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Best Magazine
(published 30 July
2002 - Issues 30/02)
| Good life |
All the latest health to boost your well being |
- Can this pyramid beat
- your migraines?
Here, we look at natural cures for migraines, including how Botox -
the wrinkle-beating injections loved by the star - can help cure these
hellish headaches
Envisage
a knife inside your head, stabbing at your skull. Because that's
how Pennie Woodhead describes the pain of her migraines - and
when one migraine ends, another begins.
- Pennie has suffered
with migraines for 12 years, since she was 40, and now has
an attack every five to eight days. As they can last for up
to eight days, relief is hard to find. They are triggered by
her period, which can occur up to twice a month.
- The migraines have caused the
mother of three, from Dunstable in Bedfordshire, to give up
her jobs; and because they are so debilitating that she is
unable to plan ahead, she has lost touch with most of her
friends and hasn't considered booking a holiday for 10
years. "They really are agony - sometimes
- death seems preferable,"
she says.
- Pennie sometimes takes
the drug Maxalt, but hates the side-effects, as they leave
her disoriented for days. She's tried massage, hypnotherapy,
reflexology, acupuncture and herbs - all with no success.
But finally, she struck lucky - with spiritual healing.
- "A group of healers
from an organisation called Gentle Touch give me a session
every week and they don't charge," says Pennie. "I
lie down and then one of them places their hands over me -
sometimes touching wherever it hurts - and I can feel a
lovely soothing warmth. It's very nice to have a break from
the pain, and I feel much calmer afterwards.
- "They say they're
channelling energy - and certainly something happens!
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I'll also spend 10-20 minutes be spend 10-20 minutes
before or
after the healing sitting in a pyramid made from copper and
fibreglass, which is apparently good for conducting energy. It makes
me feel very serene. I know it sounds strange, but it certainly helps
me! Now I can start looking forward to beating migraines for
good."
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Contact Gentle Touch on tel: 01582
663900 or www.gentletouch.co.uk
Botox cure hope Doctors recently found that Botox can cure migraine and persistent
headaches. Botox works by partially paralysing muscles with injections of
the Botulinum toxin A bacterium. Headache sufferers have been shown to
benefit from injections around the eyes, forehead and sometimes the jaw,
upper back and shoulders. An American study reported a 92 per cent success
rate. A trail of 1000 patients is underway in Britain. |
| More
natural cures for migraines |
- THE
MAGNETIC HEADBAND
- The Magnetic Therapy headband contains
10 magnets, which you move to the site of any pain. The theory is that
the magnetic field produced will improve circulation and encourage the
body to heal itself. Cost £8.95, visit www.magnetictherapy.co.uk
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- THE
RIO LIGHTMASK
 - The Lightmask works by shining a gently
pulsating light into the eyes for 15 minutes a day. The theory is that
this helps to re-establish the normal brain function that a migraine
disrupts. Said to be good for prevention as well as cure. Cost £39.99
from Argos.
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- HEALING
HERBS
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- 5-HTP is a herbal extract. It's supposed
to correct the hormonal imbalance that occurs during an attack. 5-HTP
(hydroxytryptophan) costs £14.99 for 60 tablets from Holland &
Barrett.
- www.hollandandbarrett.com
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- HEADACHE
HELL - the facts
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- * 1 in 4
women get migraines
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- * Migraines
can cause visual disturbances, nausea, diarrhoes, a stiff neck and
shoulders, tingling or stiffness in the limbs, and an inability to
concentrate.
- * Migraine
are caused by the arteries in the scalp and brain going into
spasm, and then widening. This disrupts the brain's function.
- * Many find
relief with over the counter pain killers, like aspirin.
- * Many find
information, call the Migraine Trust on tel: 020 - 7831 4818 or www.migrainetrust.org Or The Migraine Action Association on tel: 01536 461333, or
www.migraine.org.uk
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- PENNIE'S VERDICT
 - I've had four migraines over
the past month, so it has been of no help whatsoever. But I wasn't
sure which way the magnets should be facing to be most effective,
so I varied them. I did like the pressure of the band - it was
like tying a scarf around my head, which I sometimes do when I get
a migraine. 3/10
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- NISHA
MOTWANI'S VERDICT
- Aged 29, Nisha has had
migraines since she was 12. "I've had two migraines in the
month since trying it, and once the mask made it worse. As lights
flashing can set off my migraines, a flashing red light is the
last thing I want! You're supposed to use the mask for 15 minutes
a day. I think I'd have been better off closing my eyes for 15
minutes." 3/10
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- CLAIRE
STRAFFORD'S VERDICT
- Aged 27, Claire has suffered
all her like, now having two migraines a month. "I was
hopeful but this didn't stop my migraines, and I had my usual one
around my period. Plus it made me feel very drowsy. However, I
don't think the migraine was as severe as usual. I'll stick with
it to see if it can help next month." 5/10
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