Chronic Headache


Book Description

This comprehensive, practical title invites all clinicians to take a fresh look at the evaluation and management of chronic daily headache (CDH). Developed by a distinguished international panel of experts, the book examines key social and economic issues around CDH and clarifies the diagnosis of CDH disorders, providing an understanding of the underlying biological substrates, offering guidance on the use of diagnostic testing and additional consultations, and outlining treatment strategies with the greatest potential to alleviate the burden of these patients and to provide the highest quality of care. The book fully examines the constellation of symptoms that constitute chronic daily headache, while also discussing the role of behavioral medicine and the important elements involved in taking a good history. The major forms and biology of chronic daily headache are covered, as is the role of diagnostic testing and treatment. The risk factors that lead patients to transform episodic primary headache disorders into the chronic form are examined. Invasive and neuromodulatory techniques are also discussed. A section on the classification of these disorders rounds out this important contribution to the literature. Chronic Headache – A Comprehensive Guide to Evaluation and Management will be of great interest to neurologists, primary care physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, medical students, and other clinicians with an interest in chronic daily headache.




Magnesium in the Central Nervous System


Book Description

The brain is the most complex organ in our body. Indeed, it is perhaps the most complex structure we have ever encountered in nature. Both structurally and functionally, there are many peculiarities that differentiate the brain from all other organs. The brain is our connection to the world around us and by governing nervous system and higher function, any disturbance induces severe neurological and psychiatric disorders that can have a devastating effect on quality of life. Our understanding of the physiology and biochemistry of the brain has improved dramatically in the last two decades. In particular, the critical role of cations, including magnesium, has become evident, even if incompletely understood at a mechanistic level. The exact role and regulation of magnesium, in particular, remains elusive, largely because intracellular levels are so difficult to routinely quantify. Nonetheless, the importance of magnesium to normal central nervous system activity is self-evident given the complicated homeostatic mechanisms that maintain the concentration of this cation within strict limits essential for normal physiology and metabolism. There is also considerable accumulating evidence to suggest alterations to some brain functions in both normal and pathological conditions may be linked to alterations in local magnesium concentration. This book, containing chapters written by some of the foremost experts in the field of magnesium research, brings together the latest in experimental and clinical magnesium research as it relates to the central nervous system. It offers a complete and updated view of magnesiums involvement in central nervous system function and in so doing, brings together two main pillars of contemporary neuroscience research, namely providing an explanation for the molecular mechanisms involved in brain function, and emphasizing the connections between the molecular changes and behavior. It is the untiring efforts of those magnesium researchers who have dedicated their lives to unraveling the mysteries of magnesiums role in biological systems that has inspired the collation of this volume of work.




Drug-Induced Headache


Book Description

M. WILKINSON Patients with frequent or daily headaches pose a very difficult problem for the physician who has to treat them, particularly as many patients think that there should be a medicine or medicines which give them instant relief. In the search for the compound which would meet this very natural desire, many drugs have been manufactured and the temptation for the physician is either to increase the dose of a drug which seems to be, at any rate, partially effective, or to add one or more drugs to those which the patient is already taking. Although there have been some references to the dangers of overdosage of drugs for migraine in the past, it was not until relatively recently that it was recognized that drugs given for the relief of headache, if taken injudiciously, may themselves cause headache. The first drugs to be implicated in this way were ergotamine and phenazone. In the case of ergotamine tartrate, the dangers of ergotism were well known as this was a disorder which had been known and written about for many years. In the treatment of headache, fully blown ergotism is rare and in recent years has usually been due to self-medication in doses much greater than those prescribed although there are a few recorded cases where toxic amounts have been given.




Overcoming Headaches and Migraines


Book Description

As many as "45 million" Americans have chronic and severe headaches--and they're desperate for practical, clearly explained help and answers. Physical therapist Lisa Morrone extends hope. Nearly 20 years of teaching, research, and treating patients have given her a comprehensive, multidisciplinary perspective. Headache/migraine sufferers don't have to resign themselves to being pill-popping victims. Rather, they can achieve lasting changes by discovering how to... uncover the "sources" of head pain and avoid unnecessary medication eliminate pain originating from neck dysfunction or muscle tension ward off migraines and cluster headaches by pinpointing and avoiding "triggers" decide whether self-treatment, treatment by a practitioner, or a combination is best loosen the traps of stress, anger, and emotional/spiritual bondage that clamp down with head pain This multifaceted resource combines effective habits, exercises, and lifestyle adjustments to end head-pain disability and give readers back a life to enjoy and share.




