The study, published in the British Medical Journal, included 401 adults from 18-65 years old with chronic headaches (at least two headaches a month). Participants were divided into two groups: those who received up to 12 acupuncture sessions during a three-month period in addition to standard medical care, and those who received only standard care. One year later, researchers found those who received acupuncture experienced 22 fewer days with headaches, used 15% less medication, made 25% fewer visits to their doctor, and took15% fewer sick days off from work.

In a related study published in the same journal, British researchers found that acupuncture improved the quality of life for chronic headache sufferers. They concluded that acupuncture is a relatively cost-effective headache therapy compared with other treatments. These encouraging results have prompted some health insurance companies to cover acupuncture services rendered for the treatment of chronic headaches and migraines.

Generally, to be most effective, acupuncture treatments are used in combination with Chinese herbs, tui-na massage, and energetic exercises to restore imbalances found in the body. The specific treatment recommended to treat your headache or migraine may depend on a number of factors. For example, headache pain can be in several places. Whether the pain is behind the eyes or temples, or the time of day the pain appears make a difference in diagnosis. Other factors that can influence the type of treatment you’ll receive include the effect of light in your eyes, and whether your headache is a dull pain, if it throbs with each heartbeat, or if it’s sharp and piercing. The answer to these questions will help your acupuncturist select just the right combination to treatments for your pain.

For more information on acupuncture for migraines, please call (619) 574-6909, or visit http://www.PacificCollege.edu

Everybody worries sometimes, but some people worry all the time. Worrying is a natural human mental function that allows us to examine problems like we might a tangled ball of yarn. We turn it over and over, looking at it from all angles until we can find a thread that loosens some knots and frees the yarn. With too many people, however, worry becomes a bad mental habit, a preoccupation, and a way of wasting mental energy that could be more much more productive.

Worry can become a form of defense against difficult feelings, and an almost magical way of feeling that we can fend off undesired events. There’s a story about an old woman who would circle her house three times every day, carrying a bundle of twigs and muttering to herself. One day a new neighbor asked her what she was doing, and she replied “I’m keeping my house safe from tigers.” The neighbor said “But we’re in Indiana. There aren’t any tigers in Indiana,” to which the crone replied “See!”

Worry is a natural function of the human mind, but it can turn from a tool into a tyrant. Worrying can become a bad habit, even an addiction, because most of the things we worry about never come true. By not coming true, we are rewarded in the neurological sense of the word, we feel good, we fee; safe, we feel like we are exerting some control over the situation, so we begin to worry about other things we’d like to be able to control. It can become a full-time occupation.

The trouble with worry is that it is mentally and physically taxing, creating unnecessary stress that is exhausting for the worrier, and for the people around her (I say “her” because while worry is certainly not exclusively a female trait, the majority of people who worry themselves sick are female.) habitual worriers often develop significant illness from insomnia to anxiety disorders, irritable bowel syndrome, headaches, back pain and fibromyalgia. Worriers aren’t happy, often get depressed and are more likely than the non-worrried to smoke, drink and get addicted to prescription drugs.

Worry is a function of the imagination and is probably the most common form of mental imagery. Without imagination, there would be no worries. Imagination is the mental function that more than any other separates us from other animals. With imagination we have been given the gift of planning, and of envisioning the possible future. Through imagination, humans have been given the gift of being mobile in time – we can remember that past, and learn from it, and we can envision many possible futures and have the opportunity to choose the one that is likely to work best for us. But this gift comes with a price – we can imagine so many possible futures that we can get paralyzed by them, and if our minds get hypnotized and stuck on fears, we can become immobilized by that function which can give us the greatest mobility. We need to learn to use our imaginations better, and in a way that supports our well-being, not our worries.

The good news is that learning to use our imaginations consciously can be of great help in lessening the grip of habitual worry. Through imagery many people can impact their psychological states, their heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, digestive function, sexual function and even their immune response.

Worry is a bad habit, a distorted use of imagination, and can be overcome by learning to use the imagination more effectively and skillfully. Through guided imagery you may not stop worrying, but you can learn how to worry better. Guided Imagery will help you eliminate unproductive worrying and focus on the issues that can benefit from worrying. It will teach you skills that will help you use your imagination more effectively so that you don’t have to worry all the time, and so that the worrying you do will really help you resolve the problems you have. If you use Guided Imagery, you can go from being a worry wart to a worry warrior.

To see for yourself how you can use your imagination to relax and reduce stress immediately, go to www.thehealingmind.org and download our free 12-minute “Stress Buster” audio. To learn even more about using your imagination to resolve problems instead of creating them, check out our CDs on Stress Relief, Anxiety Relief, or our unique Guided Imagery for Self-Healing program.

