Abstract: Migraine is a neurological painful condition that affects millions of people. It is the most common neurological disease that has a significant effect on the brain and behaviours associated with repeated migraine attacks. Chronic migraine is a condition in which a patient experiences a one-sided throbbing
headache for at least 15 days in a month. Patients with chronic migraine present in primary care are often referred for management to secondary care, hence, increasing the number of patients in the clinic. The conclusion drawn from this article is how homoeopathy has the potential to manage migraine headaches especially chronic ones and give permanent and effective results to the affected patients.
Keywords: homoeopathy, miasm, headache, Migraine,
- Introduction: The most common cause of vascular origin More seen in females (15%) than in males (6%) Family history is positive. It’s a syndrome containing symptoms 28 million people suffer from migraine annually .The purpose of the investigation is to treat the migraine of any type safely, quickly, and permanently and give better results to affected patients worldwide
Activators/Triggers of Migraine:
Food items – cheese, chocolates, citrus food, dairy products, onion, seafood
Food additives – nitrates, caffeine, msg (monosodium glutamate), aspartame
Alcohol – red wine, beer
Hormonal changes – menstruation, ovulation
Physical exercise – exertion, fatigue
Visual stimuli – bright light, glare
Auditory stimuli – loud voices/music
Olfactory stimuli – perfumes and certain typical odors
Sleep – too much or too little
Weather changes
Hunger
Head or neck trauma, Mental stress
Deactivators of Migraine:
Pregnancy
Exhilaration (state of joy or pleasure
Causes of Migraine:
- Exact cause is still unknown
- Genetic-genetic predisposition, specific mutation mitochondrial encephalopathy lactic acidosis stroke-like episodes
- Mutation within cacnl1a4, a gene on chromosome 19 role in calcium-induced neurotransmitter release and/or contraction of smooth muscles
- Trigeminal vascular system-trigeminal nucleus caudalis in the medulla that releases.
Types/Classification of Migraine:
- Migraine without aura
- Migraine with aura
- With a typical aura
- Typical aura with headache
- Typical aura without headache
- Migraine with brainstem aura
- Hemiplegic migraine
- Familial hemiplegic migraine
- Sporadic hemiplegic migraine
- Retinal migraine
- Chronic migrain
Description of Migraine Attack:
- The migraine attack can be divided into four phases:
- The prodrome phase, which occurs hours/days before the headache
- The aura phase, which immediately precedes the headache
- The headache phase itself
- The headache resolution phase
Prodrome Phase:
- Premonitory phenomenon occurs in about 60% of
- migraine, often hours to days before headache onset
- May include psychological, neurological,
- constitutional, or autonomic features
- The prodrome phase is common. It occurs in equal
- frequency in migraine with and without aura
Aura Phase:
1.The migraine aura is a complex of focal neurological symptoms which precedes or accompanies an attack.
2.Most aura symptoms develop over 5 to 20 minutes and usually less than 60 minutes. The aura can be characterized by the visual, sensory, motor phenomenon and may also involve language or brainstem disturbances.
3.Headache usually occurs within 60 minutes from the end of the aura.
4.Motor symptoms can occur in up to 18% of patients, most often in association with sensory symptoms. Sensory ataxia is often reported as weakness; hyperkinetic movements’ disorders, including chorea, have been reported. Aphasic auras (speech abnormalities) including aphasia have been reported in 17-20% of patients.
Migraine with aura (Classic Migraine):
- Focal neurological disturbances, without vomiting
- Age 40 to 70 years
- Recurrent attacks, unilateral, fully reversible
- Visual and sensory symptoms develop gradually.
Migraine with Typical aura Typical aura with headache
Aura is accompanied or followed within 60minutes by headache with or without
Migraine.
Typical aura without headache
Aura is not accompanied or followed by headache
Migraine with Brainstem Aura:
Originating from the brainstem No motor weakness, Symptoms like dysarthria, vertigo, tinnitus, diplopia, ataxia, decreased level of consciousness
Note:
∙ At least one aura symptom spreads gradually over more
than 5 minutes and 2 or more symptoms occurs in succession
∙ Each aura symptom lasts 5 to 60 minutes
∙ At least one aura symptom is unilateral
∙ Within 60 minutes, not followed by a headache.
Hemiplegic Migraine:
Migraine with aura including motor weakness, which is fully reversible Visual, sensory, and/or speech/language symptoms.
Types of Hemiplegic Migraine
Familial hemiplegic migraine (Type 1, 2, 3, and other loci)
- Migraine with aura including motor weakness
- At least 1st or 2nd degree relatives have the same thing as above
- Episodes of recurrent hemiparesis or hemiplegia
- Hemi anesthesia/paresthesia
- Drowsiness
- Hemianopic visual field disturbances
- Confusion and/or coma
- Duration of symptoms- 30 to 60 minutes.
Sporadic hemiplegic migraine:
- Migraine with aura including motor weakness.
- No 1st or 2nd degree relative has the same thing as above.
- Retinal hemorrhage.
- Repeated attacks of mono ocular visual disturbances.
- Scintillations, scotoma/blindness associated with.
- Migraine headache.
- Aura spread gradually over more than 5 minutes.
- Aura symptoms last for 5 to 60 minutes.
- Aura followed by headache within 60 minutes.
Chronic Migraine:
Headache occurs on 15 or more days per month for more than 3 months, which has the feature of migraine headache on at least 8 days per month.
Stages of Migraine:
Mild
- Occasional throbbing headache
- No impairment of function.
Moderate to severe
∙ Nausea
∙ Some impairment of function
Severe
∙ More than 3 times per month
∙ Significant functional impairment.
Differential diagnosis of headache:
Tension headache.
Cluster headache.
Medication overuse headache.
Meningitis.
Head injury.
Subdural haemorrhage.
Wernicke’s encephalopathy.
Counselling and treatment of migraine:
Yoga, meditation, hypnosis, Drugs, 5ht antagonists, dopamine antagonists, NSAIDs, ergotamine derivatives, beta blockers, etc.
Homoeopathic Medicines for Migraine:
-
- Sanguinaria Canadensis
- Nux Vomica
- Lachesis
- Pulsatilla
- Spigelia Anthelmia
- Silicea
- Onosmodium Virginianum
- Natrum Muriaticum
- Mezereum
- Belladonna
- Arnica Montana
- Bryonia Alba
- Gelsemium Sempervirens
- Iris Versicolor
- Glonoine
- Cocculus Indicus
- Calcarea Carbonica.
Conclusion:
As migraine is a type of disease wherein there are so many symptoms appearing at different organs of our body. We require such medicine that affects the person as a whole. Homoeopathy is a system of medicine that is based on the individualization of the patient. So, in cases of migraine, homoeopathy shows excellent and long-standing results as compared to other systems of medicine.
References
- Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicine.
- API Textbook of Medicine.
- Keynotes and Characteristics with Comparisons Of Some Of The Leading Remedies Of Materia Medica by Dr. H. C. Allen.
- Lectures on Homoeopathic Materia Medica by Dr. J. T. Kent.
