IF YOU'RE A MIGRAINE SUFFERER THEN YOU KNOW HOW UNBEARABLE LIFE CAN SOMETIMES BE. MIGRAINE
AND HEADACHE DISORDERS CAN SOMETIMES BE DEVESTATING FOR A PERSON, NOT ONLY PHYSICALLY BUT EMOTIONALLY
AS WELL. THIS MORNING, WE'RE GONNA TALK MORE ABOUT WHAT CAUSES MIGRAINES AND WHAT TREATMENTS
ARE OUT THERE TODAY, AND HOW YOU CAN IMPROVE YOUR QUALITY OF LIFE. JOINING ME THIS MORNING
TO DISCUSS THIS IMPORTANT TOPIC IS DR. RALPH MENARD, BOARD-CERTIFIED ANESTHESIOLOGIST WITH
A SUBSPECIALTY IN PAIN MEDICINE, GREG LEWIS, THE DIRECTOR OF ADVANCED MIGRAINE RELIEF,
AND JENNY BRUNER, WHO HAS SUFFERED FROM CHRONIC MIGRAINES FOR 7 YEARS. GOOD MORNING TO ALL
OF YOU. (IN UNISON) GOOD MORNING.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE. BEFORE WE GET STARTED, I HAVE A FEW STATISTICS I'D LIKE
TO SHARE WITH YOU, AND DOCTOR, I'D LIKE YOU TO CHIME IN ON THESE IF YOU MAY. MORE THAN
37 MILLION PEOPLE SUFFER FROM MIGRAINES. WOW! AND THAT'S 10% OF THE POPULATION OF THE UNITED
STATES ALONE. NOT COUNTING THE WORLD. THAT'S JUST THE UNITED STATES. AND AS YOU MAY HAVE
MENTIONED, 75% OF THOSE ARE WOMEN. WHICH LEADS ME TO #2. LISTEN TO THIS. 3 OUT
OF 4 MIGRAINE SUFFERERS ARE WOMEN, USUALLY BETWEEN THE AGES OF 20 AND 45. WOMEN WHO SUFFER
FROM MIGRAINES ALSO TEND TO REPORT MIGRAINES THAT ARE MUCH MORE PAINFUL AND WITH WORSE
SYMPTOMS, INCLUDING NAUSEA AND VOMITING. THAT'S ALARMING!
IT IS. IT IS. BECAUSE THOSE KIND OF THINGS, THEY DISRUPT YOUR DAY. YOU CAN'T WORK IF YOU'RE
NAUSEATED AND VOMITING. YOU SPEND ALL YOUR TIME ON THE TOILET.
UGH IT'S TRUE! YEAH.
AND YOU CAN'T EVEN FUNCTION, AND JENNY, I KNOW THAT IS SOMETHING THAT YOU'VE LIVED THROUGH.
TELL ME YOUR PERSONAL STORY. IT STARTED IN 2007, AND ONE DAY, FOR WHATEVER
REASON, I WOKE UP WITH A MIGRAINE AND IT JUST NEVER WENT AWAY. SO WE HAD TO FIGURE OUT WHAT
WAS GOING ON AND AFTER USING MULTIPLE MEDICATIONS AND TRYING ACUPUNCTURE AND INJECTIONS AND
WHATNOT, WE FINALLY FOUND--. MASSAGE.
--AND MASSAGES, YES. WE FINALLY FOUND THE NEUROSTIMULATOR.
AND THANK GOODNESS, BECAUSE MY BEST FRIEND SUFFERS FROM MIGRAINES AND SHE'LL TELL...AND
I CAN'T RELATE, SHE'LL TELL ME, "OLGA, IT PARALYZES ME." HOW IS IT AFFECT...HOW DID
IT AFFECT YOUR LIFE? I HAD TO GO DOWN ON MY HOURS AT WORK, WHICH
WAS VERY, VERY HARD, BECAUSE BEING A TEACHER--. OH.
