Putting Our Heads Together

"If you are a headache or migraine sufferer this book is a must; if you are touched by a sufferer, giving this book would be as good a gift as you will ever find."

-- Fred Sheftell,
Director and Founder, New England Center for Headache

LIVING WELL WITH
MIGRAINE DISEASE & HEADACHES
What Your Doctor Doesn’t Tell You…That You Need to Know

TERI ROBERT

They’ve got nothing to do with being high-strung, uptight, or brainy. And, as sufferers know, they’re no laughing matter. Headaches can be serious, and Migraine disease is an excruciating, debilitating illness. Even worse, they are surprisingly common. Consider:

• Nearly 200 million Americans suffer from tension-type headaches.
  
• Nearly 33 million Americans suffer from Migraine, a genetic neurological disease. That’s more than the 32 million sufferers of asthma, diabetes, and coronary heart disease combined.
  
• Collectively, the nation’s Migraine sufferers spend about 112 million bedridden days and lose at least 157 million workdays each year.
  

These are just a few of the painful realities uncovered by Teri Robert, a Migraine sufferer for over forty years—she had her first attack at age six—and an award-winning patient advocate. In LIVING WELL WITH MIGRAINE DISEASE & HEADACHES: What Your Doctor Doesn’t Tell You…That You Need to Know (Collins; November 2005; $14.95), she presents a holistic and empowering approach to managing the pain. While offering insights into treatment advances, she shares numerous patient cases to illustrate a crucial fact: head pain is unique to every person. Speaking from a wealth of frustrating experience, Robert also urges sufferers to refuse to take “no relief” for an answer and become an active participant on their own healthcare team.

LIVING WELL WITH MIGRAINE DISEASE & HEADACHES begins with a discussion of types of head pain disorders and the importance of an accurate diagnosis. Robert explains why Migraines are not “just bad headaches,” and alerts sufferers to common warning signs—from food cravings to stiff neck—of an attack. Chapters move on to the subject of relief, offering sensitive, expert, and completely unbiased advice on:

• Finding the right doctor, with a list of questions to ask a headache “specialist”
  
• Identifying headache and Migraine triggers—bright light, lack of sleep, stress, and certain foods among the possibilities—and avoiding or reducing them
  
• Preventive therapies, with a look at the potential benefits of antihistamines, antidepressants, blood pressure meds, and dietary supplements—and the potential dangers of over-the-counter analgesics, like ibuprofen and acetaminophen
  
• The use of triptans and other abortive drugs that work to stop a Migraine attack
  
• Complementary therapies, with a look at the healing claims of aromatherapy, acupuncture, biofeedback, crystal therapy, massage, and meditation
  

LIVING WELL WITH MIGRAINE DISEASE & HEADACHES culminates with guidance on developing a support system, helping co-workers and loved ones understand the seriousness of head pain, and dealing with insurance providers. With checklists, worksheets, and summaries of key points throughout, plus a glossary of medical terms and a detailed resource section, this user-friendly and encouraging book can make life not only livable but full and enjoyable, despite the headaches and migraine attacks.

About the Author
TERI ROBERT is a health writer and patient advocate. In 2004, she received the National Headache Foundation’s “Patient Partner Award.” The About.com “Guide” for Headaches and Migraine, she also serves as the support advisor for MAGNUM, the National Migraine Association. She lives in West Virginia and welcomes visitors to her Web site, www.HelpForHeadaches.com.

LIVING WELL WITH MIGRAINE DISEASE & HEADACHES
What Your Doctor Doesn’t Tell You…That You Need to Know
by Teri Robert
November 2005
Trade Paperback; $14.95 / $19.95 Can.
ISBN: 0-06-076685-9
Collins, An Imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers