Recently, the American Headache Society released new recommendations for effective migraine treatment as part of their Choosing Wisely campaign, advising migraine sufferers against opting for the following tests and treatments.
The report, published in Headache, is part of the American Board of Internal Medicine’s campaign Choosing Wisely, the aim of which is to minimize use of migraine drugs and procedures deemed by health experts as unnecessary, risky, and overly costly.
“Our aim is to encourage doctors and patients to think carefully about medical care that can be harmful or unnecessary,” said Dr. Elizabeth Loder, head of the AHS.
“The article and recommendations identify situations that are felt by experts to be cases where patients and doctors should think very carefully before they decide to use that particular treatment or intervention.”
One treatment that headache experts advise against is the use of opioid painkillers- a controversial topic with many migraine sufferers who have difficulty finding relief any other way. Yet many experts believe that using medications such as OxyContin and Vicodin may actually increase suffering by impairing your resistance to pain.
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Also on the list are various diagnostic tests sometimes recommended for migraine disorder.
The American Headache Society warns to avoid these 5 migraine treatments and tests:
1) Neuroimaging.
2) Computed tomography imaging. (Magnetic resonance imaging is a better option.)
3) Surgery to desensitize migraine trigger-points of the brain.
4) Opioids for chronic migraine headaches.
5) Long-term OTC painkillers
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We want your opinion!
Do you agree with the statements made by the American Headache Society?
What non-drug methods do you use to prevent or relieve migraines?
Have you tried using natural supplements to improve your body’s response to painful inflammation?
Also read:
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