Outsmarting Migraines and Optimizing Pain Management with Dr. Robert Bonakdar

Conversations for Health

Dr. Robert Bonakdar is the Director of Pain Management at the Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine and a member of the Scripps Green Hospital Pain Management and Physician Wellness Committees. He also serves as an Assistant Clinical Professor at the University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine and is the current president of the American Academy of Pain Management. After completing his family medicine residency he completed a fellowship in integrative medicine at Scripps Clinic with a focus on integrative pain management. He has additionally completed the UCLA Acupuncture Course for Physicians and a Richter Fellowship in Southeast Asia, where he studied acupuncture, Tai Chi, and mind-body practices. His clinical and research interests include integrative approaches to chronic disease management with a focus on pain management and metabolic disease.

Together Dr. Robert and I examine all things migraine. From the most common triggers and demographics of main sufferers to the importance of education as a tool to help patients combat migraines, Dr. Robert shares a host of information that practitioners can use to empower their patients. He shares a wide variety of supplements and dietary recommendations that can be used in treatment and underscores the importance of optimizing eye health, prioritizing exercise, limiting caffeine, and other pearls of proactive care for optimal migraine and pain management.

I’m your host, Evelyne Lambrecht, thank you for designing a well world with us.

Episode Resources:

Dr. Robert Bonakdar - https://www.scripps.org/physicians/5903-robert-bonakdar

Designs for Health - https://www.designsforhealth.com/

Research Blog: Predictors of Progression to Chronic Migraine - https://www.casi.org/node/1235

Nutrition Blog: New Ways to Think About CoQ10 Supplementation - https://www.casi.org/node/1362

Nutrition Blog: Topical Uses for Magnesium - https://www.casi.org/node/1389

Research Blog: Ginger for Healthy Muscle Recovery - https://www.casi.org/ginger-for-healthy-muscle-recovery

Educational Webinar: Modernizing Migraine Care: Innovations in Migraine Management - https://www.designsforhealth.com/research-education/library/webinar/modernizing-migraine-care-innovations-in-migraine-management

Visit the Designs for Health Research and Education Library which houses medical journals, protocols, webinars, and our blog.

https://www.designsforhealth.com/research-and-education/education

Chapters:

00:00 Intro.

02:26 Dr. Robert recalls the experiences that first piqued his interest in integrative pain management.

3:47 Key differentiators between tension headaches and migraines and the hormonal connection to women sufferers.

6:01 Drugs that are commonly used for migraines and concerns about their mechanisms of action.

9:16 Compounds that routinely affect the gut and brain in accentuating headaches and natural approaches that work for migraines.

11:50 Hormones, cycles, and life events that have the greatest impact on headaches, and genetic SNPs that are connected to headaches.

13:55 The role of central sensitization in pain management for headaches.

16:51 Supplement treatment and dosing for common micronutrient deficiencies that trigger headaches.

24:33 Dietary recommendations that are beneficial in treating migraines and Dr. Robert’s approach to common food sensitivities.

30:38 Overconsumption of caffeine is a common migraine trigger; Dr. Robert offers suggestions on appropriate servings.

32:44 Ketogenic dietary considerations, timelines, and recommendations.

34:55 Compounds, supplements, and herbs that Dr. Robert regularly recommends for migraine treatment.

40:10 The correlation between eye health and migraines, and acute herbal supplement recommendation.

43:10 The power of educating patients about migraines in addition to offering remedies and treatments.

45:12 Dr. Robert’s personal favorite supplements, top wellness practices, and the leaky gut link to migraines that he has changed his mind about.