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Background: Migraines are one of the leading causes of disability globally and in South Africa. There is a paucity of local empirical literature regarding the psychosocial impact of migraines on women. Although there are a variety of treatment approaches, many women prefer alternative and holistic treatment for their migraines. Aim: The aim of this study was to explore the psychosocial impact of migraines on women and their use of complementary and alternative therapies for migraine pain management. Setting: The study was conducted in the eThekwini region of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Methods: The study adopted a qualitative descriptive design. Purposive sampling was used to recruit participants for the study. Data were collected through 12 semi-structured interviews and subsequently analysed using thematic analysis. Results: Theme 1 related to the psychological and cognitive effects experienced by the participants. Theme 2 focused on the effects migraines had on personal, family and social relationships. Theme 3 discussed the self-management of migraines. Conclusion: The pertinent psychological effects of migraines were depression, anxiety, feelings of hopelessness and withdrawal, fear-avoidance behaviour, lifestyle changes, and acceptance of migraines. The participants experienced a lack of understanding about their migraine severity from co-workers, family and social networks. The alternative therapies that were sought to alleviate migraine symptoms included chiropractic, massage, meditation, reflexology, yoga, cupping and acupuncture. Contribution: The awareness of the effectiveness of complementary and alternative therapies for women may be beneficial for healthcare providers seeking a multidisciplinary approach to migraine management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Odontología Vital is the property of Universidad Latina de Costa Rica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Revista Odontología Vital is the property of Universidad Latina de Costa Rica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Psychological inflexibility is a multifaceted construct reflecting a rigid dominance of psychological reactions over chosen values and contingencies in guiding action. Psychological inflexibility has been related to depressive and anxiety symptoms and has been studied as a target of treatment for different forms of psychopathology. This construct, however, remains understudied among some at-risk groups. To close this gap in knowledge, the current study examined cross-sectional relations between psychological inflexibility and (1) symptoms of depression among adults with migraines (n = 2936) and (2) symptoms of anxiety and depression among adults at-risk for cardiovascular disease (n = 921). Results indicate that psychological inflexibility significantly related to depressive and anxiety symptoms among these populations. Results are discussed in terms of treatment implications for such persons. • Nearly half of the US population has a chronic medical condition. • Depression and anxiety are common among patients with chronic medical conditions. • Psychological inflexibility is significantly related to depressive symptoms in migraineurs. • Psychological inflexibility is significantly related to distress in patients with cardiovascular disease risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article provides information on a study which examined the active components of the Chinese herbal compound called Wuzhuyu-tang using high performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry after oral administration in rats. Researchers reported that seven of the ten ingredients of Wuzhuyu-tang were detected in portal vein plasma. It concludes that the seven ingredients detected are the active components for migraine treatment.

CoQ10 is quite possibly the most powerful antioxidant known to scientists, clinicians and researchers alike. It is rich in applications that offer an outstanding array of potential human therapeutic benefit. Some of the more prominent conditions that respond to CoQ10's use, include hypertension, migraine headaches, coronary artery disease and even Parkinson's disease. The purpose of this review is to illustrate the clinically significant findings in a plethora of prominent studies on Coenzyme Q10. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To examine currently known and additional potential neurological manifestations of the antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) and to discuss current and experimental therapeutic options in light of the present knowledge of the disease mechanism. Methods: The PubMed database was searched for articles published between the years 1980 and 2008 for keywords referring to APS and several neurological conditions. Relevant English language articles were reviewed. Results: APS is characterized by diverse neurological manifestations. These include cerebral ischemic events, epilepsy, dementia, cognitive deficits, headaches, psychiatric disorders, chorea, multiple sclerosis-like, transverse myelitis, and ocular symptoms. Some of the symptoms can be associated with ischemia; however, other mechanisms that could lead to similar outcomes have been described, such as direct binding of antiphospholipid antibodies to neural tissue. Current treatment guidelines concern cerebrovascular events only. We propose several different therapeutic options related to the autoimmune nature of the syndrome. Conclusion: Neurological manifestations in APS are diverse and may be confused with other neurologic syndromes. This information is important for the proper diagnosis and management of patients. Experimental therapeutic alternatives expand the treatment options for patients and physicians. