The Best Books on Migraines

Want to make some extra money? Well write a book about migraines. No, seriously. With hundreds of millions of migraine sufferers all around the world and no sure-fire cure, books about migraines are a cottage industry. In fact, there just might be as many books about migraines as web sites [4,390,000 million pages – Google] about migraines. 

Unfortunately, many of the books available on migraines have not been written by anyone with any particular knowledge of migraines or qualifications.  Many books on the subject contain bogus information or are really nothing more than advertising ploys bent on selling you even more bogus treatments.

It would be impossible to read them all, but we’ve done some research for you and have managed to weed out the completely useless from the at least slightly useful. 

What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Migraines: The Breakthrough Program That Can Help End Your Pain by Alexander Mauskop - offers a natural therapy program that combines over-the-counter supplements (magnesium, vitamin B2, feverfew) with stress-reducing tips, exercise tips and a plan to avoid environmental triggers.

Breaking the Headache Cycle: a Proven Program for Treating and Preventing Recurring Headaches by Ian Livingstone and Donna Novak - the authors take as their central position the theory that migraines are related to an unusually sensitive nervous system. The authors are convinced that medication alone won’t cure migraines, but should be used as just one aspect of an overall containment program that includes breathing exercises, diet changes, and even taking part in support groups. In addition, the book promises to educate the reader on how to spot migraines before they hit and ward them off. Even ways to keep migraines from forming.

All In My Head: An Epic Quest to Cure an Unrelenting, Totally Unreasonable, and Only Slightly Enlightening Headache by Paula Kamen - a first person account of the migraine-suffering author’s attempts to find relief for her headaches through such alternative approaches as cranial-sacral adjustments, acupuncture, gluten-free diets, yoga and, yes, even magnets. What really makes this book interesting is Kamen’s take on how the medical establishment treats patients suffering from so-called “invisible ailments” and chronic pain by turning their problems into psychological disorders.

The Women’s Migraine Survival Guide: The Most Complete, Up To Date Resource on the Causes of Your Migraine Pain and Treatments for Real Relief by Christina Peterson - offering advice especially geared toward women, especially information on why women are more affected than men, how menstruation, pregnancy and menopause related to migraines, advice on alternative treatments including vitamin supplements, acupuncture, and herbs.

The Headache Prevention Cookbook: Eating Right to Prevent Migraines and Other Headaches by David & Laura Marks - the idea here is that if you follow the authors’ diet and recipes for a minimum of eight weeks then you can narrow down the foods that trigger your migraines by the gradual reintroduction of foods at a rate of one per week so that it’s easier to track which one is the culprit. Once the culprit is exposed, you can attain a future free of headaches by simply avoiding the trigger food.

Conquering Your Migraine : The Essential Guide to Understanding and Treating Migraines for all Sufferers and Their Families by Seymour Diamond and Mary Franklin - advice on identifying migraine danger signs, treating migraine when you suffer from depression, identifying possible 21st century “miracle drugs,” tips on relaxation therapy, biofeedback and other alternative preventative therapies.

In addition to the books described above, a wealth of helpful information on a wide variety of topics related to migraine headaches can also be found in the following books. And it seems as if a new book about migraines comes out every week so keep an eye on the shelves your local bookstore.

• Overcoming Migraine: A Comprehensive Guide to Treatment and Prevention by a Survivor by Betsy Wyckoff.
• 50 Ways to Control Migraines: Proven Relief for Adults, Adolescents, and Child Migraine Sufferers by Ceabert Griffith.
• Migraine Headache Prevention and Management edited by Seymour Diamond.
• Everything You Need to Know Migraines and Other Headaches by Barbara Moe.
• Dietary Triggers for Migraine by Agnes Hartnell and G. Scott Tyler.
• Migraine, What Works: A Complete Guide to Overcoming and Preventing Pain by Joseph Kandel and David Sudderth.
• Managing Your Migraine: A Migraine Sufferer’s Practical Guide by Susan L. Burks.

*****

 Copyright © 2005 - www.migrainesheadacherelief.com - Best Books about Migraines