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Some Natural Remedies For Headache and Migraine

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The lemon can be your best friend when you have a common headache. Simply cut a long strip of the rind and put it on your forehead  rub in the inside white part and then fasten it to your head. Sure, you will look a little nutty but who cares as long as it gets rid of the ache!

One may try this Magic Drink to stop headache instantly:
All you need is lemon juice and salt. Not many people know of this remedy, but it can be used by anyone with a migraine. You need high-quality salt, like Himalayan salt. Himalayan salt contains about 84 healthy elements. Salt increases the levels of serotonin in the blood, which will save you from headaches.

Get fresh lemons and squeeze the juice out of the lemons and add about 2 teaspoons of salt to the juice. Stir this mixture and then add water.

When the water has been added you can drink it immediately. You must drink the whole thing in order for it to work, don’t sip on it. It may not taste too great, but it will definitely get rid of your migraine.you need is lemon juice and salt. Not many people know of this remedy, but it can be used by

Also Butterbur Extract. Butterbur extract can help prevent a migraine. Scientists discovered Butterbur extract has the ability to prevent blood vessel expansion during a migraine, while also preventing inflammation which can intensify the migraine experience.

Relieving tension can often relieve migraine headaches. Tension can be relieved in many ways such as by taking a warm bath or shower, lying down in a quiet dark room to rest, putting something cold on the back of the neck (at the base of the skull) or having someone massage your neck muscles and possibly your temporal region to help relieve your tension and muscle spasms.

There are many other natural treatments available to migraine headache patients including the Soothe-A-Ciser Migraine Headaches Cushion. This pillow was designed by a chiropractor to help correct neck problems that can cause headaches.

HOME REMEDIES FOR HEADACHE AND MIGRAINES:-

* Place your thumbs right in the center of each temple Massage firmly using a circular motion for a minute or two, or until you feel relief.
* A hot water bath or shower may also help to relieve the headache.
* Eat 10-12 almonds, for a migraine headache.
* Make a compress by putting 5 drops of lavender essential oil in cold (or warm) water. Swish around a soft cloth, and then put it on your head or neck.
* Put your hands in hot water, which seems to pull the pressure out of your head.
* In some cases sleep gives relief to the headache. Sleeping on back give relief to the headache.
* Deep breathing is a great tension reliever. Deep breathing gives immediate relief to the headache.
* Tie a tight cloth around the head. It will decrease blood flow to the scalp and lessen the throbbing and pounding of a migraine.
* Avoid chocolate, aged cheese, red wine, citrus fruits. These foods all contain tyramine or other histamines which have been shown to begin migraines in people with food sensitivities.
* Prepare a paste of freshly ground clay or freshly ground sandalwood and apply to the forehead, let dry, rub off by hand and wash.
* Drink a teaspoon of honey in a glass of warm water or fill the stomach completely with water if not suffering from a cold.
* Take equal parts of natural apple cider vinegar and water place in a small pan on the stove, allowing it to boil slowly. When the fumes begin to rise from the pan, lean your head over it until the fumes are comfortably strong. Inhale for approximately 50 to 80 breaths.
* Juice of ripe grapes and is an effective home remedy for the migraine headache.
* Niacin has proved helpful in relieving migraine pain. Valuable sources of this vitamin are yeast, whole wheat, green leafy vegetables, tomatoes, nuts, sunflower seeds, liver, and fish.
* Take few leaves of the cabbage crush them, and then place in a cloth and bound on the forehead at bedtime, or when convenient during the day. The Compress should be renewed when the leaves dry out.
* Make a paste of the lemon crust. The paste should be applied, like a plaster on the forehead. It will provide great relief.
* Carrot juice along with spinach, or beet and cucumber juices, has been found beneficial in the treatment of migraine. In the first combination, 200 ml of spinach juice may be mixed with 300 ml of carrot juice to prepare 500 ml or half a litre of the combined juices. In the second combination, 100 ml each of beet and cucumber juices may be mixed with 300 ml of carrot juice.
* The patient should eat frequent small meals rather than a few large ones. Overeating should be avoided. Copious drinking of water is beneficial.
* Rutin removes toxic metals, which may cause migraines.
* Make a solution by adding half a teaspoon mustard seeds powder and three teaspoons water, put in the nostrils, it helps to decrease the migraine.
* A peppermint steam inhalation provides quick relief for sinus headaches.
* Mix 1 teaspoon finely ground cinnamon (called dalchini in India) in 1-teaspoon water and applies on the forehead. It is very effective in headache due to exposure to cold air.
* Make a paste from dry ginger with a little water or milk, apply to the forehead for relief of the headache due to sinusitis.
* Make a paste of 10-15 Basil leaves with 4 cloves and 1 teaspoon dried ginger and apply to forehead for sinus cure.
* Cut a potato into 4 pieces, place 2 in the center of your forehead and two at your temple (Hold the ones at your temples in place). Lie down in a dark room and close your eyes. It takes a while to work but it takes away the pain.

Herbal Remedies for migraines headaches:-

Migraine relief using Grapes:
Migraine relief can be obtained from the juice of ripe grapes and is an effective home remedy. It is said that King Jamshed of Persia, who was very fond of grapes, once stored the juice of grapes well packed in bottles and made it public that the bottles contained strong poison so as to prevent others from taking it. It so happened that the king\’s wife was struck with migraine and having obtained no relief from any treatment, decided to end her life by taking this so-called ?poison?. She took it several times in small doses and contrary to her expectations, it gave her great relief instead of killing her.

Migraine relief using Niacin:
Niacin has proved helpful in relieving migraine pain. Valuable sources of this vitamin are yeast, whole wheat, green leafy vegetables, tomatoes, nuts, sunflower seeds, liver, and fish. Vitamin I complex tablets containing 100 mg of niacin can be taken for the same purpose.

Relieving Migraine using Cabbage Leaf Compress:
An ancient folk remedy for relieving the pain of migraine is a cabbage leaf compress. A few leaves of the vegetable should be crushed, and then placed in a cloth and bound on the forehead at bedtime, or when convenient during the day. The Compress should be renewed when the leaves dry out.