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objectives: To determine the impact of a pharmacist-led educational intervention on the seeking of medical care from physicians by patients with migraine and identify barriers to migraine care and lapsing from this care. Design: Prospective, multigroup, quasiexperimental. Setting: Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, November 2004 through June 2005. Participants: 100 university employees and students. Information from the initial interview was used to divide the patients into four groups: (1) not a migraineur, (2) migraineur who is currently consulting a physician for care of headaches (current consulter), (3) migraineur who has not consulted with a physician for more than 12 months concerning headaches (lapsed consulter), and (4) migraineur who has never consulted a physician regarding headache (never consulter). Interventions: Verbal counseling by a pharmacist and written education on migraine, as well as self-administered questionnaires. Main outcome measures: Participants' physician consultation rates, perceived barriers to physician consultation, and perceived reasons for lapsing from care. Results: Of the 100 headache sufferers who participated in the study, 82 met International Headache Society criteria for migraine, of whom 22 were never consulters and 20 were lapsed consulters. Cross-tabulation and chi-square statistics did not reveal any statistically significant differences between the never-consulter control and intervention groups for 3-month physician consultation rates or intention to seek consultation during the next 6 months; however, 64% of never consulters contacted their physician or expressed intentions to do so after the intervention. The top three barriers to physician consultation identified were misidentifying migraines as headaches (50%), satisfaction with current treatment (45%), and inconvenience of physician consultation (41%). The top three reasons for lapsing from care were reduced frequency of headache (40%), self-identification of effective therapy (40%), and physician-directed effective therapy (30%). Cross-tabulation and chi-square statistics revealed one significant difference among student/employee groups in their identification of barriers. Conclusion: This study identified barriers associated with migraineur physician consultation behavior and reasons for lapses in care. The role of pharmacists in encouraging migraineur physician consultation should be further examined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Migraine headaches are a prevalent and burdening disorder for the public worldwide. Both traditional preventive drugs and behavioral-based interventions have been used as treatment in the prevention of migraine attacks. However, benefits of alternative interventions in patients with primary headache disorders have not yet been fully explored. The present investigation sought to examine the impact of a patient controlled music intervention (MUSIC CARE) on episodic migraine headache.Design: A sample of 20 episodic migraine patients (17 females, mean age of 42 years) was included in the pilot trial. Patients completed a pre-treatment assessment on headache severity, associated psychopathological distress (anxiety and depression) and functional impairment, and provided reports on their medication intake. During the 3-months intervention period, patients required 1-2 music sessions (based on the "U" sequence) per day with a minimum of 15 per month.Results: Following the intervention, patients reported a significant reduction in the frequency of migraine attacks (MDiff = -2.8, p = .01). Ten patients reported a 50% reduction in the frequency of migraine attacks. Additionally, there was a significant reduction in medication intake (MDiff = -2.85, p = .02), the duration of migraine attacks (MDiff = -5.45, p = .002), anxiety (MDiff = -1.65 (2.88), p = .02) and depression (MDiff = -2.45 (3.5), p = .002).Conclusion: These data provide evidence that music intervention may significantly prevent migraine attacks. Moreover, this method is easily accessible and administered. Future well-controlled clinical trials are necessary to further explore the efficiency of the intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Migraine affects approximately 2% of the population of the UK with around 190,000 people experiencing a migraine daily. This study investigated the effectiveness of reflexology on migraine symptoms provided under pragmatic, personally funded conditions. Data was gathered on a case series of 20 reflexology clients with medically diagnosed migraine. All participants self-referred to a member of the Association of Reflexologists (AoR). The Measure Yourself Medical Outcome Profile (MYMOP) was completed at each appointment. All participants received six reflexology sessions. In terms of an improvement in the overall MYMOP profile, 75% (n = 15) of clients had an improvement of two or more points. The minimal clinically important difference for the MYMOP change score is 1.0; this was achieved by 90% (n = 18) of participants. The mean difference in scores for each of the MYMOP aspects was calculated and the greatest improvement was found with symptom 1, their chosen primary symptom, which changed an average of 3.40 points (95% CI: 2.35, 4.45.) The results indicate the potential for reflexology to relieve the symptoms of migraine. • Self-funded self-referred case series using MYMOP can indicate change in migraine patients. • 90% (n = 18) of the participants in this study resulted in a profile change of more than one point in the 7-point MYMOP scale. • This change is recognised as being of clinical significance to the individual. • 60% (n = 12) exhibited a zero MYMOP score for symptom 1 after six treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]