Migraine Facts
Originally posted on May 17, 2014 by Angela A. Stanton, Ph.D.
Revised on March 2, 2019 by Angela A. Stanton, Ph.D.
I posted this note in my FB migraine group, so you are all aware of a few important things when you start your recovery from migraines. Some of these points assume you are familiar with the book I am talking about so if you are not, please consider reading “Fighting The Migraine Epidemic: A Complete Guide: How To Treat & Prevent Migraines Without Medicine” (available e-book and paperback)
Assuming you read the book, please make sure you follow these guidelines:
The Stanton Migraine Protocol® is not a one-stop pop-a-solution process. It is a protocol with many steps that takes time to help your body recover. It is not a one-time approach but a life-time process of your lifestyle.
Salting??
Although many blogs and posts by others call what we do “salting”, it is based on an incorrect observation, trying to mock the Protocol. While the increased consumption of salt is essential, it is not “just” salt and not without reason. You need to understand what you do and why. Many people dislike the taste of salt and choose salt capsules (I do) or salt pickles or olives instead.
Do not expect to get cured from a single pickle. When you start your recovery process, it is your body that heals itself from the proper essential minerals and nothing is instantaneous. This is not a pill solution. Think of it like a broken bone. It takes the body 6 weeks to heal a broken bone. It takes the body time to heal the brain as well only the process is invisible.
The Protocol is for the rest of your life! Don’t worry, it becomes second nature within a very short time.
Water & Edema
Some of my migraineurs noted that they “gain weight” as a result of drinking water. Our bodies are over 60% water so if one gains weight overnight, such as a couple of pounds, that means you ended up with edema! If you have always only drank 4-5 glasses of water a day and now you drink 8-9, the weight you gained is expected. You are now at the weight you would have to be.
Foods that increase your water-edema: sugar, sugar substitutes, and all carbohydrates, complex, processed, high fiber, and low fiber. Why so is explained in the book.
A word about exercise: contrary to popular belief, exercise does not make you lose weight (read the book Fat Chance: Beating the Odds Against Sugar, Processed Food, Obesity, and Disease or “Why We Get Fat: And What to Do About It” or similar others). Exercise is important for other reasons.
- Exercise uses protein to build muscle tissues that are actually heavier than fat so working out will make you weigh more even if you now fit into a dress size half of what you used to fit into; weight is not a good measure of fitness or health.
- Exercise allows your body to burn off excess fuel. Our possible fuels are glucose and fatty acids. You can burn both given the proper metabolic process
- Exercise increases the number of mitochondria per cell: most cells in our body have “mitochondria” which is a kind of bacteria that long time ago has become symbiotic with our cells. It converts the food we eat into energy for the cells and for our body in general. Exercise promotes the creation of new mitochondria in your cells, thereby increasing the energy-burning ability of the cells.
I hope these help answer some of the questions. Please feel free to post comments or questions and join our Facebook discussions linked above.
Angela
Clueless Doctors & Scientists 
Something is missing in the article. I didn’t see the connection between the info given and the conclusion where you state “So do not go on weight loss plan under any condition, particularly not if you have migraines”. Is this intended to mean an “exercise weight loss plan”?
Why is weight loss detrimental to migraines? Or is it the water loss from exercise that you are referring to?
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Thanks for your question Daisy. I will re-read the article and see where the connection is missing.
What that statement actually refers to is the imbalance of salt and potassium but I wrote this article 5 years ago so some of it is probably also outdated. I will rewrite the article once on the PC and likely post it as a new article instead of this one. 🙂 You will get a way better understanding of the problem there.
So please look for an article on this by tomorrow the latest. Thanks!
Angela
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Daisy, I also could not see any connection. Not quite sure what I had in mind 5 years ago. I rewrote the article, changed the links–like the book it liked to is no longer up for sale. Now the 2nd edition is. Please join our Facebook group to learn more.
Angela
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Moongazer this answer came lout really narrow.. lol.. so much for WordPress style. Here is my comment in a form you can actually read it:
“Oh no Moongazer, you misunderstood. By “one” meant that they took samples of a population of “one type”–FM–and another type–non FM. Not one person but one group and each person in that particular “one group” had a tiny piece of the skin removed. 🙂 “
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Interesting as with FM our cells burn the wrong type of fuel but exercise is so damned difficult with fm
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It is not yet clear what FM cells do or do not do but it is clear that it is a Central Nervous System problem that becomes a Peripheral Nervous System pain. I had a couple of FM patients go on the migraine ionic balancing protocol and they responded extremely well. I suspect that it has the basic foundation as migraine and seizures do. Lots of articles I just linked you to on the comment on migraines you made under the Ambien article. If you read those, you will see the connection.