Can you tell me how you first came to yoga?

I discovered yoga while I was seeking relief from back pain…and I found that and much, much more! After two classes a week for a month, I knew that if I ever stopped doing yoga I’d be really sorry someday. I never expected to become a yoga teacher!

Would you define yourself as a pioneer in yoga in N. America? How so?

I think I’m a pioneer in wanting to bring the benefits of yoga to seniors. Most yoga in the early 90’s was geared to the hard-bodied athletic types. I knew that it was a powerful practice for everyone regardless of age or physical condition, and I started teaching to seniors. I wrote the first book that was in print at that time, Yoga for the Young at Heart, especially for senior yoga. Then I made the first Yoga for the Young at Heart video. That was the first video teaching senior yoga that I’m aware of. Recently, I launched my new website, http://www.YogaHeart.com. It’s been a great journey!

How did you arrive at the notion of accessible yoga as a driving force in your brand of yoga?

So much of the yoga we see presented is intimidating and demoralizing for people who are just beginning a yoga practice. I think that does a disservice to the gift of yoga, as well as to people who would benefit from it if they were comfortable beginning a practice. No one should be afraid to try yoga, so I wanted to make it available…and accessible to everyone. My style of teaching is not intimidating and will entice people to yoga who would otherwise be left out…even people in wheelchairs can stretch and breathe. I say, if you’re breathing, you can do yoga!

What are the defining characteristics of your approach to yoga?

On some level, yoga is accessible to every body; even only breathing is a form of yoga practice. My approach is based on the concept that the body should be gently treated and honored. Yoga is not competitive, and it shouldn’t hurt. We begin at the fitness level where we are and progress from there in a compassionate practice. We celebrate the wonder of our bodies, quiet our minds so we can hear our inner wisdom and gently become stronger, more flexible and more peaceful. Yoga works, all we need to do is do it.

Tell me more about your Basic Series for Boomers, the over 50 men and women in my age range.

Maturing Baby Boomers today are not passive about health. We’re proactive and creative. By making yoga part of our daily routines, we can develop and maintain the fitness and relaxed attitude that supports us in living life on our terms, then we can enjoy every minute to the fullest!
In my videos, the yoga student is actually joining my class and practicing along with a class of “real people”.

The Basic Series consists of three DVDs. Each program is progressively is bit more challenging than the previous one, giving the student the ability to progress in their practice, or mix the programs to fit their mood of the day. My programs bring the benefits of yoga to people who may not otherwise have a yoga practice. Or, it’s great for people returning to yoga and looking for a gentle and effective way to get back in shape.

If I’m over weight and out of shape, do you think I can do it?

My yoga programs can be adapted to any level of ability. One of the lessons of a yoga practice is self-acceptance. You can only begin where you are. Take it slowly and gently, honoring your limitations and lovingly doing what your body allows you to do. In time you’ll begin to see the positive effects of your practice and it won’t take as long as you think. Do what you can. Be patient. You have to start somewhere.

I’ve never exercised much. Why start yoga at my age?

Anyone can start yoga at any age. Baby Boomers want to stay strong, vital, healthy and youthful, and yoga has a 5000 year track record of success in doing just that. As we get older, we reach a point where we can’t get away with abusing or ignoring our bodies anymore. Either we’re doing something positive for ourselves, or we’re neglecting ourselves. We get to choose daily which way we’re going to go. To create and maintain the quality of life we desire, we need to take action! Why not start now? You won’t begin any younger!

Can yoga help prevent osteoporosis?

The Rhode Island Department of Health states, “Exercises that put demands on your bones are known as “weight-bearing” or “resistance” exercises. They help to strengthen bone. Exercise (in combination with a healthy diet and lifestyle) is important in the prevention of osteoporosis.” Yoga is a weight-bearing exercise. Our bones are not static; they are living tissue that renews itself throughout our lives. Poses that challenge our muscles put stress on our bones increase bone mass. If you do any type of weight-bearing exercise, you can begin to reverse osteoporosis regardless of age.

Other health benefits?

The list is enormous! In addition to building strength, flexibility and stamina, Dr. Dean Ornish uses yoga in his heart disease treatment programs because it lowers blood pressure and initiates the “relaxation response” of the parasympathetic nervous system. Yoga helps to prevent osteoporosis, reduces stress and stress related maladies like headaches and high blood pressure, energizes and relaxes the nervous system, hydrates the joints and spine, stretches the hamstrings and can alleviate back pain. Yoga can increase and strengthen respiration, and help to cleanse the digestive system…the list goes on and on. In short, yoga can keep you healthier, stronger and more able to do the things you want to do with vitality and focus.

How can yoga help menopause?

