Jan Patenaude, a registered dietician/nutritionist and certified LEAP (lifestyle, eating and performance) therapist who lives in Hawaii, has been a dietician since 1982. She has been using the LEAP protocol for 15 years. Patenaude said people can be susceptible to all sorts of triggers for migraines.Sometimes a person may be exposed to a variety of things that could trigger a migraine, but Patenaude said until those triggers reach a certain threshold, nothing happens. When the threshold is met, the migraine starts. Put them together, and food sensitivities, stress, changes in weather, poor eating habits, dehydration, allergies, etc., can lead to a migraine.Patenaude said this threshold-type migraine is often why people are not able to properly identify their triggers. However, a patented test created by Oxford Biomedical Technologies, called a Mediator Release Test, can help narrow down specific food triggers, so someone can avoid or eliminate them from their diet, Patenaude said. ìYou are playing diet detective and food sleuth,î she said.Combining the results of the MRT with the LEAP protocol, which tests 120 foods and 30 chemicals to see what might be a trigger, along with a personís clinical history, Patenaude said she uses that information to create an elimination diet. The MRT, LEAP protocol and clinical history are important to consider together because a LEAP therapist can customize an elimination diet for each person, Patenaude said.ìI expect improvement in 98 percent of my clients that follow the protocol, maybe not 100 percent improvement, but improvement nonetheless,î she said.Patenaude said triggers are specific to each person and can change over time, but some common migraine-related triggers are soy, corn, wheat, dairy, cocoa, aged cheese, red wines and caffeine.Massage therapyRenee Deichman, a licensed massage therapist practicing in Colorado Springs for 10 years, said massage is a great alternative treatment for migraines, when possible.†ìThe thing about massage therapy is that if you already have a migraine, you probably will not get rid of it,î Deichman said. ìI generally will not even touch them (clients) if they are in the middle of one. I would usually want the migraine to calm down before I touch them because you release a lot of toxins into the body with massage, and that can make a migraine last longer.îShe said she often recommends diffusing an essential oil into the air as an alternative to a massage. If the oil is effective but the odor is irritating, the oil can be rubbed on the bottom of the feet, allowing the healing properties to more quickly hit the nervous system. †Clients who feel a migraine coming on or want to get rid of an average headache are good candidates for massage therapy, Deichman said. ìI will generally start by pulling at the base of their skull,î she said. ìI focus on the back of the head because that is usually where you start to feel the migraine, on either side of the planes of your skull. Whatever side you feel the migraine on, I start with the other side because once that side lets go, the other side can let go better.î†ìDigestion issues, lack of sleep, not exercising regularly, not hydrating properly ó those things can all cause migraines,î Deichman said.†A personal account of oilsJessica Smith, a stay-at-home mom in North Carolina, said she has used the dōTERRA brand of essential oils for migraines for the past two years. ìPeppermint is great for headaches … I tried that first,î she said.She also touts Deep Blue, which is a blend of peppermint, blue tansy flower, blue chamomile flower oil, helichrysum, wintergreen and camphor bark oil. The oil is effective for migraines when applied to the temples, across the forehead, behind the ears or on the back of the neck, Smith said.She also mentioned two other oils: Aroma Touch, a blend of cypress, peppermint, marjoram, basil, grapefruit and lavender and Motivate, a blend of peppermint, clementine, coriander, basil, Melissa, rosemary and vanilla bean.Aside from the physical benefits of the oils, Smith said the other benefit is that the cost compared to a migraine medication is significantly less. ìEssential oils come out to pennies per drop of oil,î she said. ìA 15 milliliter bottle of peppermint, for example, at the wholesale cost if you are a DōTerra member is $20.50, and there are roughly 250 drops per bottle. Plus, the wonderful thing about oils is there is no expiration date. All you need is one drop and it goes a long way.î
