Migraine and Arthritis

[Michelle M]

l was talking to my Pharmacist this afternoon and l have bone degeneration and severe Arthritis in my back and feet, so l was talking about the Migraines l get and she mentioned to me that Arthritis can cause Migraines! Has anyone else heard of this before and if anyone has, is there something that can be taken or done to help these ??

 

[forgetmenot]

Re: Migriane and Arthritis

Your doctor can prescribe therapy to help with decreasing affects of arthritis as well as meds for the migraines and the pain from arthritis. Heat can help as well as cold therapy but that is where a professional therapist can help you.

---------- Post Merged at 11:35 PM ---------- Previous Post was at 09:48 PM ----------

Also with migraines turning off all lights help. getting into a room that is dark and less noise will help. Cool facecloth to forehead over the eyes help as well. Best advice though would be to to talk to you doctor ok just so you can rule out other things that may be causing the migraines.

 

[Retired]

......my Pharmacist this afternoon..... mentioned to me that Arthritis can cause Migraines! ....

I am not a medical professional, but am somewhat familiar with migraine, as I have been diagnosed with the disorder.

That arthritis causes migraine may not be entirely accurate, as stated by the National Headache Foundation:

Headaches, felt as a pain in the neck, may be caused by arthritis if the first, second or third vertebrae are involved. This condition is due to the nerves that supply the scalp only originating from this area of the spine. Neck pain itself, whether alone or coupled with headaches, can involve any portion of the neck. If the jaw is involved, the symptoms are similar to those of Temporomandibular Joint Syndrome (TMJ).

The NHF explains that headache (not migraine) can be caused by arthritic degeneration of the upper spinal column. Head pain does not necessarily constitute migraine, as migraine is a neurological disorder thought to be caused by a brain chemistry (neurotransmitter) dysfunction.

It is possible, of course, that one could have migraine and arthritis at the same time, but according to the literature, I don't believe there is a causative effect.

The diagnostic criteria for migraine are very specific and if it is, indeed migraine, needs to be treated with medication or other therapies specific to migraine.

If the head pain is found to be caused by arthritic degeneration of the spinal column, treatments to target that condition would be indicated.

It might not be unreasonable to expect some types of pain management to provide relief from both conditions, but if non prescription options don't succeed, professional intervention with appropriate specialists would be recommended.

 

[Daniel E.]

Similar to what Steve is saying:

Each headache patient presents with different symptoms and causes; thus, patients respond differently to physical therapy. Because physical therapy works on muscles and joints, PT is most effective in migraineurs whose headache condition involves the neck and/or jaw. Not only does PT reduce pain for these patients, but it also may prevent their attacks. How does this work? In some headache patients with musculoskeletal problems, the muscles and joints of the neck “refer” pain into the head, while in other patients, neck joint or jaw problems can trigger a migraine event. Treating neck and jaw (musculoskeletal) issues with physical therapy reduces stress and tension on soft tissues and joints, which reduces the individual’s headache pain.

Physical Therapy Exercises for Migraine Headaches Chicago

(Makes me wonder if it may help to buy a new pillow to help with neck support.)

 

[Michelle M]

Okay, l was writing and the next second l was on my Homepage! l have no clue what just happened but l was sort of hoping what l had written was still on this page but l lost it...

l wanted to Thank You for the responses. They put it prospective for me. My Pharmacist, who l have known for 15 years, since l moved from Ottawa to the Country. l discuss alot of things with her so when she mentioned it, l wanted to know the correlation between the two.

l have been diagnosed with chronic cluster migraines and unfortunately also degeneration of the spinal cord, prety well all of my bones have osteo-arthritis, but my back is in the worst shape. l am seeing my Dr. tomorrow, so l m going to ask if she can do a Cat scan done on my head to rule anything else out.
l got sick after being treated with the Prednisone so l cannot have that again. l got all the rare side effects such as my heart pounded, every bone in my body ached and l could only do small chores because just sweeping the floor made me so tired...l am still having swelling all over my body and l got a moon face.

On days l got migraines l stayed on my bed with my blackout curtains shut and absolutely no noise and vomiting sometimes. l always get an aura before l get a headache but my ears are so sensitive, they ache terribly.
Everyone who knows me, knows about my headaches because l am very white in the face and the eye sockets looks like someone gave me two black eyes.

l live in an area surrounded by water and forests, so l get migraines when it is allergy season in Spring and Fall and if it is going to rain/ changes in the weather...l was wondering if where l live can be a cause also.

 

[Retired]

l got sick after being treated with the Prednisone so l cannot have that again.

Michelle,

I can relate to your situation because I recently experienced severe adverse reactions to prednisone that was prescribed for a dermatological issue.

I would not have expected prednisone to be a first line choice to treat migraine, although your doctor may have had a good reason to do so. It's certainly a question I would want clarified in your situation.

Over the years I have had several forms of medication therapy for migraine, and the most effective for me was the class of medications known as triptans.

Triptans are specifically indicated for migraine and work at the neurological level..with brain chemistry. There are cautions and contraindications to their use, and your doctor, if s/he feels this type of medication is appropriate for you, will make the decision based on your medical and current medication history.

Not all triptans are the same and depending on the nature of your migraine, some have longer duration of action than others.

Knowing your migraine triggers is critical in trying to avoid migraine episodes. I kept a detailed migraine log for two years, under the guidance of my neurologist to determine my triggers, and except for the weather (low barometric pressure) I managed to avoid most triggers.

Ultimately what worked for me was when my doctor told me I needed to tread mild hypertension (elevated blood pressure). I did some research and proposed the medication referred to in this article to my doctor to get his opinion. My doctor agreed this particular blood pressure medication was appropriate for my situation and the fact that it might have benefit in reducing migraine episodes would be a bonus, if it happened to work that way for me.

In the two years I have been taking candesarten, my migraine episodes have been reduced from six to eight per month to one episode every six months.

My experience is not a predictor of what others might experience, because each person's body / brain chemistry responds differently to any therapy, so you would want to discuss all your options with your doctor.

 

[Michelle M]

Hello;
l had been prescribed Prednisone after being referred to a Neurologist's advice to my Dr. l have now lost 15 lbs of water and l was told yesterday that the side effects should diminish.
l was origionally prescribed Rizatriptan but l was having Migraines almost everyday and there was no improvment.
She recently prescribed Amerge which is a newer medication and it cut the Migraines in half but they were still severe so she sent me to a Neurologist to see what he thought and he gave her some new things to try and also log my triggers , so yesterday the Dr. prescribed 10 Migraine pills Maximum a month. l will now take Naproxin 2X a day and go for an IV at the clinic if l have no Migraine pills left and l think she is trying to make sure it is not Rebound headaches. l have a Sinus and Ear lnfection so l am now on Amoxcillin..
The Death of my daughter 24 yrs ago caused PTSD because no Counselling was offered after Taylor's death as it was Christmas and my Ex husband turned to just openly taking off every weekend with another woman and his drinking was unbearable to me as he got mean when he drank and he bad mouthed me so bad to my kids, they wanted nothing more to do with me...But l believe in Karma and whatever goes around comes around again.
l was also told the things l cry over such as my children and everything l worry over can also be a cause for Migraines...So l have to stop my thought and start doing slow breathing exercises. She put her hand on mine as l cried and said that my Physical Health can also make my body sick, such as Migraines..

l paint as my stress relief so hopefully l will have more paintings to give to my close friends...Thank You for all the information you have written as l brought up some points you gave me and now l hope this all works..