapintobalance.com/servicesSS.htm
Good luck! Oh, one other things that my son has a problem with is red dye!
J.

hi,
have you considered acupuncture. it is painless and does help with migraines.
M. silver

Look into CranioSacral therapy.

I have meniere's, which is closely related to MAV. Have you tried a neuro-OTOlogist? It's a Dr who specializes in the inner ear, which is where the vertigo is. I see Dr. Moore in Park Ridge, IL (at Lutheran General Hospital).

Try visiting www.menieres.org. On the boards there is a wealth of information and a lot of people who also suffer from MAV. You will find that there is no one "cure" for this type of thing, everyone has to find the change that helps them the best. That also means that a lot of people have tried various things and have experience with almost any method you are interested in.

For my meniere's, I am on a low salt diet which lowers the amount of water in the inner ear that triggers the vertigo. I also carry around a bottle of low dose valium. It's not a high enough dose for anything else but it does calm down the vertigo when the attacks occur.

Definitely try menieres.org because I sure someone who posts there has tried biofeedback. Feel free to message me if you have any further questions.