I placed her on a program including supplemental Vitamin C, E and B Complex, together with beta carotene, magnesium, flaxseed oil and evening primrose oil, and asked her to keep a diary of her headaches. At a follow up appointment five weeks later, she indicated that for the first time in 30 years she was absolutely headache-free. She began feeling significantly better within three weeks after starting the program and by the fourth week her headaches were completely gone. She remains headache-free. The combination of flaxseed and evening primrose oil exerts a powerful anti-inflammatory effect by reducing the inflammation of blood vessels in the scalp.
Magnesium supplementation is beneficial as well, working with the oils to reduce inflammation.
I suspect that she was magnesium deficient because of the history of frequent swelling of the ankles and wrists. Like her headaches, that problem has not returned. Another dietary supplement which has received considerable recent attention is feverfew, a small, daisy-like flower used in migraine treatment and prevention for centuries. I have found this herb to be extremely helpful for many of my patients. In a recent study reviewed in the British Medical Journal , feverfew was found to reduce migraine frequency by more than half.