Genetic testing may help in severe type of migraine

People who suffer from sporadic hemiplegic migraine (SHM) -- a rare, often severe subtype of migraine in which attacks are associated with a weakness affecting one side of the body -- may want to consider genetic testing, researchers suggest.

Their suggestion is based on a study in which they found "familial genes" for this type of migraine in people who did not have family members experiencing the problem.

Researchers noted that most people with SHM are "initially diagnosed with epilepsy, stroke or other disorders and are treated accordingly with non-effective medications that are associated with a high risk of side effects rather than with effective agents to treat migraine."

Genetic testing in people with this type of sporadic migraine may help to enable counseling and prevent unnecessary treatment with potentially harmful drugs, the researchers suggest.

For more information, visit healthcentral.com

Help for Headaches

Here’s heady news: People who suffer from migraines and other kinds of headaches may find relief at the dentist -- yes, I did say the dentist!

The problem for many people is that due to childhood development or sometimes an injury; they grind their teeth or clench their jaws. Over time, this can wear down the teeth, which throws the jaw out of proper alignment. The muscles and teeth start fighting each other resulting in headache, jaw and face pain.

Signs you may have the condition include:

n A clicking sound when you move your jaw
n Frequent headaches, particularly on awakening
n Fatigue
n Sore face muscles
n The feeling the jaw is “locked” first thing in the morning
n Ringing in the ears
n Ears feeling “stuffed up”
n Teeth breaking easily
n Neck pain

You can learn more about neuromuscular dentistry by visiting leadingdentist.com

Enhanced Internet Resources for People with Pain

The HealthCentral Network, Inc. and the American Pain Foundation (APF) today announced a collaboration leveraging APF's strength as a pain management information, advocacy and support resource with HealthCentral.com's multimedia capabilities and extensive online community of patients and experts. The partnership was officially kicked off recently with the posting of a blog on the topic of pain written by APF's Executive Director Will Rowe, available at HealthCentral's ChronicPain site. The site will also feature videos of first-person experiences with pain.

"Our inaugural blog is timed for the September Pain Awareness Month observance and furthers the APF's mission to raise public awareness about pain as a critical health issue," said Will Rowe, Executive Director of APF. "HealthCentral's online pain community is keenly interested in the research and policy agenda of APF and my blog will encourage everyone affected by pain to contribute to the fight for fair access to better paincare."

"APF's Pain Information Library complements the extensive patient-contributed content on HealthCentral's sites, providing great synergies for our respective sites," said Chris Schroeder, CEO and President of The HealthCentral Network. Pain management is central to many of HealthCentral.com's featured health conditions including migraines, rheumatoid arthritis, and breast cancer. Each of HealthCentral's Websites combines a base of comprehensive medical information and interactive tools with patient experts and health professionals to help people of all ages manage their conditions and learn from other patients who have first-hand experience.

As a part of this collaboration, the APF will provide a co-branded version of HealthCentral's personal web service that offers people an easy way to create an online community of support for caregiving when a loved one is disabled. HealthCentral is also serving as host for APF's Pain & Creativity Exhibit, a forum for people affected by pain to share their artistic expressions, and for select artists to be honored through print and online publications, that was announced earlier this month.

For more information, visit healthcentral.com

Effective Pain Management Requires an Interdisciplinary Approach

Pain is the number onepublic health problem in the U.S., affecting an estimated 76.5 million Americans according to the National Center for Health Statistics. The number of people living with pain is greater than those with diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, and cancer combined. (American Diabetes Association, American Heart Association, American Cancer Society). Most pain is untreated or undertreated, particularly among African Americans, Hispanics, women, and the elderly.

Consider these facts:

-- The annual cost of chronic pain in the U.S., including healthcare, lost income, and lost productivity, is estimated to be $100 billion. (National Institutes of Health)

-- Low back pain is the most common type of pain followed by severe headache or migraine pain, neck pain, and facial ache or pain. (National Institute of Health Statistics)

-- African Americans and Hispanics are affected by racial profiling for diversion and undertreatment by some physicians. (National Center for Health Statistics)

-- Women seek help for pain more frequently than men, but are less likely to receive treatment. (National Center for Health Statistics)

-- A Johns Hopkins study of adults with nonmalignant pain (42% back pain) who were consecutively referred to a tertiary care pain center shows nineteen-percent reported current passive suicidal ideation, 13% had active thoughts of committing suicide, 5% had a current suicide plan, and 5% reported a previous suicide attempts.

