Unlearning Migraine

15% of the world's population suffers from migraine. Experts say that it is a genetic brain disease, of unclear origin, and irreversible. To alleviate the suffering and disability, they propose to lead an orderly life, identify and avoid triggers and put oneself in the hands of a neurologist, who will prescribe painkillers and sometimes preventive treatment.

Neurologist Arturo Goicoechea puts forward a novel and contrasting hypothesis, based on research in Neuroscience and Biology: migraine is not transmitted by genes, but the consequence of the Neuroimmune System’s learning process. And if it can be learned, it can be unlearned. It is not an alternative therapy, but an alternative to therapies. Many sufferers of migraine and other chronic pains have already benefited from this approach.

The author encourages you to discover the proposal of Know pain, no pain, which is biologically correct -and politically incorrect-: understanding pain puts you on the path to getting rid of it. It is not necessarily easy to apply, but it is simple: migraine and other chronic pains occur in a completely healthy organism, that the organism itself protects in a disproportionate way.

Ten years later, after the success of "Migraña, una pesadilla cerebral" (Migraine, a Brain Nightmare), this new book aims to be a script and practical support for dealing with migraine, accompanying the reader in the advances and successes on pain and discomfort and encouraging the reader to continue, in the setbacks and complications of the journey. It is possible to deconstruct, unlearn migraine, and that is what this book is all about.

Reviews from "Migraine, a brain nightmare" on Amazon:

"Dr. Goicoechea is a genius. I've had migraines for over 35 years, getting worse and worse, and I found this book by chance. (...) It has changed me completely, now I understand how migraines work. I've been training my brain for days, talking to it and it works. (...) Thank you Doctor, millions of thanks."

"(...) what I can say is that the intensity of the attacks has been reduced up to 80% and what is better, I have not taken any triptan or other analgesic for more than a month. The fundamental thing is to believe in what the book explains and that it is possible to control and even eradicate migraine attacks."

"Magnificent. This is how chronic pain should be tackled. More education in pain neurobiology and fewer pills. Knowing pain, understanding it, helps to overturn false beliefs about pain and injuries and this in many cases affects the perception of pain. Go Arturo Goicoechea!”

Arturo Goicoechea Uriarte
Neurologist. Born in Mondragón, Guipúzcoa, in 1946. Head of the Neurology Service at the Santiago Hospital in Vitoria (Álava), Spain, until 2011, currently retired. He remains active as a teacher and disseminator of the application of Neuroscience to the field of Neurology. He focuses on migraine and chronic pain, giving courses and talks and, for a decade or so, through his blog. All of this can be accessed at: arturogoicoechea.com.
Books published: Jaqueca (“Headache”), 2004. Depresión y dolor (“Depression and pain”), 2006. Cerebro y dolor (“Brain and pain”), 2008. Migraña, una pesadilla cerebral (“Migraine, a brain nightmare”), 2009.