Product Description

A groundbreaking and controversial work. HEAL YOUR HEADACHE starts with the fresh insight that nearly all headaches are migraines - that, in fact, a migraine is not a type of headache at all but the built-in mechanism that causes headaches of all kinds. Whether one is prone to crippling "migraines" or only the occasional garden-variety pounder, the underlying causes are the same. This leads to a second insight: both headache sufferers and the doctors they turn to are invariably wrong in how they understand, diagnose and treat the problem. With this knowledge in hand, John Hopkins neurologist Dr David Bucholz takes headache sufferers out of the vicious circle of misdiagnosis and rebound and put them in charge of their lives with a simple, practical, patient-proven 3 - step system. Step One: Avoid quick fixes - treating the symptoms and not the cause can lead to a cycle of escalating pain. Step Two: Eliminate your headache triggers, especially easy-to-control dietary ones like caffeine, chocolate, MSG, and aged cheese. Step Three: raise your headache threshold - when necessary, use preventive medication. One, two, three - add together and for nearly all sufferers, any headache problem can be dealt with, no matter how acute. Every sufferer of headaches or migraines would benefit from this book.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #66628 in Books
• Published on: 2002-10-24
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 272 pages

Customer Reviews

Do youself a favour!
As someone suffering for years with migraine, I too was at the end of my rope. My migraine episodes (sometimes lasting for days, sometimes 1/2 the month) forced me to give up my job, were making me depressed (I entertained thoughts of suicide), and were ruining my family life ( I have two young kids). After having read this book, I started following a *very* restricted diet right away. I cut out everything listed in the book, plus soy and all soy products (you have to be very aware, and very good at reading labels for this one - it's everywhere). Although in the book he says that he is 'unsure if soy is a trigger' - let me tell you it's a HUGE one for me. One thing this only just touched on in the book is the role of estrogen (and xenoestrogen) in triggering migraine. I believe that I also suffer migraines due to 'estrogen dominance'. I urge all women migraineurs to look in to this in addition to diet restrictions. I got rid of all perfume containing things in my home, changed detergents, shampoo, and got rid of all things that contain xenoestrogens (vaseline, etc). I also use a bio-identical, natural, paraben-free progesterone cream. In a period when I normally would have suffered upwards of 20 migraines, I have had only 3 (all my own fault - brought on by running for too long, eating pepperoni, and flying - changes in barometric pressure). I would recommend this book to anyone still suffering with migraine. There really is something that can help you. Please remember to follow the restrictive diet to the letter in order to achieve results. It's hard work to cut all the trigger-food out of your diet, but the rewards are amazing! I wish everyone good health.

must buy in understanding your headache problems
Having suffered with migraine that seemed to "go away "in my twenties following meningitis and then later suffering ongoing ear, dizziness, nausea problems following a bad labyrinthitis infection (diagnosed as endolymphatic hydrops)I felt at my wits end when I started to suffer almost daily headache problems on top of my ear related problems.I got referred back to the ENT department at the hospital and was told they thought I had Migraine associated dizziness (MAD !!!) and that they would put me on a migraine diet and give me a "pack" of advice on the diet etc when I left the clinic. After much faffing about I left the clinic with a single A4 sheet listing allowed and not allowed foods and was told to stay on the diet for 3 months.
I felt at sea not understanding why the diet might work etc until I saw a recommendation for this book on a Dizzy forum. I promptly ordered and had it delivered by amazon. It really is a great book - it explains the migraine diet in detail - what exactly is allowed and why the not allowed foods are potential problems. The book also explains what we know about how the migraine mechanism works and also what we don't quite know. It also in a revalation for me described how meningitis and head trauma can trigger a migraine problem that can evolve and mutate in symptoms over time ( so I have probably had the same problem all along - just an evolving in my symptoms).
Some sections were not that relevant for me - I am not addicted to very strong caffeine/codeine headache pills and so don't need to come off medication - that's fine as Bucholz tries to cover all types and degrees of headache related complaints. He believes all headaches, no matter how weak or severe are basically migraines (except for cluster headaches)and how our threshold for triggering a headache works. He also discusses HRT, problems with the pill, weather headaches etc and migraine medication and its side effects.
The book is easy to read - detailed but not too technical and quite chatty.
I don't necessarily agree with all his theories and I think a more detailed discussion of female hormones and menstruation and especially how this could be treated would have been really helpful.
Unfortunately despite strictly keeping to the diet - my symptoms have not significantly improved. However, I do feel I understand why I get headaches and how all my symptoms are connected. If I decide to try medication for migraine the book has a whole section on the drugs used and their uses and problems so I will feel much better informed on my next hospital visit.
A must buy for anyone experiencing headache or dizzy ears, nausea, pressure in the ears, vertigo and all other related symptoms.

A MUST HAVE !!!
You really must have if you suffer from headaches. Sooo much information which you need to know and i would definately tell people to buy this especially at the price they sell it for.