Does Magnesium Decrease Migraines? (Essay Sample)

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Does Magnesium Decrease Migraines?
Most people describe it as a throbbing and debilitating pain that makes it almost impossible to carry out normal day to day tasks. Migraine headaches makes taking a shower hurt, listening to music unbearable, shaking the head impossible and, some patients even claim that thinking becomes impossible. Until recently, the only treatment to these throbbing headaches was aspirin. Although clinical researched managed to come up with strong drugs that could stop migraines before they started, the drugs had serious side effects to individuals that were at risk of developing heart disease, and if they were not taken the first hour after the pain began, they could not help much (Friedman & Grosberg 71). Such failures led to the need for newer approaches that would be used in taming this painful condition, which led to the current focus in preventing migraines rather than treating it. Although magnesium is one of the therapies that is being considered as an important method in migraine treatment and prevention, studies on the effectiveness of using magnesium for migraine headaches is limited.
According to Friedman and Grosberg (2009), more than thirty seven million Americans suffer firm migraines. This condition affects more than one woman in every four, and is considered as a major cause of work absenteeism in the United States. Yet, despite this startling number, fewer than one half of the patients suffering from these painful experiences receive proper care for their condition (Freidman & Grosberg 72). In part, this staggering discrepancy may be attributed to inadequacy in available migraine resources, but can also be attributed to migraines being commonly mistaken as simple tension or sinus headaches that will eventually go away.
However, the use of magnesium in treating migraines is founded on the root cause of migraines. Whenever a migraine occurs, the brain stem that serves as a juncture between the brain and the spinal cord is mistakenly triggered to send a number of impulses to the meninges, which refer to the connective tissues around the brain. These confused signals result in the release of several chemicals, including neurokinin A, substance P and calcitonin gene-related peptide that spill into the meningeal tissues and dilate the local blood vessels. This creates a ruinous and inflammatory reaction that is registered in the brain as overwhelming pain (Sun-Edelstein & Mauskop 380).
Image: Development of a migraine. http://conditions.healthgrove.com/I/1167/Migraine
Given that migraines are as a result of an inflammatory reaction, the use of magnesium, which is a strong anti-inflammatory agent leads to a decrease in migraines. Taking magnesium allows the blood vessels to relax and to dilate, which goes a long way in reducing the constrictions and spasms that bring about migraines. Magnesium also regulates the actions of inflammatory substances and neurotransmitters in the brain which, when unbalanced, play a role in the rise of migraines (Teigen & Boes 920). As an important mineral substance in the body, magnesium prevents excess platelet aggregation and prevents the formation of tiny blood clots that could easily block blood vessels in the brain and cause pain. Further, magnesium relaxes the muscles and inhibits the buildup of lactic acid whose combination with muscle tension can result in exacerbated head pain. Although magnesium therapy is regarded as a hi...