Migraines

Ergonomics is the science of adjusting your workstation to minimize strain in the following ways:

• Monitors should be visible without leaning or straining and the top line of type should be 15 degrees below eye level.
• Use audio equipment that keeps you from bending your neck (i.e., Bluetooth, speakerphones, headsets).
• Keep your shoulders relaxed and elbows bent to 90 degrees.
• Wrists should not be bent while at the keyboard. Forearms and wrists should not be leaning on a hard edge.
• Keep frequently used objects, like your telephone, close to your body to prevent excessive reaching.
• Take a 10-second break every 20 minutes: Micro activities include: walking, stretching, or moving your head in a “plus sign” fashion.
• Periodically, perform the “Brugger relief position” – Position your body at a chair’s edge, feet pointed outward. Weight should be on your legs and your abdomen should be relaxed. Tilt your pelvis forward, lift your sternum, arch your back, drop your arms, and roll out your palms while squeezing your shoulders together. Take a few deep cleansing breaths.

Sitting Workstations

• Hips and knees bent 90 degrees, feet flat on floor or footrest.
• Use a lumbar roll for lower back support.
• Avoid sitting on anything that would create an imbalance or uneven pressure (like your wallet).

Standing Workstations

• Keep your head, neck, torso, and legs vertically aligned.
• Wear shoes that provide proper arch support.
• Use a footrest to shift your weight from foot to foot.
• Adjust the footrest to approximately 10% of your total body height.

To avoid neck and upper back pain from improper neck support:

• Select a pillow that will hold your head in a neutral position while sleeping on your side or back.
• Avoid excessively thick or multiple pillows.
• Choose a fiberfill or feather/down pillow as these are usually better than foam.
• Consider a commercially available pillow that promotes good neck posture.

Just like plants, humans also require adequate hydration for good health and healing. If we do not consume enough water each day, our body can’t remove toxins, which means longer healing times and a compromised immune system. Not surprisingly, dehydration is linked to a multitude of conditions, from headaches to heart disease. Follow these recommendations for optimal hydration:

• Drink six to eight 8-ounce glasses of water each day (48-64 oz./ 1.5-2 liters total).
• Plan your water intake needs for the day or a workout, then carry a measured bottle to help ensure you’re staying on track.
• Alcohol and caffeine leach water from your body, so limit both, and be sure to increase your fluid intake when you do indulge.
• We lose water faster when we sweat, so strive to replace water with a small drink (4-8 oz) every 15 minutes or so during heavy exercise or hot physical work.
• “Electrolyte replacement” drinks like Gatorade® or Powerade ® carry more sugar than electrolytes and are generally unnecessary unless you are sweating heavily for more than an hour.

The best way to identify foods that may be triggering your migraine is to keep a daily food journal. A journal allows you to look back and identify specific foods that may be contributing. Not all triggers affect everybody, but here’s a list of commonly reported triggers:

• Chocolate and cocoa (Chocolate: milk, ice cream, pudding, cookies, cake, or pie)
• Alcoholic beverages (especially red wine, beer, and sherry)
• Caffeine
• Nuts & nut butter
• Pumpkin, sesame, and sunflower seeds
• Fruits such as: Figs, raisins, papayas, avocados (especially if overripe), red plums, overripe bananas
• Beans such as: broad, fava, garbanzo, Italian, lima, navy, pinto, pole & string beans
• Other vegetables such as: snow peas and onions (except for flavoring)
• Raw garlic
• Anything fermented, pickled, or marinated (sauerkraut, olives, pickles)
• Freshly baked yeast bread or coffee cake, doughnuts, sourdough bread
• Cultured dairy products (buttermilk, sour cream)
• Cheese: blue, brick (natural), Gouda, Gruyere, mozzarella, Parmesan, provolone, romano, Roquefort, cheddar, Swiss (Emmentaler), Stilton, Brie types and Camembert types
• Aged, canned, cured, or processed meat, including ham or game, pickled herring, salted dried fish, sardines, anchovies, chicken livers, sausage, bologna, pepperoni, salami, summer sausage, hot dogs, paté, caviar, mincemeat pie
• Other high sodium products: Meat tenderizer, soy sauce, monosodium glutamate (MSG), seasoned salt, (Accent), canned soup, soup, or bouillon cubes
• Nutrasweet
• Excessive Vitamin A (over 25,000 I.U. daily)

Your provider may talk to you about supplements like Vitamin D3 (2000 IU/ day), Feverfew (125mg/ day), Riboflavin (400mg/ day), Magnesium (400-600mg/ day), and Co-enzyme Q10 (100mg 3x per day) that may help prevent headaches for some migraine sufferers.

The American Headache Society recommends that patients avoid medication overuse to control their headaches (no more than 2 doses per day, 2 days/week) as this can lead to more frequent “rebound” headaches. Do not begin or discontinue any new vitamins or medications without talking to your provider first, especially if you are nursing or pregnant.

Known migraine triggers include neck tightness, stress, smoking, strong odors (i.e., perfumes), bright or flickering lights, fluorescent lighting, too little or much sleep, head trauma, weather changes, motion sickness, lack of activity or exercise, overexertion, fatigue, eye strain, dehydration, hunger, fasting, and hormonal changes, including menstruation and ovulation. Certain medications, including hormones or oral contraceptives, are potential culprits.