My video, Embracing Menopause: A Path to Peace & Power gives Boomer women inspiration in addressing our opportunity to redefine ourselves through this important life transition. We don’t need to buy into the idea that we become useless or unattractive…to the contrary, menopause is our most powerful time of life. It’s an opportunity to live our wildest dreams and be our most attractive selves. Yoga brings us back to center, helping us to remember who we really are, feel our inner strength and reconnect with our inner wisdom.

Physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually, menopause is a rebalancing and redefining of ourselves on the deepest levels. Many of the symptoms of menopause can be aggravated by stress, and menopause can be a stressful time of life. Yoga relaxes us, brings us into balance and helps us to tune into our deepest self. Yoga helps to cool the body, relax the nervous system, oxygenate and detoxify our organs and muscles, and prevent osteoporosis. Yoga balances the endocrine system, which can help to stabilize hormone levels, and calm our emotions. As a total practice, yoga is a powerful support through the menopause process and Embracing Menopause: A Path to Peace & Power is an easy way to begin to reap those benefits.

How often do I need to do yoga for me to feel better?

Find your own rhythm. At least two times a week for an hour would be a minimum yoga practice. Make a commitment to yourself and stick with it for a month and see how it feels. Of course, the more yoga you do, the better you will feel and the benefits will be realized faster. Stay tuned in and encourage your body to keep going. Watch your process from both the inside and the outside. If you do yoga, it works. My website, www.YogaHeart.com, provides stories from many people who have enjoyed success with the programs.

How does your seated yoga program compare with a regular yoga class?

Although a consistent yoga program of standing, balancing, lying poses and inversions is a more complete practice; yoga need not be relegated to a full yoga class. Sitting Fit Anytime is a seated yoga program for those who sit too much…at work, at our computers, traveling, or any activity that makes us forget we have a body. Doing a seated pose or two hourly throughout the day can give you some of the benefits of a yoga practice and help relieve the inevitable stiffness that comes with sitting too long. Yoga poses adapted to small interludes may not have the same intensity as a full yoga class, but the benefits of yoga are readily available to those who nibble on yoga throughout the day.

Sitting Fit Anytime is available as a CD Rom & ScreenSaver for the computer bound, or as a DVD for people who are physically challenged. Seniors can benefit from Sitting Fit Anytime to assist in building the strength and flexibility that will enable them to do a standing yoga practice if they so desire.

Can people who are confined to a wheelchair do seated yoga?

People who are physically challenged due to age, illness, or who just can’t get down on the floor, don’t need to miss out on the many benefits of yoga. Those confined to wheelchairs or recovering from injury, with their physician’s approval, can benefit from their own adaptation of the breathing and gentle seated poses. Sitting Fit Anytime, seated yoga can build the strength and flexibility, needed to progress to more and more challenging poses. Breathing, stretching and strengthening can be introduced at a slow pace, gently bringing bodies to new levels of fitness, increasing circulation and bringing in healing energy and vitality.

If I feel agitated when I sit at my computer, what can I do about that?

Your body is asking you to move! Sitting needs to be balanced with moving, breathing and stretching, so try some simple yoga stretches: twists, arms overhead, forward bends and deep conscious breathing for a “mini yoga break.” With the Sitting Fit Anytime program, you’ll feel the difference and return your attention to your work refreshed, more relaxed and with a clearer mind.

Susan, thank you for sharing your insight and knowledge with us. We appreciate your depth of experience in this wonderful area of exercise we call yoga. In conclusion, what can you tell about the mental or spiritual aspects of yoga?

Yoga is widely recognized as a spiritual path as well as a physical fitness practice. In all of my programs, I incorporate the spiritual and physical. Through yoga we learn to focus, to bring ourselves to center and to calm our minds. By quieting the mind, we can hear more clearly our quiet inner voice. That voice is our highest wisdom that can guide us to our highest path in life. We become more centered, more insightful and more peaceful. Then we can take that inner strength and peace out into the chaos of the world and hold a calm, peaceful perspective. this is how world peace can be achieved…one heart at a time.

Caroline had been seeing a boy for a year. In October 1992, she’d called into our local family planning clinic without my knowledge and was put on the Pill. She did tell them she’d had migraine, but the clinic didn’t get in touch with our GP and didn’t investigate.When I found out, I rang the clinic because I was unaware that young girls under 16 could be given the Pill. I was told that this was quite acceptable and, more or less, there was nothing I could do about it. I visited the clinic, and told the doctor my mother’d had thombosis. She assured me this was not a problem with Caroline.

In December, I took Caroline with me to a woman GP at our practice, hoping to get some support to convince Caroline to stop taking the Pill. Instead the doctor convinced Caroline there were no foreseeable risks.