Migraine treatment using Lemon Crust:
The crusts of lemon have also been found beneficial in the treatment of migraine. These crusts should be included into a fine paste in a mortar. The paste should be applied, it plaster on the forehead. It will provide great relief.

Natural Migraine headache treatment using Vegetable Juices:
Carrot juice, in combination with spinach like, or beet and cucumber juices, has been found beneficial in the treatment of migraine. In the first combination, 200 ml of spinach juice may be mixed with 300 ml of carrot juice to prepare 500 ml or half a litre of the combined juices. In the second combination, 100 ml each of beet and cucumber juices may be mixed with 300 ml of carrot juice.

Migraine relief diet:
Fasting on orange juice and water
It is essential to undertake a thorough cleansing of the system and adopt vitality-building measures. To begin with, the patient should resort to fasting on orange juice and water for two or three days. If the orange juice does not agree with the patient, juices of vegetables such as carrots, cucumber, and celery may be taken.
Avoid foods like white flour products, sugar, tinned or preserved foods, etc
Foods which should be avoided are white flour products, sugar, confectionery, rich cakes, pastries, sweets, refined cereals, greasy foods, tinned or preserved foods, pickles, condiments, and sauces.
All-fruit diet
After the short juice fast, the patient may adopt an all-fruit diet for about five days, taking three meals a day of fresh juicy fruits.
Well-balanced diet of seeds, nuts etc.
Thereafter the patient should follow a well-balanced diet consisting of seeds, nuts, grains, vegetables, and fruits. This diet should be supplemented with milk, yoghurt, buttermilk, vegetable oils, and honey. Further short periods of the all-fruit diet may be necessary at intervals of a month or two, according to the requirement of the case.
Eat frequent small meals, Copious drinking of water is essential.
The patient should eat frequent small meals rather than a few large ones. Overeating should be avoided. Copious drinking of water is recommended.

Other migraine treatment:
Take warm-water enema to cleanse bowels
During the initial two or three days of the juice fast, a warm water enema may be taken daily to cleanse the bowels.
Hot bath, cold compress applied to head
A hot fool bath, fomentation over the stomach and spine, cold compress (4.5\JC to 15.6\JC) applied to the head, and towels wrung out of very hot water and frequently applied to the neck will go a long way in relieving migraine headaches.
Plenty of exercise and walk in fresh air is essential
The patient should also take plenty of exercise and walk in the fresh air. Get the improperly named product Sinus Buster. The company has several products which are all named Sinus Buster. This one says it’s specifically for migraines. They have another one for headaches, so it’s kind of confusing.

It’s known to rid migraine suffers of their migraine pain INSTANTLY! The nausea feeling also goes away very quickly.

Himalayan Goji Juice: In traditional Chinese medicine, headache and dizziness are often said to be caused by deficiencies in kidney yin (vital essence) and yang (function). Goji is among the most frequently used herbs for restoring yin / yang balance. For more information go to HealthWealth.gitgojionline.com

The best natural remedy for migraines is the practice called Shiatsu or Acupressure. There are a number of exercises you can use on yourself. Get yourself a book, or check out a website.I use these exercises, as the pills make me feel worse. Good Luck! Prescription For Natural Cures (Balch & Stengler) suggests:

Homeopathic Combination Headache Formula
Magnesium citrate or malate – 200 mg 2-3 times a day
Feverfew herb – 250-500 mg daily for prevention\
5-Hydroxytryptophane (5-HTP) 50-100 mg 3 times a day
B-50 vitamin complex 1-2 times daily
Omega 3-6-9 essential fatty acid supplement daily
See the excellent book mentioned above for a good discussion by experts in the field of natural medicine. Good luck!

Coca tea is great for migranes, it is natural, it may not taste good alone ( it needs sugar) but it helps a whole lot.

Click to review the details:http://www.amazon.com/coca-windsor-boxes...
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Try massage, specifically a type called Trigger Point Therapy. It was developed by a Dr Janet Travell. She was doctor to the white house under the Kennedy administration. You could also try acupuncture.

SLEEPING
The medicine and health information post by website user , ByeDR.com not guarantee correctness , is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for any medical conditions.

Sources:http://www.byedr.com/Alternative-Medicine/219-Alternative-Medicine-4.html

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Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

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Heavy computer use can lead to compression of the nerves in the carpal tunnel

Everyone worries about his or her health. Today, cancers and heart attacks are commonplace and randomly strike friends and relatives. Anyone who suddenly develops a tingling, shooting pain radiating down the left arm, severe enough to wake up the person in the night, cannot be blamed for thinking it is a heart attack!

But such symptoms are typical of carpal tunnel syndrome, a condition common during middle age.

The carpal tunnel is actually a narrow, rigid box-like area in the wrist which forms a passageway for the ligaments and nerves at the base of the hand. If the nerves are compressed as they pass through this canal, they respond to the pressure with pain, a tingling sensation and numbness. Sleeping with the wrist in a flexed position aggravates the problem and the sufferer often wakes up at night with a numbing pain in the arm that needs to be shaken for relief. If this occurs on the left side, it can be mistaken for a heart attack.

Eventually, as the compression progresses, the tingling decreases but is replaced by weakness of the fingers and obvious wasting of the thumb muscles. Grasping small objects, making a fist and distinguishing between hot and cold may be difficult.

Compression of the nerves in the carpal tunnel may occur as a result of :

A fracture or sprain of the wrist which disrupts the normal relationship between the various structures in that area

Repetitive stress injury as a result of continual movement of the wrist. People working as butchers, fishermen and tailors are particularly susceptible. Heavy computer use or typing for seven hours or more a day is also implicated

Diseases like diabetes and hypothyroidism (it may be the first symptom)

Fluid retention as a result of kidney or liver disease

Obesity and pregnancy

The symptoms are three times commoner in women than in men. This is because women have smaller carpal tunnels than men. However, the carpal tunnel syndrome is not seen in children even though their wrists are small as the structures are more pliable.

