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[JamesTuns]

Hi all,

So I wanted to express my story about migraines. The few months have been pretty difficult for me as I have gone from being extremely healthy to being pretty ill this is because of going to the gym. I injured myself at the gym; back injury by which I was seen by a Physio. He examined me and said that I had a curved spine and muscle issues.

More importantly that my spine was curved, he said I should try and sort the problem by adjusting my posture. As a result of this I've been getting headaches now and then whenever I try to sit up exactly straight, however intermittent, they are still quite annoying and seem to have gotten better as time as gone on. But I have been suffering from a kind of fuzzy vision and aching behind my eyes or whenever I try and stare, presumably this is as a result of me fixing my spine. Luckily my physio said that I'm young and have a bit of growing to do and my Mother had a curved spine when she was around my age.

I'm just looking for some advice, or what you guys have done to block the pain to some extent if you have experienced similar issues. I have not used any antibiotics or ibeprofen as I simply think it makes me sleepy and I feel horrible about myself, so I try and avoid that. But I have found out that caffeine does not help the pain, too much of it can make my head ache, as it probably would with most people.

Thanks for reading, perhaps it isn't the most severe of migraines but it sure is annoying.

James.

[Juliapester3]

Hi James , sorry to hear you're suffering. Have you seen an osteopath? I know of a great headache clinic in Epsom which also does osteopathy. I,m seeing someone myself . If you're interested let me know.

In the meantime I would advise you to see your GP (if you havnt already) and get a migraine diagnosis so you have a starting point. If you don't like taking ibuprofen have you tried paracetamol or migraleve? These are OTC and although they donot get rid of a migraine they may take the edge off and if taken immediately when your migraine starts can be quite effective.

[JamesTuns in reply to Juliapester3]

Hiya Julia,

Nope, I have literally done nothing about it and just getting annoying now. I'm off to my physio on Tuesday and I presume they can recommend me a GP as mine is back at my home (I'm a student).

Unfortunately I'm in Yorkshire however I live in Reading which is relatively close to Epsom I guess. I have not tried paracetamol or migraleve but I think I should try it...

[Juliapester3 in reply to JamesTuns]

Hope you find some answers soon, I,m going to Cheyham Lodge in Epsom if you decide to give it a go. Hope things improve for you....

[Gambit62]

Not related necessarily to the pain but have you looked into Alexander technique - I found it very useful for sorting out issues around my neck - it's about aligning skeleton and muscles and might provide you with some help and ideas - there may be something around the university - there's a lot of philosophy that goes with it if you are into that sort of thing - which I wasn't at the time.

Yoga might also help - or Tai-Chi as they are all about being aware of what your body is doing.

On paracetamol - just a caveat - you really do need to adhere to the maximum dosages - though sounds like you would be careful about that anyway.

[ACritical in reply to Gambit62]

Alexander technique very good but you need to commit to it for at least 6/12 month to get the lasting benefit. I still use the technique when I get stressed and all my muscles in neck and upper back are killing me. Instant relief!

[teadrinker]

James, I've suffered from chronic pain & migraine for a long time, thanks to a curved spine. You might need to try out different physios or treatments for a bit before you find something that works for you. Simply being told to sit up straight isn't going to cure someone with a curved spine, you will need help in learning how to change your posture.

I dabbled with Alexander technique but couldn't commit to it, and as a student, I imagine that you can't afford to pay for expensive treatment for long. I've found basic fitness classes with a bit of dancing involved to be very helpful in improving my posture - not everyone's cup of tea though! You might also want to think about how you sit when you're working - people are now supposedly suffering from back & neck problems from using tablets and laptops. You can find diagrams of how to sit well on the internet (says I, writing this in a really bad slumped position on my laptop).

Please don't put off seeing a GP. You can register with one where you study - otherwise what are you going to do if you get ill? I thought migraine was just one of those things people put up with, but there is help out there, and the sooner you deal with it the better.

Good luck