Magnesium is one of the essential minerals and has implications for migraine and headache. The mineral also plays a role in blood sugar regulation, bone health, and cardiovascular health.
In studies, magnesium has been found to be deficient in individuals with migraines. For this reason, some migraineurs benefit from taking magnesium. Doing so may prevent migraines. The mineral has also been studied in migraine with aura and found to prevent abnormal brain wave signaling, called cortical spreading depression, which produces the sensory or visual symptoms associated with aura.
Magnesium may also be used as an effective rescue treatment for migraines refractory to other treatments.
It is difficult to obtain accurate levels of magnesium in the blood from standard blood testing and may require more expensive or difficult to obtain lab testing. For this reason, lab testing is not necessarily routinely done in most cases, and, instead, standard dosages are used for patients.
Magnesium is sold over-the-counter or available in medical-food grade supplements and may also be administered intravenously. It is often recommended in conjunction with other vitamins.
Before you start taking magnesium, talk to your healthcare provider to discuss what form, dosage, and route of administration is right for you. We administer IV magnesium at our Manhattan location and will administer at our new location in Brooklyn, Nervana Neurospa, starting next week.
By: Brooke Masilak, NP