For more information, visit aapainmanage.org

STG Media Corp. Launches Sinol Nasal Sprays, The First Over-The-Counter Nasal Sprays For Headache, Allergy And Sinus Relief

STG Media Corp. has launched SINOL for Allergy and Sinus and SINOL for Headache into mass-market. Expected to be a top seller, SINOL will hit the shelves of 15,000 mass-market retailers in May. “The Sinol Brand has been fun and challenging,” said Thomas Lark CEO of STG Media Corp. “We went through an evolution of repackaging, focus groups, and re-positioning. Ultimately we formed two different SKU’s, one for sinus headache relief and one for allergy treatment. Diversifying the product’s retail positioning in both analgesic and allergy really made the difference, especially when coupled with the targeted national TV, magazine and radio campaign designed to drive consumers to retail, while simultaneously accruing direct response revenue.” Sinol® Headache Nasal Spray is the first FDA approved all natural nasal spray developed for sinus headaches, cluster headaches and migraine headaches. Sinol prevents allergy triggers and relieves sinus pressure quickly and effectively. Is the future bright for Sinol? Vincent Schuman, President of Challenge Products and exclusive distributor of Sinol said, “The future is unlimited. Sinol is the only nasal headache spray in the analgesic category. With the active ingredient Capsaicin approved by the FDA for over-the-counter migraine headache relief, I’d say we have a very bright future.”

Consumers can expect to see SINOL in mass-market drug and super centers everywhere by the end of 2007. It is simply the most effective over-the-counter allergy treatment available and is unmatched as a migraine, cluster, and tension headache solution.

For more information, visit stgadv.com

Headache Suffering In Detroit Worsens During Cold Weather: Patients Often Find Solution With Physical Therapy

Every 10 seconds, someone in the United States goes to the emergency room with a headache or migraine. This translates to more than $1 billion spent on medications to treat the pain and $13 billion lost work time annually. In Detroit, headache suffering can increase during cold weather. Damp, cold weather can intensify sinus pain, triggering a headache. According to the New England Center for Headache, as many as half of all migraines are triggered by weather.

"Headaches are a secondary symptom to a primary issue, whether it is the cold weather, dehydration or poor posture," says Seema Sridahran, physical therapist with Heartland Rehabilitation Outpatient Services. "Medicine only masks the pain, while physical therapy finds the primary cause and works to alleviate or cure headache and migraine suffering."

Sridahran says a few easy-to-follow steps can alleviate or even cure headaches and migraines:

Step 1: Keep a daily log of your water intake. Sridahrah estimates low hydration levels contribute to a majority of headaches.

Step 2: Check your posture. Pull your belly button toward your spine, pull your shoulder blades together and down, tuck your chin in slightly and let your palms face forward.

Step 3: Engage your core muscles. Pulling the belly button toward the spine and keeping the abdominal muscles engaged helps with postural alignment.

Step 4: Relax. Take several deep breaths, tuck your chin in slightly, and drop your head slowly to one side and hold the stretch for 30 to 45 seconds. Repeat three times for each side, then slowly bend your head to one side then forward and hold for 30 to 45 seconds. These simple stretches release tension at the neck, often a cause of headaches.

For more information, visit heartlandrehab.com

Cincinnati Cosmetic Dentist Purchases Neuromuscular Dentistry Equipment

A cosmetic dentist who treats patients in the Greater Cincinnati area recently purchased a Myotronics K7 Evaluation System to broaden her practice to include neuromuscular dentistry.

The K7 Evaluation system provides Dr. Mindy Munowitz, who serves patients in Cincinnati, three technologies for measuring, displaying and storing objective data on physiologic and anatomical status and function: jaw tracking, electromyography and joint sonography. This objective data enhances the diagnostic and treatment considerations with information not previously available, Munowitz said. Munowitz has had remarkable success in using neuromuscular dentistry techniques to treat patients suffering from migraines and temporomandibular joint disorder, or TMJ, she said.

"This new equipment will enhance what we're already doing in the way of treating patients neuromuscularly," she said.

Neuromuscular dentistry looks to the hard and soft tissues, muscles and nerves when creating a treatment regimen, while traditional dentistry evaluates primarily the teeth, bones and gums.

Many people don't think to make a dentist appointment when they suffer from headaches, neck pain and facial pain, but often these symptoms are associated with the jaw, Munowitz said.

Munowitz treats those symptoms using Ultra Low Frequency Transcutaneous Electrical Neural Stimulation, or ULF-TENS. Simply put, this stimulation emits pulses to gently massage the jaw muscles and relax them. ULF-TENS relieves the pain by stimulating the body's production of endorphins, the body's natural anesthetic.

The positive feedback Munowitz hears from some patients is that their doctors no longer have to prescribe migraine medications to them.

Neuromuscular dentistry can treat more than just migraines and TMJ symptoms. Other physical problems and symptoms it can be used for include:

• muscle tension headaches
• Sinus headaches
• Face or jaw pain
• Muscle twitching
• Neck, shoulder or back pain
• Forward head posturing
• Teeth clenching or grinding
• Clicking, popping or grating sounds in the jaw joints
• Soreness or pain in or around the jaw joints
• Limited jaw movement
• Ringing in the ears
• Congestion or stuffiness of the ears

For more information, visit smilesohio.com