New York Headache blog

Slow breathing can reduce pain, according to a recently published study in The Journal of Pain. Researchers at the University of Tulsa led by Satin Martin evaluated the effect on pain of slow breathing, normal and fast breathing in 30 healthy...

Extraordinary benefits of meditation are described in the current issue of Neurology Now – The American Academy of Neurology’s Magazine for Patients & Caregivers”. Dr. Mauskop is extensively quoted in this article...

Many patients ask about the best type of magnesium supplement to take for the prevention of migraines and other symptoms. Research studies have compared magnesium oxide with chelated magnesium and a slow release form of magnesium chloride and...

Boswellia extract may relieve migraine, cluster and indomethacin-responsive headaches. Boswellia serrata (Indian frankincense) has been long reported to relieve migraines, although I could not find any scientific articles. A study recently...

We no longer recommend butterbur to our patients. We participated in a large (245 patients) placebo-controlled trial of butterbur, which showed that 150 mg of butterbur is effective in the prevention of migraine headaches when compared to placebo...

Restless leg syndrome (RLS) is more common in women who also suffer from migraines, according to a new study published in the journal Cephalalgia. Women with migraines are 20% more likely to also have RLS. This study involved 31,370 US health...

Until now, migraine headaches have not been associated with erectile dysfunction (ED). A study by Taiwanese doctors published in journal Cephalalgia makes a strong case that such a connection exists. The researchers analyzed electronic records...

Burning mouth syndrome (BMS) affects over a million Americans. It has no known cause or otherwise it would not be called a syndrome. For example, burning pain in the mouth due to chemotherapy damage to the mouth lining is called oral mucositis...

Many migraine sufferers complain of headaches on weekends, vacations, or after a period of stress. Researchers at the Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx confirmed this observation by observing 17 migraine patients. The patients completed...

Behavioral therapies, such as biofeedback, progressive relaxation, cognitive therapy, and other alternative therapies are routinely recommended only by a quarter of headache specialists, according to research presented at the 54th Annual Scientific...

Many patients visiting the New York Headache Center with persistent post-traumatic headaches report having had a relatively mild head injury. The perception by neurologists has always been that milder injuries without loss of consciousness...

Sinus inflammation can seriously worsen migraine attacks according to a recent presentation by Dr. V. Martin and his colleagues made at the 54th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Headache Society in Los Angeles. Migraines are often mistaken...

Steroid medications can be very effective for migraine headaches that fail to respond to other medications. Steroids, such as prednisone, dexamethasone, methylprednisolone have many potential serious side effects if taken for a long time. We know...

Injections of sumatriptan (Imitrex) are very underutilized. Many doctors fail to offer this option to their migraine and cluster headache sufferers because they are not aware of this option or more often because they are not aware how debilitating...

Migraine patients can sometimes benefit from an Alzheimer’s drug, Namenda (memantine). All drugs for the preventive treatment of migraines, including Botox, had been first approved for a completely different indication. Beta blockers and other...

Chronic and episodic paroxysmal hemicrania and hemicrania continua are rare types of headaches that have one common feature – they respond very well to indomethacin (Indocin). The diagnosis is actually based not only on clinical features but also...

Biofeedback is an excellent preventive headache treatment with its efficacy proven in many rigorous studies. What prompted me to write this blog post is seeing yet another child (I see kids with headaches aged 10 and older) who had seen his...

Botox injections relieve pain of trigeminal neuralgia, according to a new study just published in Cephalalgia, a leading headache journal. Trigeminal neuralgia is an extremely painful condition which manifests itself by intense electric shock-like...

Air pollution has been shown to worsen migraine headaches. Connection between pollution and risk of heart attacks has also been established. A recent study showed that even low levels of particulate matter can increase the risk of a stroke...

Mal de debarquement syndrome (MdDS) or disembarkment syndrome is a rare condition which often, but not always, occurs after getting off a ship. Many people have “sea legs” after getting off a boat, but in most this sensation of still being on...

Risks involved in using Chinese herbs are highlighted in the just released AFP report, which you can read on Yahoo News. Here is an edited quote from this story: The samples analyzed for this study included herbal teas, capsules, powders and...

We should not complain about our health care system. People in such advanced European countries as Netherlands have it much worse. I just saw a 27-year-old Dutch woman with chronic migraines who has been coming to see me for Botox injections...

Muscle relaxants can be surprisingly effective for the prophylactic treatment of migraine headaches. It is surprising because migraine is a brain disorder and not a disorder of muscles. However, studies have shown that during a migraine attack...

A throbbing headache in the left temple with sensitivity to light and noise, occurring daily and present for almost a year seemed to indicate a typical chronic migraine headache in a man I saw last week. His headache did not respond to pain...

I just saw a man with chronic cluster headaches whom I’ve been treating for the past 5 years. He had tried various treatments and still remains on verapamil which provides partial relief, but he finds excellent relief from monthly intravenous...

Weather is a common trigger of migraine headaches. Review of studies linking weather to migraines suggests that there are three weather-related triggers. It is high humidity, high temperature, and drop in barometric pressure. Some migraine...

Headache is one of the most common complaints reported by patients suffering from AIDS, according to a new study by researchers from the University of Alabama. They evaluated 200 patients with HIV/AIDS and discovered that 107 or 54% of them...

Smoking by the mother during pregnancy increases the risk that the child will suffer from headaches. Brazilian researchers published results of their study in the journal Cephalalgia. They collected information on over 1,600 children aged 10 – 11...

Omega-3 fatty acids, found in fish oil, have been reported to relieve migraine headaches, although the only such study was relatively small. The dose of omega-3 fatty acids was 6 grams taken daily as a preventive treatment for migraines. A recent...

Depression is more likely to occur in people with migraines, but migraines are also more likely to develop in those who suffer from depression first. A new Canadian study reexamined this link in 15,254 people. They confirmed this association...