Caroline had another attack in May, when she was sent to hospital. She fell unconscious in casualty, and that evening had a fit. By morning she was in a coma, and it was found she’d suffered a brain stem stroke. She was in a coma for two months, and when she came out of it, she could not speak or move. Over the 11 months, we were shuttled in between three hospitals. My husband and I gave up our jobs to be with her, most of the day and night.

We lost our beautiful girl in May 1994, when she was just 16. At the inquest, the GPs from our practice had lawyers. We had no one. We have since been made aware that there are certain types of migraine where the Pill is a complete no no, and if Caroline did have migraine, hers was one of them. Jenny Bacon.

For anyone wishing more information, Mrs Bacon has started a group called Parents Against Oral Contraception for Children, 2 Lyndhurst Grove, Allerton, Bradford BD15 7AS.

I wonder if anyone has actually done a study specifically testing MSG and headaches/migraines? – V.J. Kearney, Knaresborough, N. Yorkshire

According to Mims Magazine, in vitro studies have suggested that sumatriptan could constrict coronary blood vessels.

A Glaxo spokesman denies that any studies in humans have shown the drug has such an effect.

Nevertheless, according to Mims, patients have reported “sensations of warmth and tingling”, possibly linked to the drug’s effect on blood vessels.

A Glaxo spokesman was quoted as saying, “These are a signal that there is some effect on the vasculature, but the sensations are transient and not related to changes in cardiac circulation.”

Sumatriptan is a 5-hydroxytryptamine analogue, which works by blocking 5HT/serotonin, a brain chemical thought to have a primary role in migraine.

It has been suggested in other studies that these chest symptoms are caused by decreased blood flow to the heart. However the authors refute this. Unfortunately, they were also unable to comment on what these chest symptoms were and the design of the study (a retrospective questionnaire) prevented any further conclusions being drawn. The authors did concede, though, that migraine sufferers should be forewarned of this potentially serious side effect.

For more information see WDDTY vol 6 no 10 and vol 5, nos 9 and 10.

Both were women in their 40s with 15 to 20 year histories of migraine. Neither had any known risk factors for stroke, and no other potential triggers for the haemorrhages were identified.

According to the reports, the first patient, who was eventually diagnosed with a blood clot on the brain, had injected herself with 6 mg of sumatriptan twice, two hours apart. Within 30 minutes of the second injection, the intensity of her headache increased; she developed nausea and vomiting, then a paralysis on the left side of her body and, finally, loss of consciousness.

The second patient used sumatriptan twice within 24 hours. Three hours after the second injection, her headache became “the worst. . .in her life”. A CT scan showed haemorrhage in several areas of the brain.

The report concludes that patients should avoid using antimigraine medications in cases where their headaches differ from normal, either in its duration or characteristics (Neurology, 2001; 56: 1243-4).

The triptan family tries to control migraine attacks by changing serotonin (5-HT) levels, which also affect depression and psychosis.

However, their effectiveness can be hit or miss as they are poorly absorbed by the gut. As a result, only around two thirds of patients are ever helped by the triptans. Even the later injected triptans have a relatively high failure rate, and are also much more expensive. The injected variety of sumatriptan also comes with more adverse reactions.

The triptans are no go drugs for people suffering from a heart condition as they can cause chest pains in up to 8 per cent of patients.

The later triptans, including eletriptan, naratriptan and rizatriptan, were supposed to come without the reactions associated with sumatriptan. But a recent study on eletriptan suggests it comes with all the usual side effects (Neurology 2000; 54: 156-63).

Flushing, palpitations, nasal discomfort, eye irritation, visual disturbance and agitation were all symptoms reported way above the placebo group.

In a critique of triptans by Nicholas Bateman of the Scottish Poisons Information Bureau, there seems little to choose between them (Lancet 2000; 355: 860-1). Naratriptan seems to have fewer adverse reactions, but acts more slowly.

A better agent for treating migraine is still needed, he believes. Especially as regular use of any of the triptans can produce an increase in migraine frequency and headache (Lancet 1999; 353: 378).

Which, as Hamlet might have said, is a real bummer.

Danish researchers studied the babies born to 34 women who took the drug and compared them with the babies born to 15,955 healthy controls and to 89 women with migraines who didn’t take the drug.

Women taking sumatriptan were six times more likely than the migraine controls to have a premature baby and three times more likely than the healthy controls to give birth early. Migraine sufferers were also three times more likely than controls to have a baby of low birthweight.

Whether due to the drug or the severity of the disease, this is bad news for migraine suffering mums. Premature and low birthweight babies are at greater risk of illness and death in the first six weeks of life, and are more prone to health problems later in life (Headache, 2000; 40: 20-4).