--I LOVE THAT. AND SO IT WAS VERY HARD TO SAY GOODBYE TO SOME OF MY CLASSES. AND THEN
I HAD TO MOVE BACK HOME BECAUSE I WAS UNABLE TO PAY MY BILLS BECAUSE I WAS UNABLE TO WORK,
AND IT WAS VERY HARD BEING A YOUNG, IN YOUR LATE 20s, TYPE OF PERSON AND HAVING TO GO
BACK AND RELY ON MOM AND DAD. AND DOCTOR, I KNOW YOU CAN RELATE 'CAUSE YOU
SUFFER FROM MIGRAINES. I DO. YES. 13 YEARS OLD WAS MY FIRST MIGRAINE.
AND THEN RECENTLY, WENT HOME, HAD ONE OF THOSE BAD MIGRAINES WHERE YOU CAN'T THINK, AND SO
I WAS TRYING TO PUSH IN THE ALARM CODE BUTTONS, I GOT THE NUMBERS RIGHT BUT I COULDN'T GET
THE ORDER RIGHT, AND FINALLY THEY HAD TO CALL ME UP AND ASK ME WHAT MY PASSWORD WAS.
YOU COULDN'T EVEN DO THAT! I...NO!
AND GREG, LET ME READ THIS STATISTIC AND I'D LIKE YOU TO CHIME IN ON THIS. ACCORDING TO
THE MIGRAINE RESEARCH FOUNDATION, AMERICAN EMPLOYERS HAVE LOST MORE THAN 13 BILLION,
WITH A B, DOLLARS, RESULTING FROM 113 MILLION LOST WORK DAYS DUE TO MIGRAINES. WHAT AN IMPACT!
YEAH, IT'S A HUGE IMPACT. AND TO WHAT JENNY SAID EARLIER, IT AFFECTS YOUR...IT AFFECTS
YOUR FAMILY LIFE BECAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE THE COMPENSATION OR THE INCOME COMING IN FROM
THE JOB THAT YOU WANT TO HAVE BUT YOU JUST CAN'T FUNCTION. YOU CAN'T HAVE THE JOB DUE
TO THE LIGHTS IN THE OFFICE OR JUST THE ENVIRONMENT ITSELF. YOU CAN'T...YOU CAN'T FUNCTION. YOU
CAN'T GET THE JOB DONE. AND THE EMPLOYERS, UNFORTUNATELY, HAVE TO FIND SOMEBODY THAT
CAN. AND IT'S...IT'S A BIG PROBLEM. BUT WE GOT GREAT SOLUTIONS FOR PEOPLE OUT
THERE AND JENNY, I KNOW YOU HAVE A GREAT STORY, AND THINGS ARE MUCH BETTER FOR YOU, SO WHEN
WE COME BACK WE'RE GONNA TALK MORE ABOUT MIGRAINES, (MUSIC) WHAT CAUSES THEM, THE DIFFERENT KINDS
OF MIGRAINES, TREATMENTS, AND THE HEALTH OF THOSE LIVING WITH PAIN, SO STAY WITH US. THE
BALANCING ACT WILL BE RIGHT BACK. WELCOME BACK, EVERYONE. WE'VE BEEN TALKING
WITH DR. RALPH MENARD, GREG LEWIS, THE DIRECTOR OF ADVANCED MIGRAINE RELIEF, AND JENNY BRUNER,
WHO HAS BEEN LIVING WITH MIGRAINES FOR 7 YEARS. DOCTOR, TELL ME WHAT CAUSES MIGRAINES OR DO
WE KNOW? I WISH WE DID.
WE DON'T. I KNOW IT'S PART OF ACTIVATION OF ONE OF THE
MAJOR NERVES IN THE HEAD, BUT OTHER THAN THAT WE REALLY DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENS.
AND LET'S BE HONEST, WHEN ONE SAYS "MIGRAINE" AND ANOTHER SAYS "HEADACHE," I KNOW FOR A
FACT THEY'RE NOT THE SAME. NO, NO, NO, THEY'RE NOT THE SAME. A MIGRAINE
IS A TYPE OF HEADACHE, BUT THEY'RE NOT THE SAME. THEY CAN BE TREATED QUITE DIFFERENTLY.
