Magnesium may help prevent / alleviate Migraines
Magnesium may help prevent / alleviate migraines
Numerous studies strongly suggest that
a person's magnesium status may be associated
with the severity and frequency of migraine headaches
Magnesium works on the symptoms of
migraines by relaxing blood vessels in the brain and inhibits the ability of calcium
to constrict blood vessels.
"We know that 50% of all migraine sufferers are
magnesium -deficient,"says Dr. Altura,
PhD, professor of physiology, pharmacology and medicine at the SUNY Downstate Medical
Centerin Brooklyn, New York. "60% of migraine patients have genetic variances
that don't allow them to effectively metabolize and transport
magnesium
well,"says Dr. Altura.
Some studies supporting use of magnesium against migraines
Quick and sustained pain relief using intravenous
magnesium infusions (performed
by medical personnel). More than 80% of a group of 3,000 patients given
daily intravenous infusions of 200 mg ionized magnesium
had significant sustained pain reduction within 15 minutes of administration.
Mauskop, 1995
Intravenous magnesium
infusions eliminated migraine symptoms. In
another study, Dr. Altura noted that magnesium
infusion produced a complete elimination of migraine-induced symptoms such as nausea
and photophobia.
Mauskop, 1996;
Magnesium
prevents menstrual migraines. These occur in women of childbearing
age and tend to be more frequent and disabling than non-menstrual migraines.
Boska, 2002.
In fact, lower magnesium levels have
been correlated with more severe neurological symptoms during menstrual migraines.
Silberstein, 2007; Mauskop, 2001
Prevention is preferable to treatment.
Oral magnesium supplementation
has been shown to reduce the frequency and duration of migraines.
Mauskop , 1998; Boska, 2002
References Boska MD, Welch KM, Barker PB, Nelson JA, Schultz
L. (2002, Apr) Contrasts in cortical magnesium, phospholipid and energy metabolism
between migraine syndromes. Neurology.58(8):1227-33.
Mauskop A, Altura BT, Cracco RQ, Altura BM. (1995, Dec)
Intravenous magnesium sulphate relieves migraine attacks in patients with low serum
ionized magnesium levels: a pilot study. Clin Sci (Lond). 89(6):633-6.
Mauskop A, Altura BT, Cracco RQ, Altura BM. (1996 Mar)
Intravenous magnesium sulfate rapidly alleviates headaches of various types. Headache.
36(3):154-60
Mauskop A, Altura BM. (1998) Role of magnesium in the
pathogenesis and treatment of migraines. Clin Neurosci. 5(1):24-7;
Mauskop A, Fox B, (2001) What Your Doctor May Not Tell
You About Migraines, Warner Books, New York.
Silberstein SD, Goldberg J (2007 Oct) Menstrually related
migraine: breaking the cycle in your clinical practice. J Reprod Med. 52(10):888-95.
