Customer Reviews

The Migraine Brain: Your Breakthrough Guide to Fewer Headaches, Better Health

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3 star:		(2)
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From: www.BasilAndSpice.com

Book Review: The Migraine Brain: Your Breakthrough Guide to Fewer Headaches, Better Health (Free Press, 2008)

By Carolyn Bernstein, M.D. and Elaine McArdle

With the publishing of The Migraine Brain, a precedent has been set for better prevention and treatment of migraine patients. Written by Carolyn Bernstein, herself a migraine sufferer, but also the Founder and Director of the Women's Headache Center at Cambridge Health Alliance, Dr. Bernstein empathizes with those who are struck down by the mind-numbing pain of migraines.

Dr. Bernstein refers to those with the headaches as migraineurs, and as a neurologist on the faculty at Harvard Medical School, she has treated thousands of fellow sufferers.

The Migraine Brain seeks to express to readers how to:

* Prevent migraines
* Find their triggers
* Reduce pain and duration of the migraine
* Understand her/his own brain

Bernstein's Points to ponder:

* One in every four households in the United States includes a person who get migraines. It is the ninth leading cause of disability among women, and is also one of the most painful conditions. Some women quoted in the book said that natural childbirth was easier than a migraine.
* Migraine costs the United States $1 billion a year in health costs and about $13 billion in loss of industry.
* Most migraine sufferers do not realize they have the condition as it is often misdiagnosed or underreported.
* Within the last 15 years, new medications have revolutionized migraine treatment.
* Alternative medical treatment, like yoga, ice massage, acupuncture, and biofeedback has been found to help.
* Even the famous get migraines. Recognize any of these? Terrell Davis, Troy Aikman, Serena Williams, Kareem Abdul-Jabar, Ben Affleck, Whoopi Goldberg, Carly Simon
* Foods like chocolate and red wine do not begin migraines, rather for some, foods set off abnormal brain chemistry, which begins the migraine.
* At a 3 to 1 ration, more women than men get migraines due to a difference in our brains. 1 in 20 elementary school children get migraines.
* Those with migraines are more likely to be depressed.

The Migraine Brain is divided into three large sections, each covering a different aspect of the migraine. Part one helps the reader decide if hers is a true migraine, learn how to find anything that triggers the condition ( Dr. Bernstein lists her own top ten), and covers how female hormones play a part throughout life. There is also a short but important section for men.

Part two discusses how to find the right physician to help you; explains the variety of medications--those that prevent, abort, and rescue; mentions in-hospital treatment; covers recent natural alternative methods for migraine relief.

Part three helps the reader set up her personal wellness plan. Topics covered are family, sex, mental health, travel, home environment, and work.

The Migraine Brain is the kind of book I really like, because it is written by a doctor who is also a researcher, but more important than this, she is a self-advocate--Dr. Carolyn Bernstein truly understands the disease. We all know someone who suffers, sometimes needlessly because of lack of information. By reaching out to both her patients and other readers, Dr. Bernstein has handed them a tool which will empower their lives. I highly recommend The Migraine Brain, and will pass my copy along to my aunt who has suffered her entire life with migraines.

5 Stars

I have had migraine since I was 12 and I am 34, that is 22 years of migraine. I get about 2-3 a week. So you'd think I'd know a lot about migraine. Not until I read this book!

After all this time, I have never had a Dr explain what happens when you get a migraine. Or why some medicines work for some people and not for others. After reading this book I look at my migraines in a different way and I have taken new steps using advice from the author to try to reduce the number of migraines I get.

I love this book and have been recommending it to everyone who has migraine!

As a long-time migraine sufferer, I would highly recommend this book. Some of the book treads on basic ground, but the author's manner of talking about migraines & her emphasis on the fact that it's a "whole body" phenomenon is very refreshing. And, it's not one of those hokey, useless books that tries to tell you, "Do x, and your migraines will disappear" (ha! Oh, if I had a penny for every book that purports to give a silver bullet to us migraine sufferers....!!). The book emphasizes the need for a holistic (that is, comprehensive) approach to migraine management -- what we can do to support our overall health in order to mitigate or lessen the impact of migraines on our lives -- and offers some practical strategies for living with migraines (e.g., how to increase your family's understanding of the disease and how it affects our functioning). And, I found her review of various therapies (medical and "alternative") very instructive. It's a well-researched, solid book from a highly-credentialied physician, and I would highly recommend it. Also, the author is a migraine sufferer, so she "gets it."

i have suffered with migraines since the age of 5. i have read lots of books and pulled lots of research, but when i happened upon this book...i had no idea how much it would change my life. this book is a great compilation of all the info you will ever need to start to change your migraine status. the migraine brain is the best book ever and the language used will put everything into perspective for anyone who reads it. you will never have to read any other materials on migraine and you should definitely get this book if you or someone you know suffers with migraines. the book has all the reference materials you need and all the information you need to get the help you require from your friends, family and doctors. this book is the GREATEST BOOK EVER.

