Light therapy has brought a new treatment for people living with depression, but it has been found to be useful in the treatment of migraine headaches. Migraine headaches effect about 15% the world's population.
A new study found that exposing migraine sufferers to a narrow band of green light can significantly reduce photophobia and headache severity. Photophobia refers to the light sensitivity experienced during a headache.
The research studied the effects of red, green and blue light and measured the magnitude of the electrical signals generated by the retina and the cortex during the response to each color.
Blue and red colored lights were found to generate the largest signals and green light generated the smallest. The neurons in the thalamus send the information about the light from the eye to the cortex and the lack of response to the green light offers some explanation as to why it works favorably.
Another "green" treatment option is medical marijuana. Medical marijuana also offers a promising way to manage chronic migraines. Researchers found that the monthly occurrence of migraine headaches significantly decreased with medical marijuana use. Further studies will be conducted to narrow down which strains and doses are best to alleviate migraine headache frequency.
Medical Marijuana vaporization is legal in New York and smoking is not.
Keep up with our recent blogs about Medical Marijuana to learn more about the process of being referred. Call (914) 325-1664 or 845 358-8385 or email janiszen@drgyn.us