The diagnosis is made on the basis of the symptoms. The tingling sensation can be reproduced by tapping on the carpal tunnel area. The symptoms are aggravated if this is done with the wrist in a flexed position. If the diagnosis is uncertain then nerve conduction studies can be done.

Permanent damage to the entrapped median nerve can occur if the compression is not relieved sufficiently early.

Treatment involves the following :

Diagnosis and correction of any underlying metabolic disorders such as diabetes and hypothyroidism

Using a splint to maintain the wrist in a neutral position for two weeks

Using wrist supports while typing. Some computer keyboards are designed to prevent the carpal tunnel syndrome

Medications, especially the NSAID group (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents), can relieve pain and swelling. But they should be used only on a short-term basis

Vitamins, particularly pyridoxine (B6), can bring temporary relief.

Click to learn how supplement can help

Injections — usually a combination of a steroid and local anaesthetic — can be given into the carpal tunnel

Surgery, open or laparoscopic, can be done to remove any compression from bands of bone or tissue. This is done if there is no improvement after six months of conservative treatment.

Physiotherapy provides sustained long-term relief without invasive procedures or medications. The exercises are simple and not time-consuming. Accrued benefit disappears within three days if the exercises are not continued.

Straighten the wrists and relax the fingers

Make tight fists with both hands

Bend the wrists down while keeping the fists. Hold for a count of five

Straighten the wrists and relax the fingers, again for a count of five

The exercise should be repeated 10 times. Finally, let your arms hang loosely at the sides and shake them for a few seconds. Many alternative treatments like acupuncture and massage have been tried. Studies, however, have not shown any proven benefits. Regular practice of yoga provides sustained and long-term relief.

In India, there is usually no compensation for work-related incapacitating injuries. Workers have to maintain their health to remain efficient and productive. Occupational carpal tunnel syndrome can be prevented by —

Providing frequent breaks to workers

Teaching them corrective exercises and stretching

Designing furniture ergonomically for the workplace so that the hands are kept in a natural position.

Unfortunately, even among the educated, blue-collar workers, regular exercise and prevention of injures is not taken very seriously until it is too late.

Click to Learn more about Carpal Tunnel Syndrome…………..(1).………….(2)

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Guide
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Remedies – Natural Pain Relief – Alternative ……(2).…..(3)

Disclaimer: This information is not meant to be a substitute for professional medical advise or help. It is always best to consult with a Physician about serious health concerns. This information is in no way intended to diagnose or prescribe remedies.This is purely for educational purpose.

Source:The Telegraph (Kolkata, India)

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Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

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Definition:
Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a median entrapment neuropathy that causes paresthesia, pain, numbness, and other symptoms in the distribution of the median nerve due to its compression at the wrist in the carpal tunnel. The mechanism is not completely understood but can be considered compression of the median nerve traveling through the carpal tunnel.  It appears to be caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Some of the predisposing factors include: diabetes, obesity, pregnancy, hypothyroidism, and heavy manual work or work with vibrating tools. There is, however, little clinical data to prove that lighter, repetitive tasks can cause carpal tunnel syndrome. Other disorders such as bursitis and tendinitis have been associated with repeated motions performed in the course of normal work or other activities. Though considered a condition of modern times, carpal tunnel syndrome has actually been recognized since the 1880s…...CLICK & SEE

The carpal tunnel is an anatomical compartment located at the base of the palm. Nine flexor tendons and the median nerve pass through the carpal tunnel that is surrounded on three sides by the carpal bones that form an arch. The median nerve provides feeling or sensation to the thumb, index finger, long finger, and half of the ring finger. At the level of the wrist, the median nerve supplies the muscles at the base of the thumb that allow it to abduct, or move away from the fingers, out of the plane of the palm. The carpal tunnel is located at the middle third of the base of the palm, bounded by the bony prominence of the scaphoid tubercle and trapezium at the base of the thumb, and the hamate hook that can be palpated along the axis of the ring finger. The proximal boundary is the distal wrist skin crease, and the distal boundary is approximated by a line known as Kaplan’s cardinal line. This line uses surface landmarks, and is drawn between the apex of the skin fold between the thumb and index finger to the palpated hamate hook. The median nerve can be compressed by a decrease in the size of the canal, an increase in the size of the contents (such as the swelling of lubrication tissue around the flexor tendons), or both. Simply flexing the wrist to 90 degrees will decrease the size of the canal.

Compression of the median nerve as it runs deep to the transverse carpal ligament (TCL) causes atrophy of the thenar eminence, weakness of the flexor pollicis brevis, opponens pollicis, abductor pollicis brevis, as well as sensory loss in the digits supplied by the median nerve. The superficial sensory branch of the median nerve, which provides sensation to the base of the palm, branches proximal to the TCL and travels superficial to it. Thus, this branch spared in carpal tunnel syndrome, and there is no loss of palmar sensatio.

Symptoms
Numbness or tingling in the thumb and the first three fingers.
Shooting pains in the wrist and forearm, which may radiate into the shoulder and neck.
Weakness in the hand; difficulty picking up and holding objects.
Feeling that the fingers are swollen when no swelling is visible.

The main symptom of CTS is intermittent numbness of the thumb, index, long and radial half of the ring finger. The numbness often occurs at night, with the hypothesis that the wrists are held flexed during sleep. Recent literature suggests that sleep positioning, such as sleeping on one’s side, might be an associated factor. It can be relieved by wearing a wrist splint that prevents flexion. Long-standing CTS leads to permanent nerve damage with constant numbness, atrophy of some of the muscles of the thenar eminence, and weakness of palmar abduction (see carpometacarpal joint §?Movements).

People with CTS experience numbness, tingling, or burning sensations in the thumb and fingers, in particular the index, middle fingers, and radial half of the ring fingers, which are innervated by the median nerve. Less-specific symptoms may include pain in the wrists or hands and loss of grip strength (both of which are more characteristic of painful conditions such as arthritis).

