Headache & Migraine

There are three major categories of headaches, and different approaches are needed for each:

  • Primary headaches: These include migraine, tension, and cluster headaches, as well as a variety of other less common types of headache. These are by far the most common types of headaches.
  • Cranial neuralgias, facial pain, and other headaches: These headaches are related to inflammation of the nerves. Often there is a sharp, shooting pain that is momentary but characteristically recurs. It may be precipitated by touch to a sensitive area or may occur spontaneously. Neuralgias may follow nerve trauma, herpes zoster infections, or may arise spontaneously.
  • Secondary headaches: Headaches that are caused by some other condition, such as hypertension or by conditions that affect the brain and its coverings. Infections of the head and neck may have headache as a symptom. Head trauma, even if it is mild, can often lead to headache. Anything that takes up space inside the head can cause headache, including tumor, subdural hematoma and hydrocephalus.

If you experience a very severe headache that you suspect is a secondary headache or cranial neuralgia you should seek medical attention immediately.

If you experience severe or recurrent headaches it is important to look for causes and triggers. Treatable causes of headache include bacterial and viral infections, nutritional deficiencies, allergies and food intolerances, high blood pressure, high or low blood sugar and reactions to many medications.

Natural Treatment Approaches

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The Western Naturopathic approach is effective at treating the causes of headaches. Natural methods excel at prevention, offering far safer and significantly more effective approaches than conventional medicine. Substantial research supports treating nutrient depletion and using phytonutrients, as well as long term suppression of pathogens, in reducing the frequency and severity of all types of headaches.

A combination of three important nutrients, arginine, magnesium and pyruvate, has been found to bring immediate relief for many severe attacks, working better and safer than injections and other radical conventional medical approaches.

Arginine is a chemical precursor to nitric oxide (a vasodilator).  Early evidence suggests that arginine may help treat medical conditions that improve with increased vasodilation, including vascular headaches, erectile dysfunction, chest pain, atherosclerosis, heart disease or failure, and intermittent claudication/peripheral vascular disease. (Mayo Clinic)

Magnesium has a strong vascular dilating effect, and cerebral blood vessel cells are particularly sensitive to it. The American Academy of Neurology supports use of magnesium in treating migraines.

Pyruvic Acid (pyruvate) is a by-product of glucose metabolism (glycolysis). It is used by the body for mitochondrial energy production. Low cellular energy has been linked to the start of migraines.

Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners differentiate groups of symptoms into a specific pattern, and then treat that pattern as it manifests in each individual patient:

Wind Cold Pattern symptoms include: sporadic pain, stiff, aching shoulders; an aversion to cold temperatures; aggravation of the condition by wind; absence of thirst; a thin-white tongue coating; and a floating-tight pulse.

Wind Heat Pattern symptoms include: a painfully-swollen sensation in the head; severe, “splitting” pain; fever, or an aversion to warm temperatures; red face; red eyes; thirst; constipation; dark-colored urine; a red tongue body with a yellow tongue coating; and a floating-rapid pulse.

Wind Dampness Pattern symptoms include: heavy-feeling pain; a “muzzy,” or confused feeling; a feeling of heaviness in the whole body; chest congestion; aggravation of symptoms by damp weather; difficult urination; loose bowels; a sticky-white tongue coating; and a soggy pulse.

Liver Yang Pattern symptoms include emotional disturbance (especially feelings of anger); pain with dizziness; anxiety; anger; insomnia; hypochondriac (under the ribcage) pain; red face; a bitter taste in the mouth; a thin-yellow tongue coating; and a wiry-strong pulse.

Kidney Deficiency Pattern symptoms include general weakness; low-level pain with a feeling of “emptiness”; dizziness; sore back; fatigue; spontaneous seminal emissions (in men), or abnormal vaginal discharge (for women); ringing in the ears; sleeplessness; red tongue; and a thin-weak pulse.

Blood Deficiency Pattern symptoms include chronic illness; pain with dizziness; heart palpitations; fatigue; pale complexion; a pale tongue body with a thin-white tongue coating; and a thin-weak pulse.

Blood Stagnation Pattern symptoms include: chronic pain; pain in a fixed location; sharp pain, such as pain from a head injury; a purple tongue body with a thin-white tongue coating; and a thin or thin-choppy pulse.

Phlegm Retention Pattern symptoms include chronic over-weight and cravings for sweet and fatty foods; dull head pain with a feeling of heaviness and/or muzziness; a sensation of fullness and oppression of the chest; a feeling of nausea and phlegm retention in the throat; a white-sticky tongue coating; and a slippery or wiry-slippery pulse.

Statements contained herein have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat and cure or prevent disease. Information provided by CHS is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice. Any information given is only intended as a sharing of knowledge and information from scientific world literature. You are encouraged to make your own health care decisions based upon your own research of the subject and in partnership with a qualified health care professional.