Migraine and Natural treatments

Introduction

Triggering factors

Natural treatments

In prevention

In acute

Bibliography

Introduction summary

One of the characteristics of the migraine, functional disease, is the absence of any permanent anatomical or biological criterion. This of course prevents a diagnosis outside crises. This one is exclusively done by the questioning and after exclusion of any other medical cause. The main abnormality noticed during the migraine is, first a vasodilatation extra-cranial, on the other hand an increase of cerebral blood flow.

The intimate nature of the migraine process is unknown and however sparsely syndromes, in clinical, come in unambiguous way as migraines, whatever are the triggering factors of the access.

The most remarkable character of the migrainous disease is its evolution by crises : they usually begin before age 40, repeating in very variable times over the years, to decrease generally in frequency or disappear before the third age. Women suffer three times more often than men, and is found in 4% of cases among children. The family character seems evident and the notion of allergic, nervous ground corresponds to the notion of heredity. A subject arisen from a migrainous relative has 3 times more chances to develop migraines that if he born from non-migrainous parents. The transmission is likely multifactorial.

The frequency of real migraines is significantly higher in subjects of white race .

The triggering factors summary

They are many !

They can be psychological, as an unexpected event arousing enjoyment or sadness, a job change, unemployment, marriage, a birth, a mourning, a repressed anger, ... relaxation phase during the weekend.

The precipitating factors can be food (chocolate, cheese, alcohol, ...) ; sensory (sun, light, noise, ...) ; climatic (spring, fall) ; hormonal ; the migraine begins at puberty and has a premenstrual recrudescence with stop during pregnancy and menopause.

What is a migraine ? What is a headache ? The nestings are so complicated that, for simplicity, the term "headache" is commonly used.

The grave organic migraines represent less than 5 % of the total of "headaches". The true migraines represent more than half of the headaches.

Any migraine before being treated in natural medicine, should be clarify on proving the absence of organic disease.

The physiopathological mechanism of headache is relatively poorly known. The most studied mechanism is the one of the true migraine. It would be about a stimulation of the orthosympathetic system followed by a defense reaction of parasympathetic.

The neurovegetative reaction affects the motricity of vessels.

• The first phase by excitement of the orthosympathetic system provokes a liberation of adrenalin and noradrenaline with an increase of the vascular tonus and liberation of serotonin, the whole provoking a vasoconstriction.
• The second reactional phase causes a vasodilation by liberation of histamine and neurokinin. These two reactions come along with a general stimulation of the orthosympathetic  system and parasympathetic justifying the general reaction of the body : digestive spasm, nausea, sweating,...

The pain is more the result of local inflammation than from the vascular motricity disorders.

These local inflammatory disorders cause vasodilatation, exudation of plasma proteins, mast cell degranulation (dura mater, ...). Nausea is related to serotonin .

Natural treatments summary

Three types of treatments may be recommended.

A thorough treatment with a preventive action

The complex Cepha Prevent associate specifically useful substances at the rate of 2 capsules a day by cure of three months, renew twice a year.

• Craeatagus extr sec Relaxing plant, that the action is on the circulation regulating. It decreases the migraines related to the stress and to the tension, it allows a better sleep. Relaxing of the heart it improves its work and slows down slightly the heart rhythm.

• Cinnamon The essential oil of cinnamon is composed of cinnamic aldehyde and phenols. It stimulates digestion and respiration, is antiseptic, antispasmodic, vermifuge and is indicated in languor atonie and gastro-intestinal spasms. Several studies indicate that cinnamon is effective in helping migraine sufferers. The cinnamon is also rich in antioxidants and could play a role in the metabolism of sugars and fats. Its action on migraine is related to its digestive action and on the tension.

• Blackcurrant leaves Plants stimulating of the suprarenal glands, it is rich in vitamins C and allows to increase the resistance in the stress. Its activity in migraine is due to its role adaptogen and its anit-inflammatory action.

• Mentha piperata The mint have a recognized action on the digestive migraines due to two activities, a digestive tonic action and a anti-spasm action which make it the plant of choice in this indication.

• Angelica archangelica The angelica root contains an essential oil that is beneficial to the entire digestive system. It is stimulating to the digestive system. Indicated in cases of pain and cramps, it has a specific action on the pain of migraine. It improves the problems of ballooning and aerophagia. Several clinical studies confirm this action on migraines.

• Cynara extr sec The artichoke acts on Hepo-biliary disorders through the cynarin. It is particularly useful in the case of congestion or the hepatic incapacity by its choleretic action. By stimulating the biliary secretion, the artichoke also acts on the states of constipation often responsible for migraines.

• Thea sinensis extr sec
  Anti-oxidizing plant par excellence, its wealth in theine fights against the variations of vasoconstriction / vasodilatation, found in the migraine. Its action is fast but it must be taken early in migraine to be the most effective.

In acute

During all the duration of the crisis, Cepha Forte associates a local treatment, the ointment Cepha Cream essential oil mixture to apply by massage on temples with a combination of dyes mothers Cepha TM at the rate of 10 drops every hour. 

Bibliography summary

-Diener HC, Rahlfs VW, Danesch U. The first placebo-controlled trial of a special butterbur root extract for the prevention of migraine: reanalysis of efficacy criteria. Eur Neurol 2004;51:89-97.