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Michigan Headache Inst leads way with migraine research

Wednesday, February 03, 2010

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Ann Arbor

If your head hurts, you probably should check in with the people at the Michigan Headache and Neurological Institute. Even The New York Times knows that.

Excerpt:

Migraines may be right up there with root canals and childbirth as one of life�s more painful experiences. But unlike childbirth or dental surgery � which can be dulled with standard pain medications � migraines are notoriously tricky to treat.

Those who suffer from these disabling headaches often try a dozen or so medications before they find something that works. What�s more, many migraines do not get properly diagnosed, according to the doctors and researchers I spoke with. That can lead to a lot of extra pain � and expense � for the afflicted.

A reason migraines are so maddeningly elusive is that they are not simply bad headaches. They stem from a genetic disorder (yes, you have your parents to blame) that afflicts 36 million Americans and manifests as a group of symptoms that besides head pain may include dizziness, visual disturbances, numbness and nausea.

Some of the symptoms resemble those from other disorders, like sinus headaches, epilepsy, eye problems or even strokes. And to further complicate matters, sufferers react in varied ways to medications.

�What might be a miracle drug for one person could be a dud for another,� explained Dr. Joel Saper, director of the Michigan Headache and Neurological Institute, a treatment and research center in Ann Arbor. �There is no universally effective therapy.�

Read the rest of the story here.