Chronic cluster headaches and migraine
Migraine headache is defined as: severe periodic, unilateral, pulsatile headache, also cluster headache associated with nausea, sickness, vomiting and photophobia.
Factors that often precipitate attack are environmental triggers such as emotional stress, strenuous physical exercise, too much sleep or sleep deprivation, some foods (chocolate, aged cheese, nuts), alcohol (red wine), medical conditions and medications (anti-hypertensive drugs, contraceptive, nitroglycerin).
In the pathogenesis of migraine headaches, vascular and biochemical changes play important roles. The first phase is vasospasm accompanied by reduction in blood flow causing ischemia and edema of intracranial vessels, followed by the second phase of vasodilatation (extracranial vessels) with hyperemia (an increased amount of blood in a part or organ) and platelet aggregation that impairs microcirculation leading to pain.
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy has a significant role in the treatment of migraine and cluster headaches through several important mechanisms: increasing oxygenation and reducing inflammation and swelling. Repeated hyperbaric oxygen therapy for at least several weeks will improve microcirculation in the brain leading to long term pain relief, reduced platelet aggregation (blood clotting) and reduced migraine occurrence. Published clinical studies show that not only hyperbaric but also normobaric oxygen (breathing oxygen at normal pressure) will yield the relief (please link the Bennet study here).
At BaroMedical we offer you both: Hyperbaric and Normobaric Oxygen Therapy with medical grade oxygen for cluster headaches and migraine headaches, which is more effective and naturally healthier therapy than pain relieving drugs.