EXACTLY. AND TREATMENTS FOR BOTH, AGAIN, TOTALLY DIFFERENT.
FOR THE MOST PART, YES. ALL RIGHT, SO WHEN IT COMES TO TREATMENTS,
GREG, WHAT OPTIONS ARE OUT THERE FOR PEOPLE WHO SAY, "HEY, I HAVE MIGRAINES, I'VE DONE
EVERYTHING. WHAT CAN I DO?" YEAH, THERE ARE A LOT OF OPTIONS, AND THAT'S
THE PROCESS THAT MOST MIGRAINERS, SUCH AS JENNY, GO THROUGH. THEY START OFF WITH MEDICAL
MANAGEMENT. THEY FIND A NEUROLOGIST THAT IS TREATING THE MEDICATION SIDE TO TRY TO FIND
SOMETHING THAT WILL RELIEVE THE MIGRAINE, AND A LOT OF PATIENTS WILL RESPOND TO THIS.
OVER TIME, IT MAY CHANGE, BUT A LOT OF PATIENTS RESPOND TO THAT.
ACTUALLY MOST PATIENTS RESPOND TO MEDICAL THERAPY.
OKAY. THERE'S CHIROPRACTIC MASSAGE. THERE'S ACCUPUNCTURE.
THERE'S BIO-FEEDBACK. WOW!
THERE'S ALL DIFFERENT TYPES THAT YOU LOOK TO A HOLISTIC APPROACH, ALL THE WAY TO SURGICAL
INTERVENTIONS, WHICH JENNY ENDED UP IN THE SURGICAL INTERVENTION WITH NEUROSTIMULATION.
BECAUSE SHE'S ONE OF THOSE UNFORTUNATE FEW THAT FAILED EVERYTHING. AT THE END, WHEN THEY
HAVE FAILED EVERYTHING--. MM HMM.
--THEN, WHAT WE DO IS WE PUT A LITTLE TINY WIRE OVER...THERE'S FOUR NERVES THAT CONTROL
HEADACHES. IT DOESN'T MATTER WHETHER YOU HAVE A MIGRAINE OR WHAT, BUT FOUR NERVES CONTROL
HEADACHES, AND IF WE CAN STIMULATE THOSE FOUR NERVES, WE CAN CONTROL THE HEADACHE.
I SEE. SO WE PUT A LITTLE WIRE OVER THE NERVE ON
THE FOREHEAD, ONE OVER EACH EYE, AND ONE OVER EACH SIDE OF THE BACK OF THE HEAD, AND HOOK
IT UP TO A BATTERY THAT'S ABOUT THE SIZE OF A PACEMAKER. IN FACT, IT IS A PACEMAKER, JUST
A DIFFERENT PROGRAM. AND ALL OF A SUDDEN, THEY HAVE THEIR LIFE BACK AGAIN.
AND I KNOW FOR A FACT, YOU'VE WITNESSED AMAZING STORIES OF PEOPLE JUST BURSTING OUT IN TEARS.
WELL, NOT THE PATIENT, WHICH IS THE FUNNY THING. RECENTLY I HAD A FAMILY IN THE WAITING
ROOM, WE TURNED THE STIMULATOR ON, HER HEADACHE WENT AWAY, THE HUSBAND STARTED CRYING.
OH, MY GOODNESS. THAT BRINGS TEARS TO MY EYES!
NO, THAT'S AMAZING. YES!
OKAY, AND WHEN YOU FAILED EVERYTHING, JENNY, AND YOU SOUGHT THIS TREATMENT, TELL ME HOW
IT CHANGED YOU. IT WAS AMAZING TO FINALLY HAVE SOMETHING THAT
WORKED. AND IT TOTALLY CHANGED MY LIFE. IT WAS...THERE WERE NO WORDS, ACTUALLY. (LAUGHTER).