Some suggest that median nerve symptoms can arise from compression at the level of the thoracic outlet or the area where the median nerve passes between the two heads of the pronator teres in the forearm, but this is debatable. This line of thinking is an attempt to explain pain and other symptoms not characteristic of carpal tunnel syndrome. Carpal tunnel syndrome is a common diagnosis with an objective, reliable, verifiable pathophysiology, whereas thoracic outlet syndrome and pronator syndrome are defined by a lack of verifiable pathophysiology and are usually applied in the context of nonspecific upper extremity pain.

Numbness and paresthesias in the median nerve distribution are the hallmark neuropathic symptoms (NS) of carpal tunnel entrapment syndrome. Weakness and atrophy of the thenar muscles may occur if the condition remains untreated

Pain in carpal tunnel syndrome is primarily numbness that is so intense that it wakes one from sleep. Pain in electrophysiologically verified CTS is associated with misinterpretation of nociception and depression.
Causes:
Most cases of CTS are of unknown causes, or idiopathic. Carpal tunnel syndrome can be associated with any condition that causes pressure on the median nerve at the wrist. Some common conditions that can lead to CTS include obesity, oral contraceptives, hypothyroidism, arthritis, diabetes, prediabetes (impaired glucose tolerance), and trauma. Carpal tunnel is also a feature of a form of Charcot-Marie-Tooth syndrome type 1 called hereditary neuropathy with liability to pressure palsies.

Other causes of this condition include intrinsic factors that exert pressure within the tunnel, and extrinsic factors (pressure exerted from outside the tunnel), which include benign tumors such as lipomas, ganglion, and vascular malformation. Carpal tunnel syndrome often is a symptom of transthyretin amyloidosis-associated polyneuropathy and prior carpal tunnel syndrome surgery is very common in individuals who later present with transthyretin amyloid-associated cardiomyopathy, suggesting that transthyretin amyloid deposition may cause carpal tunnel syndrome.

The median nerve can usually move up to 9.6 mm to allow the wrist to flex, and to a lesser extent during extension. Long-term compression of the median nerve can inhibit nerve gliding, which may lead to injury and scarring. When scarring occurs, the nerve will adhere to the tissue around it and become locked into a fixed position, so that less movement is apparent.

Normal pressure of the carpal tunnel has been defined as a range of 2–10 mm, and wrist flexion increases this pressure 8-fold, while extension increases it 10-fold. Repetitive flexion and extension in the wrist significantly increase the fluid pressure in the tunnel through thickening of the synovial tissue that lines the tendons within the carpal tunnel.

Work related:...click & see
The international debate regarding the relationship between CTS and repetitive motion in work is ongoing. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has adopted rules and regulations regarding cumulative trauma disorders. Occupational risk factors of repetitive tasks, force, posture, and vibration have been cited. The relationship between work and CTS is controversial; in many locations, workers diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome are entitled to time off and compensation.

Some speculate that carpal tunnel syndrome is provoked by repetitive movement and manipulating activities and that the exposure can be cumulative. It has also been stated that symptoms are commonly exacerbated by forceful and repetitive use of the hand and wrists in industrial occupations, but it is unclear as to whether this refers to pain (which may not be due to carpal tunnel syndrome) or the more typical numbness symptoms.

A review of available scientific data by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) indicated that job tasks that involve highly repetitive manual acts or specific wrist postures were associated with incidents of CTS, but causation was not established, and the distinction from work-related arm pains that are not carpal tunnel syndrome was not clear. It has been proposed that repetitive use of the arm can affect the biomechanics of the upper limb or cause damage to tissues. It has also been proposed that postural and spinal assessment along with ergonomic assessments should be included in the overall determination of the condition. Addressing these factors has been found to improve comfort in some studies. A 2010 survey by NIOSH showed that 2/3 of the 5 million carpal tunnel cases in the US that year were related to work. Women have more work-related carpal tunnel syndrome than men.

Speculation that CTS is work-related is based on claims such as CTS being found mostly in the working adult population, though evidence is lacking for this. For instance, in one recent representative series of a consecutive experience, most patients were older and not working. Based on the claimed increased incidence in the workplace, arm use is implicated, but the weight of evidence suggests that this is an inherent, genetic, slowly but inevitably progressive idiopathic peripheral mononeuropathy.

Other Associated conditions:
A variety of patient factors can lead to CTS, including heredity, size of the carpal tunnel, associated local and systematic diseases, and certain habits. Non-traumatic causes generally happen over a period of time, and are not triggered by one certain event. Many of these factors are manifestations of physiologic aging.
Examples include:

*Rheumatoid arthritis and other diseases that cause inflammation of the flexor tendons.
*With hypothyroidism, generalized myxedema causes deposition of mucopolysaccharides within both the perineurium of the median nerve, as well as the tendons passing through the carpal tunnel.
*During pregnancy women experience CTS due to hormonal changes (high progesterone levels) and water retention (which swells the synovium), which are common during pregnancy.
*Previous injuries including fractures of the wrist.
*Medical disorders that lead to fluid retention or are associated with inflammation such as: inflammatory arthritis, Colles’ fracture, amyloidosis, hypothyroidism, diabetes mellitus, acromegaly, and use of corticosteroids and estrogens.
*Carpal tunnel syndrome is also associated with repetitive activities of the hand and wrist, in particular with a combination of forceful and repetitive activities
*Acromegaly causes excessive growth hormones. This causes the soft tissues and bones around the carpel tunnel to grow and compress the median nerve.
*Tumors (usually benign), such as a ganglion or a lipoma, can protrude into the carpal tunnel, reducing the amount of space. This is exceedingly rare (less than 1%).
*Obesity also increases the risk of CTS: individuals classified as obese (BMI > 29) are 2.5 times more likely than slender individuals (BMI < 20) to be diagnosed with CTS.
*Double-crush syndrome is a debated hypothesis that compression or irritation of nerve branches contributing to the median nerve in the neck, or anywhere above the wrist, increases sensitivity of the nerve to compression in the wrist. There is little evidence, however, that this syndrome really exists.
*Heterozygous mutations in the gene SH3TC2, associated with Charcot-Marie-Tooth, confer susceptibility to neuropathy, including the carpal tunnel syndrome

Diagnosis:
There is no consensus reference standard for the diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome. A combination of described symptoms, clinical findings, and electrophysiological testing is used by a majority of hand surgeons. Numbness in the distribution of the median nerve, nocturnal symptoms, thenar muscle weakness/atrophy, positive Tinel’s sign at the carpal tunnel, and abnormal sensory testing such as two-point discrimination have been standardized as clinical diagnostic criteria by consensus panels of experts. A predominance of pain rather than numbness is unlikely to be caused by carpal tunnel syndrome no matter what the result of electrophysiological testing.

