1.5 Telsa versus 3.0 Telsa MRI

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Over the past few years in an effort to find a source that is causing my constant headache since I had all 4 of my wisdom teeth out I have had some MRI’s done. I became aware earlier this year that the MRI’s had done of my brain before were all on 1.5 Telsa machines. These means that the quality and resolution of the image is not as good. When I learned that there were better scanners that produced images with more quality and resolution, I wanted to have an MRI done on one of these machines. There are actually even better MRI scanners out there up to 11 Telsa. These are currently only used on animals. The FDA has approved human use up to 7.0 Telsa, but clinically you will not find one over 3.0 Telsa. Part of the … Read more

Licorice – Liquorice

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Recently a neurologist I saw told me about adaptogens that can be used to regulate the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis or HPA axis. The term adaptogen is used by herbalists to refer to a natural herb product that is proposed to increase the body’s resistance to stress, trauma, anxiety and fatigue. One such adaptogen is licorice. I am sure many of you have had licorice before and likely think of red Twizzlers. Some of you may not like the taste of it that much. This is because it does not contain sugar as in most candies. However, recently I have been eating licorice that is better and tastes better than Twizzlers. I found some australian licorice at World Market. Licorice has a lot of medicinal uses and if you are depressed eating some each day might help you feel better. To learn … Read more

Prolotherapy – Lidocaine and Sugar Injections to Cure Headaches

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ABC’s Lisa Thomas-Laury reports that there is a new headache relief without pills being tested. Dr. Greenberg uses a solution called prolotherapy where he injects a combination of anesthetic called lidocaine and dextrose (a sugar) into areas in Jamie’s neck and shoulder where  ligaments or tendons could be damaged. “We see damage in the cervical joints, and also in the back of the head where all the muscles go up and insert into the back of the skull,” said Dr. Greenberg. Ligaments, tendons, and cartilage have poor blood supplies, so when they are injured, they can be slow to heal. The injections, given every 3 to 4 weeks reduce inflammation and jump-start the healing .The dextrose causes the release of growth factors out of the tissues. Prolotherapy has been around for decades, but was used largely for sports injuries in … Read more

Stop Headaches During Exercise

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A lot of people people complain about headaches while exercising. This is especially problematic if you are strenuously going all out. Here is some advice to prevent a headache before it starts. Drink! You should drink before, during and after your workout. If it’s somehow impossible for you to drink during sports, you should think twice before you exercise exceeds an hour. Dehydration is one of the main factors that you’ll lose energy and cause your headache after your workout. Water is good! Apple juice is a good addition for long distance runners. Eat! Even if your goal is to lose weight you should consider eating a small portion before your workout. Usually a fitness bar or a yogurt is enough. Make sure you don’t eat too much though or you will start getting stomach cramps during exercise. Vitamins! Fruit … Read more

Pheochromocytoma

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I am not sure how many of you who have headache problems have heard of pheochromocytoma, it is a tumor of the adrenal gland. This can cause the following symptoms: Headaches (severe) Excess sweating (generalized) Racing heart (tachycardia and palpitations) Anxiety / nervousness (feelings of impending death) Nervous shaking (tremors) Pain in the lower chest or upper abdomen Nausea (with or without nausea) Weight loss Heat intolerance It is rare and typically is not even found until an autopsy after death. If you believe you may have a pheochromocytoma than I would strongly recommend a 24 hour urine test to test for catacholamines. This test measures different types of adrenaline to see if they are out of normal levels. I personally had this test done but all of my catacholamines were within normal ranges. You could also get an MRI … Read more