This book made a big difference in my life. I've had migraines for about 7 years, since the end of high school. In all that time, I haven't found any other resources that are as compassionate and empathetic as this book. Dr. Bernstein tells you early on that she's a migraine sufferer, and you can tell that she really understands your pain. For that alone, I'm thankful.

The basic message of the book is that your migraines aren't your fault -- they're symptoms of a neurological disease, and you deserve the same treatment as anyone else with that type of illness. She engages the reader in thoughtful discussion about both medicinal and non-medicinal approaches to migraine treatment (eg. she talks at length about biofeedback training and yoga). My experience with the first headache specialist I saw is that he tried to just drug me up without listening to my concerns; in contrast, Dr. Bernstein clearly respects individual patients' attitudes toward medicine, and presents lots of non-drug headache management strategies. While much of the material in the book was not new to me (eg. don't skip meals during the day, or you'll get a migraine), it's a comprehensive synthesis of current medical knowledge within an empathetic framework.

I am so thankful for this book. I've had migraines for 10 years now. Started in my 30's. My first MD was stingy with the abortive meds and didn't even discuss preventative meds. It took me years after finding a new doctor to actually take an abortive med at the START of a migraine and get my day back instead of counting how many I had left. Now if insurance or my head would understand that the set milligrams amount per month doesn't always cut it. Anyway, I do recommend the book. I found triggers I didn't think I had. Some are avoidable and that is a big plus. I had no idea there was so many kinds of migraines. I have had so many people, doctors included that as a female that my migraines will probably subside when I go thru menopause. One when your in your 30's that's not comforting and two that is not everyone's problem. I do wish the book would've discussed the obvious link to your thyroid and migraines. I am not alone in finding when my thyroid is high or low my migraines are worse. That is my only negative. It was the kick in the butt for me to finally use a calendar and write what I ate or did instead of just circling the days one hit.

I've suffered from headaches my entire life, but it wasn't until two weeks ago when I had a severe migraine (aura, loss of words, inability to walk, vomiting, excruciating headache) that I realized that my headaches were most likely migraines. After doing some research on-line and on Amazon, I ordered this book based on the positive reviews, and am very glad I did.

The author provides excellent information about all aspects of migraines: explaining what migraines are, determining if in fact your headache is a migraine, determining your triggers, looking for solutions/treatments, and asking questions of your doctor or neurologist.

While it is true (as another reviewer noted) that you can find much of this information on-line, I'd rather have all of the information in one place. On top of that, this book definitely seems to have the most up-to-date, current research about migraines and their treatment.

After reading this book, I realized that the "sinus" and "tension" headaches I've been getting since I was a young girl have most likely been migraines, and I now have a plan of action for dealing with them. Armed with the knowledge from this book, I am seeking treatment to keep my headaches under control.

This is truly the most comprehensive book about migraines I have ever seen. Finally, a doctor who dispels the myth that migraine is a type of headache. It is not! "Migraine is a complex neurological disease that affects your central nervous system", the author states, and headache is just one of its many symptoms. Dr. Bernstein not only gives excellent, detailed information about migraines and the various treatments available, but also gives the reader straight-forward recommendations on how to reduce the frequency & intensity of migraines, how to prevent them, and how to recover from them more quickly. Since everyone who suffers from migraines has a distinctive "migraine brain", She provides step-by-step guidelines for developing your own personal wellness plan. In the appendix, she provides excellent forms to use for this purpose. I can't say enough good things about this book! I took it with me to my last doctor's appointment and she was so impressed, she immediately ordered her own copy. If you or someone you love suffers from migraines, I know you will benefit from reading this book.

But plenty of common-sense suggestions for identifying triggers and ideas for treatment. Most migraine sufferers should be able to take away something from this book.

As a long-time migraine sufferer, this book was wonderful in helping me understand my migraines and how I can deal with them. This book should also be read by those who live with and/or work with people who suffer with migraines because it would help them better understand what migraine people experience.