Electrodiagnostic testing (electromyography and nerve conduction velocity) can objectively verify the median nerve dysfunction. Normal nerve conduction studies, however, do not exclude the diagnosis of CTS: waiting for nerve tests to become positive may well prejudice the eventual duration and completeness of recovery, particularly of the thenar motor branch is involved.

Clinical assessment by history taking and physical examination can support a diagnosis of CTS.

Phalen’s maneuver is performed by flexing the wrist gently as far as possible, then holding this position and awaiting symptoms.  A positive test is one that results in numbness in the median nerve distribution when holding the wrist in acute flexion position within 60 seconds. The quicker the numbness starts, the more advanced the condition. Phalen’s sign is defined as pain and/or paresthesias in the median-innervated fingers with one minute of wrist flexion. Only this test has been shown to correlate with CTS severity when studied prospectively.

Tinel’s sign, a classic — though less sensitive – test is a way to detect irritated nerves. Tinel’s is performed by lightly tapping the skin over the flexor retinaculum to elicit a sensation of tingling or “pins and needles” in the nerve distribution. Tinel’s sign (pain and/or paresthesias of the median-innervated fingers with percussion over the median nerve) is less sensitive, but slightly more specific than Phalen’s sign.

Durkan test, carpal compression test, or applying firm pressure to the palm over the nerve for up to 30 seconds to elicit symptoms has also been proposed.
Hand elevation test The hand elevation test has higher sensitivity and specificity than Tinel’s test, Phalen’s test, and carpal compression test. Chi-square statistical analysis confirms the hand elevation test is not ineffective compared with Tinel’s test, Phalen’s test, and carpal compression test.

As a note, a patient with true carpal tunnel syndrome (entrapment of the median nerve within the carpal tunnel) will not have any sensory loss over the thenar eminence (bulge of muscles in the palm of hand and at the base of the thumb). This is because the palmar branch of the median nerve, which innervates that area of the palm, branches off of the median nerve and passes over the carpal tunnel. This feature of the median nerve can help separate carpal tunnel syndrome from thoracic outlet syndrome, or pronator teres syndrome.

Other conditions may also be misdiagnosed as carpal tunnel syndrome. Thus, if history and physical examination suggest CTS, patients will sometimes be tested electrodiagnostically with nerve conduction studies and electromyography. The goal of electrodiagnostic testing is to compare the speed of conduction in the median nerve with conduction in other nerves supplying the hand. When the median nerve is compressed, as in CTS, it will conduct more slowly than normal and more slowly than other nerves. There are many electrodiagnostic tests used to make a diagnosis of CTS, but the most sensitive, specific, and reliable test is the Combined Sensory Index (also known as Robinson index). Electrodiagnosis rests upon demonstrating impaired median nerve conduction across the carpal tunnel in context of normal conduction elsewhere. Compression results in damage to the myelin sheath and manifests as delayed latencies and slowed conduction velocities However, normal electrodiagnostic studies do not preclude the presence of carpal tunnel syndrome, as a threshold of nerve injury must be reached before study results become abnormal and cut-off values for abnormality are variable. Carpal tunnel syndrome with normal electrodiagnostic tests is very, very mild at worst.

The role of MRI or ultrasound imaging in the diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome is not very clear.

Differential diagnosis:
Carpal tunnel syndrome is sometimes applied as a label to anyone with pain, numbness, swelling, and/or burning in the radial side of the hands and/or wrists. When pain is the primary symptom, carpal tunnel syndrome is unlikely to be the source of the symptoms. As a whole, the medical community is not currently embracing or accepting trigger point theories due to lack of scientific evidence supporting their effectiveness.

Treatment:
Conservative treatments include use of night splints and corticosteroid injection. The only scientifically established disease modifying treatment is surgery to cut the transverse carpal ligament.
Generally accepted treatments include: physiotherapy, steroids either orally or injected locally, splinting, and surgical release of the transverse carpal ligament. There is no or insufficient evidence for ultrasound, yoga, lasers, B6, and exercise therapy.

The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons recommends proceeding conservatively with a course of nonsurgical therapies tried before release surgery is considered. Early surgery with carpal tunnel release is indicated where there is evidence of median nerve denervation or a person elects to proceed directly to surgical treatment. The treatment should be switched when the current treatment fails to resolve the symptoms within 2 to 7 weeks. However, these recommendations have sufficient evidence for carpal tunnel syndrome when found in association with the following conditions: diabetes mellitus, coexistent cervical radiculopathy, hypothyroidism, polyneuropathy, pregnancy, rheumatoid arthritis, and carpal tunnel syndrome in the workplace.

How Supplements Can Help
Several studies have suggested that a vitamin B6 deficiency can make you susceptible to the numbness and pain of carpal tunnel syndrome. This vitamin is important in maintaining healthy nerve tissue, relieving inflammation, and improving circulation. It also may increase the brain’s production of the nerve chemical GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid), which helps control pain sensations. If you don’t notice any improvement after taking vitamin B6 for three weeks, switch to pyridoxal-5-phosphate (P-5-P), a form of the vitamin that the body eventually produces as it breaks down vitamin B6. Some people find this form works better for them.
Taking vitamin C supplements may leave you vulnerable to carpal tunnel-unless you also get enough vitamin B6. One study involving 441 participants found that those deficient in B6 who took vitamin C daily were more likely to develop carpal tunnel syndrome than those who were B6 deficient but did not use vitamin C supplements.

