The Woman’s Migraine Toolkit: Managing Your Headaches from Puberty to Menopause (A DiaMedica Guide to Optimum Wellness)

Dawn A. Marcus, MD, and Philip A. Bain, MD
DiaMedica Publishing (2010)
ISBN 9780982321928
Reviewed by Carol Hoyer, PhD, for Reader Views (10/10)

 

This is an excellent resource for anyone who experiences migraine headaches. It is written clearly and is easy to read. I wish I had had this bookyears ago!

One of my favorite sections in the book was in the first chapter when the authors discussed the four phases of a migraine. Many of us do not know these phases or are able to tell ahead of time when a migraine is coming.  Each of these four phases was explained in detail with the authors stating you could have some or all of the phases. The best part of this is that if you know the stages and what occurs for you, you can start treating migraines earlier. Another interesting fact is that the average duration of a migraine is 29 hours!

The authors have provided a Migraine Questionnaire, which is very detailed. In addition there is a daily headache diary which is a great tool to help see what type of headache you are having.  They also discuss when to see a doctor and what type of doctor might help you.

Another area that interested me was menopause. Some of us assumed that when we reached menopause our headaches would go away. However, there are many factors that can trigger migraines.

The information on treatment was another chapter of excellent information. If you do not like to take medications, then you can do relaxation, stress reduction, biofeedback, acupuncture and many other techniques. Each of these techniques is explained in detail and pictures are provided to give you guidance.  There are many dietary changes one can make, often we don’t think about certain foods being triggers. Many prescription medications can prevent or lessen headaches - there are too many to mention here.

If your child is experiencing migraines, it is important that you start to take control of things like sleep, stress and diet. The author provides information that you can give to your child’s teacher, daycare providers and school nurse. It is important that communication remain open.

The last part of “The Woman’s Migraine Toolkit” provides information on where you can get more information. I can’t recommend this book enough - if you suffer from migraines like I do, this book is a must to have.

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