More than 10 million Americans suffer from chronic headaches or migraines. According to Dr. Mark Hyman, author of The UltraMind Solution, in his August 2007 article “How to Eliminate Migraines and Headaches in Less Than Week” on UltraWellness.com, migraines alone add $13 billion to $17 billion to American’s healthcare costs each year.
Most sufferers treat chronic headaches with pharmaceuticals that try to prevent pain, such as calcium channel blockers, beta-blockers, anti-seizure medications, and antidepressants, or triptans, which work to stop migraines once started. These treatments are only moderately successful, working for a period of time for some and not at all for others. By identifying the root cause or causes of a headache, people can use alternative therapies to find relief and prevent future occurrences.
Chronic Headache Causes
One of the hardest aspects of treating chronic headaches and migraines is that the causes are not understood well and triggers are different for each patient. In addition, headaches can be accompanied by seemingly unrelated symptoms, but which when viewed from a holistic standpoint can indicate a problem. Below are common causes of chronic headaches and migraines.
- changes in sleep patterns – Too much or too little sleep, as well as jet lag can cause headaches.
- chemicals – Chemicals commonly found in processed foods such as artificial sweeteners, nitrates, monosodium glutamate and sulfites can be triggers for some individuals.
- environmental factors – Changes in the weather or barometric pressure can bring on migraines.
- food allergies and gut problems – A chronic headache may be a symptom of a food allergy or gut imbalance. Wheat and gluten are among the biggest culprits. Consider a food allergy as cause if also experiencing symptoms such as bloating, fatigue, fogginess, irritable bowel syndrome, joint or muscle pain, postnasal drip or sinus congestion.
- hormone imbalances – This trigger often affects women when there is a change in estrogen and progesterone levels such as immediately before or during the menstrual cycle, pregnancy or menopause. Oral contraceptives or hormone replacement therapy can make migraines worse.
- inflammation – Inflammation of the blood vessels in and around the brain can provoke headaches.
- magnesium deficiency – Tightness or cramps in parts of the body, constipation, anxiety, sleeplessness and noise sensitivity, in addition to a frequent headache or migraine may be a sign of a magnesium deficiency.
- medication – The overuse of over-the-counter pain medicine to relieve chronic headaches can create a rebound effect in which the drug not only provides relief but also starts to cause the pain.
- mitochondrial imbalance – Damage to mitochondria in cells impacts the body’s ability to produce energy. A migraine may be the only symptom of this damage. Sufferers may also experience fatigue, achy muscles, and fogginess.
- sensory sensitivities – Bright lights, sun glare, loud noise and smells such as perfume and chemicals can cause headaches.
- stress – Emotional or physical stress, such as intense physical activity can provoke a migraine.
Many of these triggers also cause inflammation throughout the body including in the brain. Taking steps to reduce overall inflammation can help control headaches. See Healing Foods for Common Health Problems for ideas.
Alternative Migraine Treatments
For chronic headache and migraine sufferers medication may no longer provide relief or may not work at all. Those looking for other ways to treat the pain should consider alternative therapies. Non-medicinal treatments include:
- acupuncture – According to the Mayo Clinic, this Chinese medicine technique has been shown to reduce the frequency and intensity of chronic headaches.
- biofeedback – Learn how to control headaches from a practitioner who teaches people how to become more aware of and change the body’s responses to headache triggers and pain.
- elimination diet – Eliminate food offenders like gluten, dairy, eggs and yeast for a short period and see if symptoms abate. Reintroduce one food at a time and see what happens. If the headache returns it is likely that food is a cause. In addition to eliminating trigger foods, artificial sweeteners, food additives, and processed food should be removed from the diet. Replace with whole foods, fruits and vegetables. See Steer Clear of Common Food Additives for chemicals to avoid.
- herbal, vitamin and mineral supplements – The herbs butterbur and feverfew have been shown to prevent or reduce the intensity of severe headaches. High doses of vitamins B-2 (riboflavin) and B-6, as well as magnesium and coenzyme Q10 are helpful for some individuals.
- massage –According to the Mayo Clinic, “massage can reduce stress, relieve pain and promote relaxation.” It also may improve sleep, which can aid in headache prevention.
- stress reduction – Meditation and yoga promote relaxation, which help with pain management and stress reduction.
Chronic headaches and migraines are often treated in a vacuum. But long time sufferers should consider taking a more holistic view and investigate the possibility that severe headaches are a symptom of another problem. Using complementary or alternative therapies to treat underlying causes may provide patients relief from frequent headaches.
Related Articles
Help for Migraines and Tension Headaches
Alternative Headache Treatments
References:
- Mayoclinic.com; Chronic Daily Headaches; Alternative Medicine; January 23, 2010 (accessed June 15, 2010)
- Mayoclinic.com; Migraine; June 6, 2009 (accessed June 15, 2010)
- Ultrawellness.com; How to Eliminate Migraines and Headaches in Less Than a Week; Dr. Mark Hyman; August 16, 2007 (accessed June 17, 2010)
- The UltraMind Solution; Mark Hyman M.D.; Scribner; 2009 (accessed June 17, 2010)
Jane Larkin - Jane was a commercial mortgage broker for hotels and held Six Sigma, advertising, marketing and public relations jobs in various ...
