The Atlanta Pain Doctors are the first to utilize cathodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) for relief of treatment-resistant migraine headache.
Migraine is an uncommon, debilitating disorder of the nervous system, affecting 20% of women and 7% 0f men. 2.5 million people in the United States have a migraine headache at least 1 day per week. Current treatments to prevent or cure migraine headaches are not always effective.
Typically, migraine headaches affect one side of the head with pulsing pain, lasting from 4 to 72 hours and often accompanied by nausea, vomiting and increased sensitivity to light and sound. 1/3 of people who suffer from migraine headaches have an aura -usually visual, olfactory, or sensory experiences that are a sign the migraine will soon occur.
The cause of migraine is not completely known. Initially thought to be of vascular origin, migraines are now considered secondary to brain dysfunction.
A phenomenon known as cortical spreading depression can cause migraines. This is supported by neourimaging techniques. A spreading depolarization (electrical change) may begin 24 hours before the attack, with onset of the headache occurring around the time when the largest area of the brain is depolarized.
In simple terms, the electrical change result in stress that triggers changes in the brain, these cause serotonin to be released, which constricts then dilates blood vessels, causing neurogenic inflammation and pain.
Cathodal tDCS, by inhibiting depolarization, prevents cortical spreading depression and the development of migraine. tDCS reduces both the frequency and intensity of migraine headaches. Five 20-minute treatments, done on consecutive days, provide prolonged relief.
LINKS ABOUT MIGRAINE HEADACHE
Migraine – MayoClinic.com
www.mayoclinic.com/health/migraine-headache/DS00120
Migraine: MedlinePlus
www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/migraine.html
The National Migraine Association
www.migraines.com
Migraine Information Page: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
www.ninds.nih.gov
Migraine Headaches – Signs and Symptoms
www.ucsfhealth.org/adult/medical…/migraine/signs.html