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Archive for January, 2007

Faces Pain Scale on Scrubs

In a Scrubs episode J.D. and Elliot rate a patient’s pain by matching his facial expression to a pain scale. Although I’ve tried to describe the scene, I can’t do it justice. Fortunately for us all Gary posted the clip (from YouTube, of course) to his blog Psychology of Pain. It’s a brilliant clip that [...]

Stress, Migraine & Other Headaches

While some folks debate whether stress is a trigger for migraine, tension-type or other headaches, research and anecdotal experiences satisfies me that there’s a connection*. Even if it’s not directly related, stress can induce other headache triggers, like not getting enough sleep and eating poorly. Besides, reducing stress is something that nearly everyone scan benefit [...]

Grand Rounds at Six Until Me

This week’s Grand Rounds is up at Six Until Me. Not familiar with this blog carnival? It’s a weekly glimpse into the medical blogosphere. You can find the Grand Rounds archives on Blogborygmi.

Estrogen Withdrawal is a Migraine Trigger

The long-standing hypothesis that when estrogen levels drop right before and during a woman’s period, it triggers migraines has been supported in a recent study. The study also found a connection between increased estrogen levels and decreased migraine frequency. (It’s a Medscape article; go to BugMeNot for a password.) In a second study, the same [...]

Women, Chronic Migraine & Depression

I should have been skeptical as well as astonished by the study finding that women with severely disabling migraine and other severe symptoms have a 32 times greater risk of depression — because it’s not accurate. The Washington Post reported: “The women with a diagnosis of severely disabling migraine had a 32-fold increased risk of [...]

Purging “Stuff” to Reduce Stress

I’m not a fan of making resolutions for a new year. In part because I try to improve myself all year long and in part because it feels like undue pressure. I gave in this year and Hart and I have made a joint resolution. It’s one that I hope will help my headaches by [...]

Out of Hibernation

Jackie, a migraineur who blogs at Life in the Canadian Desert, wrote this week about emerging from hermithood. Since I to withdraw from the world when my pain gets me down (and this happens a lot!), her post struck a chord. Once you’ve gotten into the habit of staying within a self-created comfortable space, it’s [...]

This is About Me

I was at a park when my niece was three or four and she asked me to play in the sand with her. There was some reason that I didn’t want to do it, which I told her. Her response was, “This isn’t about you Aunt Kerrie.” I hear her little voice in my head [...]

Chronic Headache Increases Women’s Depression Risk

In a recent study of more than 1,000 women with headache, those with chronic headache were four times more likely to report symptoms of major depression than women whose headaches are episodic. Chronic headache sufferers were also three times more likely to report other headache-related symptoms, such as low energy, trouble sleeping and dizziness. I’m [...]

Grand Rounds at DrJohnLaPuma Healthy News

This week’s Grand Rounds is up at DrJohnLaPuma Healthy News. Not familiar with this blog carnival? It’s a weekly glimpse into the medical blogosphere. You can find the Grand Rounds archives on Blogborygmi.