To Your Health
July, 2021 (Vol. 15, Issue 07) |
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Kids Don't Need to Suffer
By Editorial Staff
From migraines, that is, and they certainly don't need to be taking pain relievers regularly. Guidelines from the American Academy of Neurology and the American Headache Society promote non-drug treatment and prevention approaches – good news both for children who suffer from migraines and their parents, who are often forced to watch them suffer with only medication to give them.
According to the American Academy of Neurology, the guidelines address "acute treatments to stop or lessen the pain and other symptoms during an attack and also treatments to prevent or reduce how often the migraine attacks occur and lower the impact of the disease on school, home and social functioning." While the guidelines do include recommendations for drug treatment to reduce pain, at least in the short term, one of the most important points made is that lifestyle behaviors may be contributors to migraines, either their development or frequency. That makes identifying factors associated with migraine, including lack of physical activity, overweight / obesity, excess caffeine intake, poor sleep habits and inadequate water consumption (dehydration) critical in both prevention and treatment.
The moral to the story is twofold: 1) Kids don't need to suffer with migraines when modifiable behaviors often play a role; and 2) They don't need to resort to medication when nondrug lifestyle options can be effective. And let's not forget about a third moral, not discussed in the guidelines but still important: Research suggests chiropractic spinal adjustments may also be valuable in preventing and reducing headache symptoms. Talk to your doctor for additional information.