In addition to B6, bromelain, a powerful anti-inflammatory enzyme found in pineapple, is very effective in treating the inflammation and any resulting pain. The combination of bromelain and vitamin B6 works better than either supplement alone. Turmeric, a member of the ginger family, is another useful herb. When turmeric is taken with bromelain, they enhance each other’s anti-inflammatory properties and together may help relieve the pain of carpal tunnel syndrome. Though turmeric is safe to use over the long term, cut the dose in half once your symptoms subside. (This herb can be expensive.)

What Else can be done:
Take frequent breaks when performing any repetitive hand activity, such as typing, knitting, or playing an instrument. Stop at least once an hour to flex your fingers and shake your hands.
Apply ice to your wrists when pain strikes. Use a flexible ice pack — or even a bag of frozen peas — and put it on for 10 minutes every hour to ease the pain and reduce the inlammation.
Elevate your wrists with a pillow when you lie down.
Salt promotes water retention, which can contribute to swelling and may aggravate the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome. Try reducing the amount of salt in your diet and see if it helps.

Supplement Recommendations
Vitamin B6
Bromelain
Turmeric

Vitamin B6
Dosage: 50 mg 3 times a day until symptoms subside.
Comments: 200 mg daily over long term can cause nerve damage.

Bromelain
Dosage: 1,000 mg twice a day during acute phase. Reduce to 500 mg twice a day when symptoms subside. Take between meals.
Comments: Provides 8,000 GDU or 12,000 MCU in acute phase.

Turmeric
Dosage: 400 mg 3 times a day.
Comments: Standardized to contain 95% curcumin. Should be used with bromelain.

Prognosis:
Most people relieved of their carpal tunnel symptoms with conservative or surgical management find minimal residual or “nerve damage”. Long-term chronic carpal tunnel syndrome (typically seen in the elderly) can result in permanent “nerve damage”, i.e. irreversible numbness, muscle wasting, and weakness. Those that undergo a carpal tunnel release are nearly twice as likely as those not having surgery to develop trigger thumb in the months following the procedure.

While outcomes are generally good, certain factors can contribute to poorer results that have little to do with nerves, anatomy, or surgery type. One study showed that mental status parameters or alcohol use yields much poorer overall results of treatment.

Recurrence of carpal tunnel syndrome after successful surgery is rare. If a person has hand pain after surgery, it is most likely not caused by carpal tunnel syndrome. It may be the case that the illness of a person with hand pain after carpal tunnel release was diagnosed incorrectly, such that the carpal tunnel release has had no positive effect upon the patient’s symptoms

Resources
Your Guide to Vitamins, Minerals, and Herbs
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carpal_tunnel_syndrome

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Ailmemts & Remedies

Migraine

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What are Migraines?
Migraine is a biologically based disorder. Its symptoms are the result of changes in the brain, not a weakness in character or an inappropriate reaction to stress. For many years, scientists believed migraines were linked to the dilation and constriction of blood vessels in the head. They now believe migraine is caused by inherited abnormalities in certain cells in the brain. People with migraine have an enduring predisposition to attacks triggered by a range of factors. Specific, abnormal genes have been identified for some forms of migraine.

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Symptoms:

People who get migraine headaches appear to have special sensitivities to various triggers, such as bright lights, odors, stress, weather changes or certain foods and beverages.If you get a migraine, you may experience an aura 10 to 30 minutes before the attack. An aura may cause the sensation of seeing flashing lights or zigzag lines, or you may temporarily lose vision. Other classic symptoms include speech difficulty, weakness of an arm or leg, tingling of the face or hands and confusion. About 20 percent of migraine victims experience an aura prior to an attack. Even if you don’t have an aura, you may experience a variety of vague symptoms beforehand, including mental fuzziness, mood changes, fatigue and unusual retention of fluids.

The pain of a migraine is described as intense, throbbing or pounding and is felt in the forehead, temple, ear, and jaw, around the eye or over the entire head. It may include nausea and vomiting, and can last a few hours, a day, or even up to three or four days.

Migraines can strike as often as several times a week, or as rarely as once every few years. Some women experience migraines at predictable times–near the time that menstruation begins or every Saturday morning after a stressful workweek.

In addition migraine can take several other forms:

Hemiplegic migraine: Patients with hemiplegic migraine have temporary paralysis on one side of the body, a condition known as hemiplegia. Some people may experience vision problems and vertigo-a feeling that the world is spinning. These symptoms begin 10 to 90 minutes before the onset of headache pain.

Ophthalmoplegic migraine: In ophthalmoplegic migraine, the pain is around the eye and is associated with a droopy eyelid, double vision and other sight problems.

Basilar artery migraine: Basilar artery migraine involves a disturbance of a major brain artery. Preheadache symptoms include vertigo, double vision and poor muscular coordination. This type of migraine occurs primarily in adolescent and young adult women and is often associated with the menstrual cycle.

Status migrainosus: This is a rare and severe type of migraine that can last 72 hours or longer. The pain and nausea are so intense sufferers often must be hospitalized. The use of certain drugs can trigger status migrainosus. Neurologists report that many of their status migrainosus patients were depressed and anxious before they experienced headache attacks.

Headache-free migraine: This type is characterized by such migraine symptoms as visual problems, nausea, vomiting, constipation or diarrhea. Patients, however, do not experience head pain. Headache specialists have suggested that unexplained pain in a particular part of the body, fever and dizziness could also be possible types of headache-free migraine.

