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Migraines and Other Types of Headaches
By Stan M. Gardner, M.D., CNS

A patient was referred to see me a short time ago, complaining of non-stop, round the clock headaches for over 40 years. He had been to several other doctors, trying to solve this challenging problem. The gentleman is in his 70’s-a very long time to suffer such debilitating pain! By getting to the root of his headache causes, I was able to help him become pain free 85% of the time, without invasive drugs or surgery. Another patient in her twenties, afflicted with stress-related migraines, discovered that once we got rid of her caffeinated pop and cleaned up her diet, the painful headaches disappeared.  

Headaches affect our productivity as well as our attitude. The pain in our heads affects how we feel throughout our entire body. It is difficult to maintain a positive outlook on life when our heads are throbbing and we feel miserable (because a pain in the neck or pains in the head truly affect our total enjoyment of life).  

A migraine headache is defined by its symptoms, and has no defined laboratory test for confirmation. The common symptoms include:  

  1. a severe, debilitating headache
  2. a headache that is usually on one side only, and not on the same side each time
  3. about half the time is precipitated by warnings that indicate a headache is coming
  4. once the headache has started, any stimuli makes it worse, and an important part of the treatment includes retreating to a dark, quiet room
  5. often resolves after sleep  

What is the mechanism of action that causes such a dramatic change in a person’s life?  

The cause of migraine headaches is an initial trigger which causes the release of vasoactive substances. Vasoactive substances are substances that are either a) introduced into the body; or b) the body creates that affect the size of the blood vessels, making them smaller (constricted), or larger (dilated).  

Initially in a migraine headache, there is constriction of the blood vessels, which accounts for the aura that some people experience. The aura may be a visual aura including darkness, flashing lights, or wavy lines, or it can be auditory or even sensory. Vasoconstriction causes a local hypoxia, which is low oxygen saturation, in the area of the constriction. This hypoxia causes vasodilation of the blood vessels, which leads to edema, swelling, and inflammation. It is this swelling and inflammation that causes the classic severe headache called migraines.  

What are the causes of migraines?

There are many triggers or causes that initiate this first vasoconstriction:  

  1. An unstable autonomic nervous system , referring to the sympathetic and the parasympathetic nervous systems. Both of these systems have control over the size of the blood vessels.
  2. A low magnesium level in the bloodstream may destabilize the nerve membranes.
  3. If there is inflammation with accompanying platelet aggregation, which means the platelets start clumping together, they will then release serotonin, which is a local vasoconstrictor.
  4. Another cause or trigger is stress, which can be due either to physical fatigue or emotional stressors.
  5. An additional likely cause can often be found in the cervical spine, especially at the cervical one (C-1) level of the spine. This is often called a subluxation, although there may be other types of problems at that level.
  6. A C-1 problem also contributes to temperomandibular joint dysfunction, which is another common cause for migraines.
  7. Another potential trigger is hormonal changes, which may be estrogen, progesterone, or testosterone changes taking place inside the body.
  8. Ingestion of vasoactive foods, including tyramine-rich foods, which are found in red wine, certain cheeses, certain nuts, and chocolate.
  9. Histaminic substances, which may be found in citrus juice, can all be part of an allergic reaction and cause swelling and local edema. Caffeine, alcohol, niacin, monosodium glutamate (MSG), and other preservatives (and probably many things that are found in processed foods) are each potential triggers.
  10. Food allergies can instigate migraine or headache response.
  11. Other sensitivities, like sensitivities to chemicals or any non-food can trigger a headache allergic reaction.
  12. Some medications may trigger a migraine.
  13. Weather and barometric pressure changes have been noted to trigger migraines in some individuals.
  14. Rapid blood sugar changes, either up or down, are a potential cause.

What can I do to prevent more migraines?  

I am currently using a unique format to help you in learning about healthy alternatives you have to drugs and surgery. I will share with you the traditional protocol for treatment that doctors use in the U.S. , as well as how I would work with the ailment using healthy alternatives. Now let’s talk about how you can prevent a migraine headache.  

1. Obviously, the first treatment is avoiding the cause. If medications or fatigue are part of the cause, then it makes sense to change medications and choose not to be physically or mentally fatigued. Those two tactics may reduce the migraine triggers. Recognizing the trigger is the first step to eliminating it, or even recognizing that there are triggers may be the first step in the detective process of finding and eliminating the cause.

2. Stabilize the hormones.

3. Avoid inflammatory ingestions. At a minimum, these include caffeine, aspartame, sugar and trans fatty acids, all of which are pro-inflammatory triggers within the body.

4. Avoid the vasoactive foods already mentioned.

5. Treat allergies and chemical sensitivities. A safe way to do this is with NAET — Nambudripad allergy elimination technique (you can email me at [email protected] if you need additional information). Food sensitivities may also be treated through Ellen Cutler’s food desensitization program.

6. It is very important that appropriate nutrients are ingested and nutrient levels are maintained. Processed food does not have the nutrients that are necessary to maintain the health of the body or individual cells. Real food-or food that has not been processed-is very important. Supplements are also very important, especially the B vitamins and essential fatty acids that specifically contribute to neurological control. Magnesium is specifically important for migraine headaches, as many migraine sufferers have a magnesium deficiency.

7. Chiropractic, osteopathic, or massage therapy may be quite beneficial for temperomandibular joint dysfunction and cervical neck subluxation, which have associated muscle tightness.

8. The herb feverfew is a vasodilator and has been found to prevent many migraine headaches.

9. Nattokinase is an enzyme extracted from soy. It is capable of interfering with the conversion of fibrinogen to fibrin, which is an important step at the very beginning of clot formation. Aspirin, 81 milligrams or the baby aspirin size, every other day, has the ability to reduce platelet aggregation. Both of these should be able to prevent the hypercoagulability that may be the trigger for some migraines.

10. Energy techniques, including Jin Shin Jyutsu, acupuncture, or craniosacral techniques may prove to be quite useful. If you have any pain or any dysfunction anywhere in the body, it means that energy flow pathways are blocked at that point. As those deep energy pathways are relieved, it often helps with the healing process at the physical level.

11. Biofeedback, relaxation therapy, and hypnosis have also been found to be quite useful in some patients with migraine headaches.  

How do I treat myself if I am having a migraine headache now?

Treatment of the acute migraine consists of reducing the external stimuli that might be contributing to the pain. Many have found that a dark room is critical, and know that when they wake up they will be finally free of their migraine.  

Some have found that early treatment with anti-inflammatories keeps the headache from progressing to a full migraine headache. Standard medicine uses propranalol in its prevention program. Propranalol is a beta blocker that controls the blood vessel wall dilation, and that’s why it’s a blood pressure medication. It dilates the blood vessels, which drops the blood pressure. It resists the vasoconstrictive step, which is the first step in the migraine formation.  

Propranalol is a prevention medication for chronic migraine sufferers, but I would rather my patients use the very natural herb feverfew as their first treatment choice. Imitrex, another commonly prescribed medication, is a vasodilator that is quite effective when used at the very beginning of a migraine. It can usually stop the progression of the headache. The problem with both of these medications is that they do not address the cause or source of the migraine.  

If there is an obvious cause, most physicians will of course suggest you stop the cause. In my practice philosophy, however, it is crucial to recognize that there are many potential causes for migraines and other debilitating headaches to occur. It is also important to look for natural, healthful solutions. I have some more thoughts for you at www.stangardnermd.com. Come and visit, and make comments about what you would like to learn more about. To your dynamic health and energy!

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