Psychological Management of Chronic Headaches


Book Description

A significant number of individuals suffer from headaches intense enough to be physically debilitating, including migraines, tension-type, and combined or mixed headaches. Their severity resides not only in the pain they inflict but also in related problems such as anxiety, depression, and social withdrawal, as well as family difficulties resulting from coping with the sufferer's symptoms. This comprehensive volume reviews the psychological research literature and provides a detailed account of how to assess and manage these types of headaches. Taking into account the psychosocial and developmental context of each client, the book helps practitioners analyze the controlling factors that determine the changes in headache activity and develop an individualized plan for treatment, education, and relapse prevention. Case examples help illustrate the author's approach. Useful appendices include a Headache Classification System, Diagnostic Guidelines for Use with the Psychological Assessment of Headache Questionnaire, and a Preassessment Patient Information Sheet.




ABC of Headache


Book Description

In its different presentations, headache is one of the most commonsymptoms seen by family practitioners. The difficulty is indiagnosing the cause of the headache so that the appropriatetreatment is provided, or if referral to a specialist is therecommended course of action. The ABC of Headache helps with this dilemma and guidesthe healthcare professional to look for the possible causes ofpresenting symptoms. Based on real case histories, each chapterguides the reader from symptoms through to diagnosis andmanagement. This new ABC is a highly illustrated, informative, andpractical source of knowledge. With links to further informationand resources, it is a valuable text for healthcare professionalsat all levels of practice and training.




Headache and Migraine Biology and Management


Book Description

There are two crucial issues in the treatment and management of headache patients: More than 50% of individuals experiencing headache have only been treated symptomatically, with no appropriate diagnosis established; and history and neurologic examination are essential to establishing a diagnosis, and thus selecting appropriate therapy. Headache and Migraine Biology and Management is a practical text that addresses these issues, featuring contributions from expert clinical authors. The book covers in detail topics including chronic and episodic migraine, post-traumatic headache, sinus headache, cluster headache, tension headache, and others. Chapters are also dedicated to treatment subjects, including psychiatric and psychological approaches, medication overuse, inpatient treatment, and pediatric issues. This book is an ideal resource for researchers and clinicians, uniting practical discussion of headache biology, current ideas on etiology, future research, and genetic significance and breakthroughs. This resource is useful to those who want to understand headache biology, treat and manage symptoms, and for those performing research in the headache field. A practical discussion of headache biology, current ideas on etiology, future research, and genetic significance and breakthroughs Features chapters from leading physicians and researchers in headache medicine Full-color text that includes both an overview of multiple disciplines and discusses the measures that can be used to treat headaches




Migraine in Women


Book Description

Fifteen specialists serve as chapter authors, covering sex hormones and genetics, as well as the social, cultural, psychiatric, and psychological factors that contribute to headache disorders. Their approach is evidence-based, but where there are gaps in research, the authors provide advice based on expert consensus and clinical experience. Each chapter opens with a case report that synthesizes the chapter's treatment recommendations, as well as key points listing the chapter's contents. The main body of the chapter features an introductory overview, a closing summary, tables, and an extensive list of suggestive reading.




Migraine


Book Description

Deeply researched and beautifully written, this fascinating and accessible study of one of our most common, disabling—and yet often dismissed—disorders will appeal to physicians, historians, scholars in medical humanities, and people living with migraine alike.




Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide


Book Description

Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide is the first volume to be written on the neuropeptide PACAP. It covers all domains of PACAP from molecular and cellular aspects to physiological activities and promises for new therapeutic strategies. Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide is the twentieth volume published in the Endocrine Updates book series under the Series Editorship of Shlomo Melmed, MD.