If you suffer from migraine headaches you know how debilitating they can be. You have probably tried a number of migraine treatments with little or no relief as well, which makes you feel like banging your head against the wall. Why not, it couldn’t hurt any worse, right? You dread the moment you get the first sign, or aura, of a migraine coming on. You start to see spots, feel sensitive to light, smells, or sounds, and may feel dizzy or nauseated. You just want to find a dark room and tuck yourself into bed somewhere. Migraine sufferers are unable to function at work, school, or anywhere else for that matter. According to The National Migraine Association, also known as MAGNUM (http://www.migraines.org), reports that 36 million people in the United States suffer from migraine headaches. With improved recognition of symptoms and diagnosis by health care providers, a 60% increase in migraine sufferers has been noted over the past decade. Migraines are different in each individual and not everyone experiences the same symptoms, which is why some migraine treatments are more effective than others, making the process somewhat complicated. Migraine headaches are a neurological disease with biological causes that are often hereditary. Migraine treatments have improved immensely over the years, but are not effective for everyone, not to mention the side effects that some people experience. Migraine treatments are divided into separate group. There are preventive or prophylactic medications and alternative therapies for migraine treatment, and there are those that work to ward off symptoms once a migraine has ensued. Prescribed medications used in migraine treatment are beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, anti-depressants, and Depakote (an anti-seizure drug). Alternative prophylactic migraine treatments include feverfew leaf, butterbur root, vitamin B12, and magnesium supplementation. New research is also looking to the gut, which may be the origin of migraine headaches in some sufferers. If preventive therapy is not completely effective, prescription medications such as Imitrex, Maxalt, Zomig, Relpax, Midrin, and Migranal can be used which lessen the severity and duration of migraines by initiating cerebral vasoconstriction. If migraine treatment is sought in a physician’s office or emergency room, a narcotic injection can be administered, such as Stadol, Phenergan, or Vistril, which are non-vasoconstricting agents used in the event other treatments are contraindicated. These are all effective migraine treatments, but remember that not all will help every migraine sufferer. Other alternative treatments such acupuncture, biofeedback, and chiropractic manipulation have also proven to be effective migraine treatments in some patients. Avoiding certain migraine triggers is an important intervention that can be used by all “migrainuers”, such as avoiding certain foods and alcoholic beverages than have caused migraines in the past, and wearing sunglasses in bright sunlight. If you suffer from migraine headaches and you are not getting relief from your current migraine treatment regimen, then schedule a consultation with your health care provider. It is possible to get better relief and have fewer episodes, which will greatly improve your emotional outlook and quality of life.