Some Migraines Linked to Childhood Abuse
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iStock/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — Many adult migraine sufferers could very well have been abused as children, says a new study out of the Montefiore Headache Center in New York City.
Study author Dawn Buse, an associate professor in clinical neurology, contends that physicians “should take childhood maltreatment into consideration” when they treat adults afflicted with these debilitating headaches.
Buse based her findings on a study of more than 10,000 people, the vast majority reporting migraines. Tension headaches, which include muscle tightness in the head, scalp or neck, were also taken into consideration.
According to her research, Buse found that nearly a quarter of migraine sufferers and more than two in 10 with tension headaches revealed they were the victims of emotional abuse before the age of 18.
Furthermore, the risk of experiencing migraines was far greater than having tension headaches among those claiming to be sexually abused and emotionally neglected as children, according to the study.
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