Study investigating using green light to mitigate migraines

[Irving]

Here is an article about a study that used green light to mitigate migraines. There are a bunch of studies and the article seems balanced and worth the read.

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2019/12/15/787138928/researchers-explore-a-drug-free-idea-to-relieve-chronic-pain-green-light

[def90]

A double blind placebo study would ferret it out as being valid or not rather quickly though they do mention the difficulty of doing a placebo study. If this really is a placebo effect of some sort the patients symptoms should eventually come back again once the initial psychological effect fades whether its a month or two or a year or two later.

[Irving]

Do you mean symptoms coming back while still "treating" with the placebo? Couldn't the same argument be made about symptoms coming back after stopping treatment, for something chronic?

[def90]

If over time the therapy has a lessening effect/impact and the symptoms gradually return while still performing the therapy it is likely a placebo effect going on. Simply stopping the therapy and having the symptoms return wouldn’t really prove anything. If the therapy worked you would get that result, if it was a placebo you would get the same result.

[Irving]

We're on the same page.

[Gman]

The ability to do a blind study vs. placebo reminds me of DMSO used for treating pain. It makes your breath smell like garlic, so there's no way to test it vs. placebo. You know whether or not you've got the real thing.

[Gman]

I like no lights and cool temps when I have a migraine.

[BushMasterBoy]

Then what do blue lights do? I prefer the red light district...

[Gman]

I was wondering about the effect of black lights...

Probably leads to tie-dye.

[ray1970]

They should see if bright white strobe lights help headaches.

[FoxtArt]

Then what do blue lights do? I prefer the red light district...True fact: they apparently damage your vision, albet very, very slowly.

[TFOGGER]

Not long after I started getting classical migraines in my teens, I discovered that I could mitigate or at least postpone the worst of the symptoms with caffeine. My doctor at the time told me this was purely placebo effect and that caffeine could not possibly be helpful. Fast forward 20 years, and Johns Hopkins published a massive study that indicated that caffeine was beneficial in over 90 percent of the patients in their double blind study, as opposed to 22 percent of the the patients receiving the placebo. Medical sc ience is not nearly as advanced as many physicians would like you to believe...

[Irving]

My parents have a stove with a clock that is blue led. It hurts just to look at it and it is blurry at distances that it shouldn't be.

[Gman]

Not long after I started getting classical migraines in my teens, I discovered that I could mitigate or at least postpone the worst of the symptoms with caffeine. My doctor at the time told me this was purely placebo effect and that caffeine could not possibly be helpful. Fast forward 20 years, and Johns Hopkins published a massive study that indicated that caffeine was beneficial in over 90 percent of the patients in their double blind study, as opposed to 22 percent of the the patients receiving the placebo. Medical sc ience is not nearly as advanced as many physicians would like you to believe...
My 'go to' in my teens was to take a couple of aspirin with a Coke. Excedrin (aspirin, tylenol, caffeine) worked better than many of the prescriptions I was given.

[TFOGGER]

My parents have a stove with a clock that is blue led. It hurts just to look at it and it is blurry at distances that it shouldn't be.

That's because the wavelength of blue light actually refracts differently in the lens of your eye, causing it to focus just in front of, rather than on, the retina.

[Irving]

Sounds like blue is a dumb color.

[Justin]

Sounds like blue is a dumb color.

At least it isn't yellow.

[BushMasterBoy]

The cause of migraines is idiopathic. I have a theory that it is simply a sensitivity to a parasite. This parasite vector is the species felidae.
I have had the best results with a toxic dose of folinic acid.
12% of the US population suffers from migraines.
When I find the causative agent, I will announce it here first.

[Irving]

At least it isn't yellow.

I'll meet you half way at Green.