You Don't Have to Live with Chronic Headaches

What's the root cause of tension headaches?
Tension and stress in the neck and scalp cause these types of headaches. Injuries, excess stress, or strains to muscles, ligaments, joints, or nerves are typically the root cause of headaches. Treating musculoskeletal issues may bring relief from your tension headache.

Other causes may include a genetic- predisposition for tension headaches and environmental factors.

What does a tension headache feel like?
Generally speaking, a tension headache will feel like a rubber band tightening around your head and forehead.

How often and how long do they last?
If you experience fifteen or more headaches of this type every month, you may be suffering from chronic tension-type headaches (CTTH). They may be constant or come and go every few hours.

What's the root cause of cluster headaches?
Just like migraines, the root cause of cluster headaches is a bit murky. However, studies have shown that the posterior hypothalamus, a region of the brain, can also trigger a cluster headache attack when certain stressors activate it. (The hypothalamus is responsible for movement control, place learning, memory processing, emotions, and arousal.)

What does a cluster headache feel like?
Cluster headaches can be incredibly painful and feel as if they're concentrated in or around the eye socket. You may also experience other symptoms, like swelling around the eye and nasal congestion. Additional symptoms include increased feelings of agitation and restlessness.

Cluster headaches may be mistaken for paroxysmal hemicrania (PH) headache disorder. The symptoms are very similar, but the duration and frequency are much less than in cluster headaches. The main indication you have PH is that it will respond to the NSAID indomethacin, while cluster headaches will not.

How often and how long do they last?
A single episode may last from 15 minutes up to 3 hours. Cluster headaches can occur up to eight times per day, and then at least once every other day.

Episodic cluster-type headaches can last for 7 days to a period of one year, and you'll experience at least 3 months without pain in between bouts. Chronic cluster-type headache bouts last for more than a year, with no remission lasting more than three months.

Resources:
Paroxysmal hemicrania: an update (Prakash and Patell)

Most headaches are not caused by problems related to the head or skull. The brain itself does not have pain receptors. The vast majority of headaches are caused by problems associated with the muscles, ligaments, joints, and nerves of the middle and upper cervical (neck) regions. The other most common causes of reoccurring headaches include poor diet, stress, muscle tension, and a lack of exercise. As such, we need to dig deep to learn about what’s causing your headache before we can properly treat your pain. With a comprehensive plan that targets the underlying cause, you're more likely to experience a reduction in both the intensity and frequency of your headaches.

Treatment of Neck or Shoulder Muscle, Ligament, Joint, or Nerve Damage Related Headaches

Your bones, nerves, and musculoskeletal system are so intertwined that a disturbance in one system can result in issues with others and then chronic headaches. So by focusing on the headache, you could be completely missing the injury or tension happening somewhere else in your body that could get rid of your headaches rather than cover them up. When misalignments in the neck (cervical spine) irritate the nerves of the spine that travel to and from the brain, headaches are often the result. This misalignment may also cause some headache sufferers to become more susceptible to chemical imbalances in the brain that result in headaches.

In fact, research has shown that a dysfunctional relationship between the trigeminal nerve (which carries sensation from the face to the brain) and the cervical spine(neck) is a common trait in patients with chronic migraines. Vitality Integrative Wellness uses an integrative approach to normalize the musculoskeletal system to ease tension and stress on the soft tissues and joints of the spine. Treatment options like Sinus Cavity Nerve Blocks (SPG), massage, spinal decompression, trigger point injection and chiropractic care may all be utilized in your treatment plan.

Treatment of Lifestyle-Triggered Headache Conditions

Certain lifestyle factors can lead to chronic or episodic headache disorders, such as your diet and activity levels. For instance, eating too few calories can cause a drop in your blood sugar, which can lead to a headache. If you maintain this sort of diet for too long, then you might end up experiencing chronic headaches. If this is the case, our diagnostic testing can rule out the cause of your headaches as not related to the musculoskeletal system. We can then address the real cause and thus alleviate painful symptoms. We can also talk to you about putting you on the correct track for weight loss.

Functional Medicine and Headaches

Functional medicine and integrative medicine are incredibly effective when it comes to diagnosis and treatment. Through these methods, we utilize a deep understanding of biochemistry, lifestyle factors, and health and wellness concepts to get to the root cause of your symptoms. We use comprehensive diagnostic testing and an in-depth medical history to get to the bottom of your health issues. Once we know what we're treating, we can help guide you in correcting underlying imbalances related to hormones, food sensitivities, and nutritional deficiencies that could be leading to your chronic or episodic headaches.

Our Approach to Well-Being

At Vitality Integrative Wellness, we are committed to your well-being, and this commitment extends beyond traditional headache treatments. We'll help you find a treatment plan that leaves you feeling better and doesn't have a lot of damaging side effects.

Visit our back pain specialists in Temecula, CA.

Resources:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28641450/

Discover Non-Medication Therapies for Headaches

Some non-medication therapies that may be recommended include chiropractic adjustments, massage therapy, spinal decompression, biofeedback, and cognitive behavioral therapy. These alternative therapies may be effective in managing headaches, but it depends on the type of headaches you're experiencing and the underlying cause.