Causes:
Because migraine headaches are believed to have a genetic component, it might help your doctor in making a diagnosis to review your family history even if you are not aware that a relative suffered from migraines, consider information you may know about, such as past illnesses and lifestyles. Keep in mind that the term “migraine” was not used much until the 1950s, and even then many migraines were not diagnosed or referred to as “migraines.”
Triggers:
Migraines may be induced by triggers, with some reporting it as an influence in a minority of cases and others the majority. Many things have been labeled as triggers, however the strength and significance of these relationships are uncertain. A trigger may be encountered up to 24 hours prior to the onset of symptoms.

Physiological aspects:
Common triggers quoted are stress, hunger, and fatigue (these equally contribute to tension headaches). Migraines are more likely to occur around menstruation. Other hormonal influences, such as menarche, oral contraceptive use, pregnancy, perimenopause, and menopause, also play a role. These hormonal influences seem to play a greater role in migraine without aura. Migraines typically do not occur during the second and third trimesters or following menopause.

Dietary aspects:
Reviews of dietary triggers have found that evidence mostly relies on self-reports and is not rigorous enough to prove or disprove any particular triggers. Regarding specific agents there does not appear to be evidence for an effect of tyramine on migraine, and while monosodium glutamate (MSG) is frequently reported as a dietary trigger, evidence does not consistently support this.

Environmental aspects:
A review on potential triggers in the indoor and outdoor environment concluded the overall evidence was of poor quality, but nevertheless suggested people with migraines take some preventive measures related to indoor air quality and lighting.

Pathophysiology:
Migraines are believed to be a neurovascular disorder with evidence supporting its mechanisms starting within the brain and then spreading to the blood vessels. Some researchers feel neuronal mechanisms play a greater role, while others feel blood vessels play the key role. Others feel both are likely important. High levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin, also known as 5-hydroxytryptamine, are believed to be involved.

Aura:
Cortical spreading depression, or spreading depression according to Leão, is bursts of neuronal activity followed by a period of inactivity, which is seen in those with migraines with an aura. There are a number of explanations for its occurrence including activation of NMDA receptors leading to calcium entering the cell. After the burst of activity the blood flow to the cerebral cortex in the area affected is decreased for two to six hours. It is believed that when depolarization travels down the underside of the brain, nerves that sense pain in the head and neck are triggered.
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Pain:
The exact mechanism of the head pain which occurs during a migraine is unknown. Some evidence supports a primary role for central nervous system structures (such as the brainstem and diencephalon) while other data support the role of peripheral activation (such as via the sensory nerves that surround blood vessels of the head and neck). The potential candidate vessels include dural arteries, pial arteries and extracranial arteries such as those of the scalp. The role of vasodilatation of the extracranial arteries, in particular, is believed to be significant
Diagnosis:
The diagnosis of a migraine is based on signs and symptoms.[5] Neuroimaging tests are not necessary to diagnose migraine, but may be used to find other causes of headaches in those whose examination and history do not confirm a migraine diagnosis.[57] It is believed that a substantial number of people with the condition remain undiagnosed.[5]

The diagnosis of migraine without aura, according to the International Headache Society, can be made according to the following criteria, the “5, 4, 3, 2, 1 criteria”:

*Five or more attacks—for migraine with aura, two attacks are sufficient for diagnosis.
*Four hours to three days in duration
*Two or more of the following:
*Unilateral (affecting half the head);
*Pulsating;
“Moderate or severe pain intensity”;
“Aggravation by or causing avoidance of routine physical activity”

*One or more of the following:
*Nausea and/or vomiting;
*Sensitivity to both light (photophobia) and sound (phonophobia)

If someone experiences two of the following: photophobia, nausea, or inability to work or study for a day, the diagnosis is more likely. In those with four out of five of the following: pulsating headache, duration of 4–72 hours, pain on one side of the head, nausea, or symptoms that interfere with the person’s life, the probability that this is a migraine is 92%. In those with fewer than three of these symptoms the probability is 17%

When checking family history these questions  are to be asked:

  • When growing up, do you recall a family member who was sick much of the time?
  • If so, did he/she exhibit any of the following symptoms: head pain that interfered with daily activities, nausea or vomiting, sensitivity to light or sound, numbness or speech difficulty?
  • To what did he or she attribute symptoms of their headache: menstrual cycle, over-work, fatigue, stress or something eaten or drunk?
  • Be prepared to discuss with your health care professional both the symptoms of relatives’ headaches and their methods for coping.Diagnosing a headache relies on ruling out other problems, such as tumors or strokes. Experts agree that a detailed question-and-answer session with a patient can often produce enough information for a diagnosis. Some women have headaches that fall into an easily recognizable pattern, while others require further testing to determine if symptoms are due to secondary causes such as dental pain, hemorrhage or tumor.You may be asked:
  • How often do you have headaches?
  • Where is the pain?
  • How long do the headaches last?
  • When did you first develop headaches?

Your sleep habits and family and work situations may also be discussed.

Take a migraine Test
Classification:
Main article: ICHD classification and diagnosis of migraine
Migraines were first comprehensively classified in 1988. The International Headache Society most recently updated their classification of headaches in 2004.[3] According to this classification migraines are primary headaches along with tension-type headaches and cluster headaches, among others.

Migraines are divided into seven subclasses (some of which include further subdivisions):

*Migraine without aura, or “common migraine”, involves migraine headaches that are not accompanied by an aura

*Migraine with aura, or “classic migraine”, usually involves migraine headaches accompanied by an aura. Less commonly, an aura can occur without a headache, or with a nonmigraine headache. Two other varieties are familial hemiplegic migraine and sporadic hemiplegic migraine, in which a person has migraines with aura and with accompanying motor weakness. If a close relative has had the same condition, it is called “familial”, otherwise it is called “sporadic”. Another variety is basilar-type migraine, where a headache and aura are accompanied by difficulty speaking, world spinning, ringing in ears, or a number of other brainstem-related symptoms, but not motor weakness. This type was initially believed to be due to spasms of the basilar artery, the artery that supplies the brainstem.

*Childhood periodic syndromes that are commonly precursors of migraine include cyclical vomiting (occasional intense periods of vomiting), abdominal migraine (abdominal pain, usually accompanied by nausea), and benign paroxysmal vertigo of childhood (occasional attacks of vertigo).