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There is evidence now. There is a link on my blog to the recent discovery of the pathology of FM.
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Do you mean to tender points article? I am familiar with the original research where they took samples of the skin of a person with FM and one without FM and discovered that all the receptors were burned up by the FM subject except for one. That one carried all the pain signals as opposed to the many in a healthy person. Thus one nerve carrying a HUGE pain signal does not get dampened by the inhibitor at the connection of the peripheral nerve to the central nerves and the pain will head up to the brain. The question is why the nerves burned up the first place and I think the answer lies in something as simple as a childhood infection–I had a survey in a very large FM group and nearly everyone had Mono or similarly unlikely disease as a young child. Most people I know who had no Mono or similar do not have FM but those who had some exotic illnesses like this do have them. It seems that there is a pathogenic start to the damage that then continues with lack of proper ionic balance of the micro and macro nutrients the nerves need to function.
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I’m sorry, I’m on my phone and cant read all your comment. Not the tender points post – its further back but in the Fibromyalgia category.
I also saw an ‘explanation’ of the ‘venule’ findings that likened the processes involved to an engine working with a faulty thermostat. That gave a good explanation of the fm muscle cells using the ‘wrong fuel’. Sorry i cant be more precise.
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Oh OK, I will look further down.
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I am back already at the start of 2013 and still cannot find the article Moongazer. Do you remember the title? Or can you send the link?
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The post is called “A Better Explanation of Fibromyalgia Pain” and was posted on 2nd december 2014.
The link to the article is near the bottom
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I found it. I found this earlier too but you said it was something other than skin receptors.. it is about skin receptors. It explains how without inhibition at the connection of the peripheral and the central the pain gets amplified (this means it gets to the pain; without amplification it is dampened and it goes nowhere). So this is what I was explaining earlier giving more detailed information about how and why the nerve signals to the brain. You can see the first ouch at the toe, the peripheral nerve. The second ouch is at the spinal cord–that is where it connects to the central nervous system, and the last ouch is in the brain where the pain registers. It is exactly what I wrote earlier. 🙂
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You said earlier that the study was from ONE person with FM and ONE person without FM. i was pointing out that the evidence has been gained from a larger study.
My understanding is that the effects of these extra venules is on the blood supply, and ultimately the energy burned in the cells.
If I have mixed two studies up, I apologise.
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Oh no Moongazer, you misunderstood. By “one” meant that they took samples of a population of “one type”–FM–and another type–non FM. Not one person but one group and each person in that particular “one group” had a tiny piece of the skin removed. 🙂
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Hi – enjoyed skimming this post – and I read it even though I do not get migraines – and thank the good Lord for that! and well, I still think that anyone with ANY health issue – still need to consider parasite cleansing as well.
Okay, just had to add that in.
But I really like what you added about the mitochondria from exercise. Never heard it put that way before and it makes sense. Exercise also oxygenates the blood – and whew – and strengthens the bones (the pounding) but I think some people forget that too much exercise also poses some risks (just read an another blog about the dangers of running marathons too often) anyhow, also wanted to say that ilk – who wants to look like a model – well I Know many people do – but gosh, the underfed – all bone look is not really ideal for moi. ! ha! but it does not feel nice to have clothes fit loosely and to move in shape – because being “fit” has so many little perks, ya know.
okay, hope you are having a nice weekend – and best wishes with your book writing – 🙂
~yvette
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one more quick note – came across someone today who was injured by a mistake during a surgery – and told her about your blog – and will link them later – whew –
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You know that mitochondria also hit me by surprise; I totally forgot what their job was.. it is so easy to forget what one learns when at that time it is on little importance. But it is in the book Fat Chance by Robert H. Lustig I am reading and it made me remember of its importance! Running, in general, is actually really bad for you–even small runs. I hurt my back by running! It is only walking now.. glad I can do it… as for being “fit” the Fat Chance book has some interesting comments on that! Weight is cultural! What may be normal for a Chinese, for example, would be sickly for a European, and deadly for an African American… One needs to eat for health as per culture and not as per the stupid boyish magazines with ugly bones sticking out wearing the most bizarre and idiotic clothes.
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