Underlying Causes of Headache Conditions

Muscle tension, vascular (blood circulation) issues, or a combination of both are frequently the leading causes of headaches. Other causes may be lifestyle-related, such as dehydration, a nutrient-deficient diet, or sleep deprivation.

Vascular Issues and Headaches

Migraines and cluster headaches are vascular-type headache disorders. The exact cause of migraines isn't exactly clear, but researchers understand that when blood vessels dilate or swell, it can contribute to a headache disorder. This constriction of your blood vessels can also trigger your brain to release chemicals that could also contribute to the severity of your migraine or tension headache.

A healthy diet that is low in saturated fats can help control vascular disorders but cannot reverse them entirely. To develop a care plan, we order diagnostic testing to determine which nutrients your body lacks. Your natural headache and migraine therapy plan will include diet, supplements, and suggestions for lifestyle changes that could help your vascular headache disorder. If you smoke, quitting might be another helpful lifestyle change for people with vascular disease or other issues.

Muscle Tension and Headaches

Headaches caused by muscle tension can develop due to musculoskeletal issues like spinal misalignment resulting from poor posture or injury. They can also be linked to whiplash-related or sports-related cervical injuries. Whether or not medication is also necessary, long-term remission of each of these conditions requires a certain amount of non-medication therapy for headaches.

Non-medication treatments for muscle tension may include:

Chiropractic Care:

Pinched nerves in the neck are common causes of headaches. By adjusting the spine's vertebrae, chiropractic care alleviates pain and inflammation by removing pressure from the affected nerves.

Massage therapy:

Massage therapies like trigger point (areas associated with headache pain) therapy, manual lymphatic drainage, or therapeutic massages focused on the neck and head muscles can help reduce the duration of headaches. One possible benefit of massage therapy for headaches is that it can decrease activity at trigger points, which can increase blood flow and alleviate pain.

Spinal Decompression:

Headaches can often be symptomatic of spinal issues, particularly when misalignments or compressed nerves contribute to tension and pain. Spinal decompression therapy, a non-invasive procedure, aims to alleviate this pressure through targeted stretching and realignment of the spine.
By employing gentle traction techniques, spinal decompression therapy aims to create negative pressure within the spinal discs. This allows for the retraction of herniated or bulging discs and the promotion of nutrient-rich fluids into affected areas.

Hot and Cold Therapy:

Hot and cold therapies are effective for alleviating headache pain, depending on personal preference. For many people with chronic migraines, cold therapy is often the most effective option, although results can vary from person to person. Warmer temperatures can boost blood flow to your brain, while cold therapy can reduce blood flow to your brain. While blood flow doesn't initiate a migraine, it may contribute to the severity of the headache. Figuring out which therapy is best for you could be an easy way for you to lessen the intensity and duration of a migraine or tension headache.

Other Causes of Headaches You Can Treat Without Medication

Dehydration:

Did you know 75 percent of Americans are chronically dehydrated? That means most of us are dehydrated for days, weeks, or even months. Dehydration is a common trigger for migraine headaches, so if you're chronically dehydrated and suffer from migraines on a regular or episodic basis, it could be related, and you need to drink more water. Make sure you also replenish lost electrolytes if you're an active person.

Psychological Stress:

Stress is a major contributor to both tension and migraine headaches. Non-medication treatments for stress may include cognitive behavioral therapy. Working with a certified CBT therapist trained in migraine management can help you learn relaxation techniques to deal with the pain and lessen the emotional toll that headaches have on you. They'll also teach you how to deal with stressful situations in your personal life and work environments, like assertive communication and how to set boundaries with pushy people who stress you out. Studies have shown that CBT therapy is one way you can lessen headache frequency without medication.

Poor sleep quality:

Studies have shown that less sleep means longer and more intense headaches. Why? While you sleep, your brain takes that time to repair itself, which regulates neural pathways. When you don't sleep enough, this causes decreased neural plasticity in the brain, which leads to depression, anxiety, and headaches. Establishing a consistent bedtime routine, creating a comfortable sleep environment, and practicing relaxation exercises before bed can all contribute to better quality sleep.

Can headaches be treated without medication? The answer is a resounding yes! By addressing both the physical and emotional aspects of stress and headaches, you can work towards managing your symptoms more effectively and improving your overall well-being.

Resources:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3291665/#:~:text=Acupuncture%20has%20also%20been%20shown,with%20fewer%20unwanted%20adverse%20effects.

https://www.nyneurologists.com/blog/can-a-pinched-nerve-in-the-neck-cause-headaches#:~:text=One%20of%20the%20more%20common,pain%20along%20the%20nerve's%20pathway.

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/headache/how-a-migraine-happens#:~:text=Older%20theories%20about%20migraines%20suggested,but%20may%20contribute%20to%20it.

https://www.migrainedisorders.org/why-try-cognitive-behavioral-therapy-for-migraine/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8777662/

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/vascular-headache#:~:text=Migraine%20is%20a%20vascular%20headache,release%20of%20certain%20brain%20chemicals.