*Retinal migraine involves migraine headaches accompanied by visual disturbances or even temporary blindness in one eye.

*Complications of migraine describe migraine headaches and/or auras that are unusually long or unusually frequent, or associated with a seizure or brain lesion.

*Probable migraine describes conditions that have some characteristics of migraines, but where there is not enough evidence to diagnose it as a migraine with certainty (in the presence of concurrent medication overuse).

*Chronic migraine is a complication of migraines, and is a headache that fulfills diagnostic criteria for migraine headache and occurs for a greater time interval. Specifically, greater or equal to 15 days/month for longer than 3 months.

Abdominal migraine:
The diagnosis of abdominal migraines is controversial. Some evidence indicates that recurrent episodes of abdominal pain in the absence of a headache may be a type of migraine or are at least a precursor to migraines. These episodes of pain may or may not follow a migraine-like prodrome and typically last minutes to hours. They often occur in those with either a personal or family history of typical migraines. Other syndromes that are believed to be precursors include cyclical vomiting syndrome and benign paroxysmal vertigo of childhood.

Differential diagnosis:
Other conditions that can cause similar symptoms to a migraine headache include temporal arteritis, cluster headaches, acute glaucoma, meningitis and subarachnoid hemorrhage.[11] Temporal arteritis typically occurs in people over 50 years old and presents with tenderness over the temple, cluster headaches presents with one-sided nose stuffiness, tears and severe pain around the orbits, acute glaucoma is associated with vision problems, meningitis with fevers, and subaracchnoid hemorrhage with a very fast onset. Tension headaches typically occur on both sides, are not pounding, and are less disabling.[11]

Those with stable headaches which meet criteria for migraines should not receive neuroimaging to look for other intracranial disease.[57] This requires that other concerning findings such as papilledema (swelling of the optic disc) are not present. People with migraines are not at an increased risk of having another cause for severe headaches.

Treatment:

Medication:
Preventive migraine medications are considered effective if they reduce the frequency or severity of the migraine attacks by at least 50%. Guidelines are fairly consistent in rating topiramate, divalproex/sodium valproate, propranolol, and metoprolol as having the highest level of evidence for first-line use. Recommendations regarding effectiveness varied however for gabapentin. Timolol is also effective for migraine prevention and in reducing migraine attack frequency and severity, while frovatriptan is effective for prevention of menstrual migraine.

Amitriptyline and venlafaxine are probably also effective. Angiotensin inhibition by either an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor or angiotensin II receptor antagonist may reduce attacks. Botox has been found to be useful in those with chronic migraines but not those with episodic ones
Alternative Therapy:
While acupuncture may be effective, “true” acupuncture is not more efficient than sham acupuncture, a practice where needles are placed randomly. Both have a possibility of being more effective than routine care, with fewer adverse effects than preventative medications. Chiropractic manipulation, physiotherapy, massage and relaxation might be as effective as propranolol or topiramate in the prevention of migraine headaches; however, the research had some problems with methodology. The evidence to support spinal manipulation is poor and insufficient to support its use. Of the alternative medicines, butterbur has the best evidence for its use.

Some Herbal Medicines for Migraine:

1. Betel leaves can be applied with beneficial results over the painful area to releave intense headache.

2. Seeds of bishop’s weed (ajwaine) are useful in the treatment of migraine. They should either be smoked or sniffed frequently to obtain relief.

3. A paste of clove and salt crysrals in the milk is a common household remedy for the headache.

4. Ginger oinment made by rubbing dry ginger with a little water on a grinding stone should be applied to the forehead.

5. Henna (mehndi) flowers cure headachs caused by the heat of the sun.Headache is relieved by a plaster made of henna flowers in vinegar and applied over the forehead.

Mysterious migraine in Ayurveda and Mygraine treatment in Homeopathy

For different kinds Home remedies of migraine visit link 1 and link2 and link3

One may try this Magic Drink to stop headache instantly:
All you need is lemon juice and salt. Not many people know of this remedy, but it can be used by anyone with a migraine. You need high-quality salt, like Himalayan salt. Himalayan salt contains about 84 healthy elements. Salt increases the levels of serotonin in the blood, which will save you from headaches.

Get fresh lemons and squeeze the juice out of the lemons and add about 2 teaspoons of salt to the juice. Stir this mixture and then add water.
When the water has been added you can drink it immediately. You must drink the whole thing in order for it to work, don’t sip on it. It may not taste too great, but it will definitely get rid of your migraine.

Devices and surgery:
Medical devices, such as biofeedback and neurostimulators, have some advantages in migraine prevention, mainly when common anti-migraine medications are contraindicated or in case of medication overuse. Biofeedback helps people be conscious of some physiological parameters so as to control them and try to relax and may be efficient for migraine treatment. Neurostimulation uses implantable neurostimulators similar to pacemakers for the treatment of intractable chronic migraines with encouraging results for severe cases. A transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation device is approved in the United States for the prevention of migraines. Migraine surgery, which involves decompression of certain nerves around the head and neck, may be an option in certain people who do not improve with medications

Prevention:
Preventive treatments of migraines include medications, nutritional supplements, lifestyle alterations, and surgery. Prevention is recommended in those who have headaches more than two days a week, cannot tolerate the medications used to treat acute attacks, or those with severe attacks that are not easily controlled.

The goal is to reduce the frequency, painfulness, and/or duration of migraines, and to increase the effectiveness of abortive therapy.  Another reason for prevention is to avoid medication overuse headache. This is a common problem and can result in chronic daily headache

Click to see:..> Prevention of migraines

Disclaimer: This information is not meant to be a substitute for professional medical advise or help. It is always best to consult with a Physician about serious health concerns. This information is in no way intended to diagnose or prescribe remedies.This is purely for educational purpose.
Resources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Migraine
http://www.prevention.com/tab/0,7199,s1-1-196-779-0-0—13,00.html

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