AND GREG, WHAT A DIFFERENCE IT MAKES FOR SOMEONE THAT REALLY--LIKE MY BEST FRIEND--JENNY, YOU
KNOW, SHE'S LIVING WITH HER MOM AND DAD. SHE CAN'T BECOME THE TEACHER SHE WANTS TO BE,
AND SHAZAAM! NOW, SHE'S GOT HER LIFE BACK. IT'S JUST GOT TO BE SO REWARDING.
IT IS. IT...ESPECIALLY KNOWING JENNY AND HER FAMILY. IT'S JUST...YOU SEE IT AND YOU WANNA
CONTINUE THIS WITH OTHER PATIENTS AS BEST YOU CAN. AGAIN, IT'S A PROCESS. IT'S...THIS...WHAT
JENNY ENDED UP WITH, WITH NEUROSTIMULATION, ISN'T FOR EVERYBODY. AND THE GOAL, HONESTLY,
IS TO STOP SOMEWHERE BEFORE THAT. IT'S NICE TO KNOW THAT IT'S AVAILABLE THOUGH. THERE'S
DIFFERENT SURGICAL INTERVENTIONS, NEUROSTIMULATION BEING ONE OF THEM THAT GETS THE CONTROL. IT'S
NOT A CURE, IT'S A CONTROL MECHANISM. DOCTOR?
CORRECT. WE'RE NOT CURING THE PROBLEM. WHAT WE DO IS GET THEIR LIFE BACK, BECAUSE NOW,
THEY PUT CONTROL...THEY HAVE CONTROL OF THEIR HEADACHES.
AND IF ANYBODY WANTS INFORMATION ON MIGRAINES OR TREATMENT OPTIONS, GREG, WHERE WOULD THEY
GO? controlmymigraine.com. IT'S A PAGE THAT YOU
CAN GO TO, YOU CAN SET UP A ONE-ON-ONE APPOINTMENT, AND WHAT WE DO IS WE GET YOU IN THE PROCESS
AND WORK WITH YOU TO UNDERSTAND WHERE YOU'RE AT. THAT'S THE STARTING POINT. IT IS NOT...IT
IS NOT TRYING TO GET TO WHERE JENNY IS TODAY, BUT TO FIND OUT WHERE YOU'RE AT. IT'S A PROCESS
THAT ADVANCED MIGRAINE WORKS WITH YOU ON. AND I LIKE THAT. YOU FIND OUT WHERE THEY HAVE
BEEN, WHERE THEY'RE AT, AND WHERE THEY CAN GO.
YOU HAVE TO. AND I WANT TO END WITH YOU, JENNY. FOR ANYONE
OUT THERE THAT MAY THINK, "OKAY, REALLY? LIKE, I'VE HAD THEM FOR X AMOUNT OF YEARS." WHAT
WOULD YOU SAY? I WOULD SAY, GO TO THE WEBSITE AND...
...GET YOUR LIFE BACK? EXACTLY. (LAUGHTER) YES.
AND YOU DID. BECAUSE YOU CAN.
TEACHING FULL TIME, I'M ASSUMING! TEACHING FULL TIME. I GOT MARRIED, AND EVERYTHING
IS WONDERFUL NOW. YOU'RE NOT LIVING WITH MOM AND DAD NOW.
NO. (LAUGHTER). WELL, MORE IMPORTANT, SHE'S TEACHING LITTLE
KIDS. TWO YEAR OLDS! YES!
TWO YEAR OLDS. THE ONES THAT GIVE YOU...
(LAUGHTER). EXACTLY! EXACTLY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. (LAUGHTER).
I REMEMBER THE TERRIBLE TWOS. GOD BLESS ALL OF YOU AND, JENNY, I'M SO GLAD YOU GOT YOUR
LIFE BACK. THANK YOU.
AND IF YOU'D LIKE MORE INFORMATION ON THIS IMPORTANT MEDICAL ISSUE, PLEASE VISIT US AT
thebalancingact.com. THAT'S thebalancingact.com. OR SHARE WITH US YOUR THOUGHTS ON FACEBOOK
FORWARD SLASH thebalancingactfans.