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OPTIMIZE YOUR HEALTH
Healing Headaches
Headache 101
By Sue Kim-Saechao, RN, MSN, CRNP, and Jannet Huang,
MD, FRCPC, FACE, ABHM
If you are a headache sufferer, you are certainly not alone! In
the United States, approximately 50 million people annually seek
medical help for headaches. At the Center for Optimal Health, we
approach headaches with a whole-person approach, with thorough
evaluation and integrative therapies. Here we offer a few tips.
Most headaches are caused by fatigue, stress, or allergies,
with only about two percent of all headaches resulting from serious
organic disorders, including:
- Diseases of the eye, ear, nose, throat, and sinuses
- Brain tumors
- Severe Hypertension
- Brain Aneurysm
There are 3 main categories of headaches.
- TENSION HEADACHES are headaches brought on by muscle tension
- MIGRAINES are vascular headaches resulting from the irritability
of blood vessels
- CLUSTER HEADACHES come in groups (clusters) lasting weeks
or months, separated by pain-free periods of months or years,
much more common in males
The International Headache Society subdivides headaches into further
categories for research purposes. Some of them highlight the underlying
causes:
- ENVIRONMENTAL: caused by pollutants, body posture, lighting
and sound etc.
- HORMONAL: related to menstrual cycles
- STRESS: whether it be physical, emotional or mental
- DIETARY: possible allergy to certain foods or additives, e.g.
xanthine containing foods
- ORGANIC: diseases such as hypertension etc.
At The Center for Optimal Health, we evaluate our patients with
a holistic, integrative mind-body approach, which includes pinpointing
any underlying etiology by conducting a thorough history, physical,
laboratory, and any other appropriate diagnostic testing. Stress
and sleep hygiene is also a focus of the evaluation. A full hormonal
and metabolic evaluation allows us to customize your treatment
plan, which will include nutrition, exercise, stress management,
medications as necessary, as well as supplements, and other holistic
treatments where appropriate.
Here are a few holistic ways we recommend
to manage headaches.
Balanced Diet
Balanced diet plays a crucial role. Some headaches result from
blood sugar fluctuations or intolerances to certain food components.
Some foods suspected of causing headaches include some nuts,
aged cheeses, chocolate, red wine, and foods containing nitrates
or monosodium glutamate (MSG). Also, limiting caffeine intake
or eliminating it altogether may be helpful to some. Our registered
dietitian, Sharon, can help you with a customized nutrition plan.
Learn more about nutrition and headaches...
Exercise
Exercise studies suggest that regular exercise, such
as walking, can both prevent headaches and lessen their intensity
when they do strike. One study suggested that those who walked
for thirty minutes a day on three days per week were able to cut
headache frequency by as much as a half.
To make walking more enjoyable,
consider having a walking 'buddy' who joins you to also get social
time with a friend and maintain motivation. The mood benefits of
walking are wonderful and immediate, providing an instant source
of stress relief. Our registered dietitian Sharon has formed a
free walking group every Wednesday afternoon. For further info,
please call the Center at (949) 872-2850.
Mind body balancing exercises, such as
those listed below, are also very important, since stress is a
major factor in causing tension headaches, as well as migraines.
- MEDITATION AND DEEP BREATHING:
Reduces stress, alleviates anxiety, calms the mind, reduces negativity
and creates a positive mental attitude.
- MUSIC AND MEDITATION: CDs are available at The Center
- STRESS MANAGEMENT, BIOFEEDBACK, SELF-HYPNOSIS, PROGRESSIVE
MUSCLE RELAXATION: Learn
techniques in Simple Techniques
for Complicated Headaches.
- MANAGE STRESS AND TENSION IN RELATIONSHIPS: Learn techniques
with our Marriage & Family
therapist, Rosanne Miranda.
- YOGA: Yoga works by reducing the physical symptoms of stress,
such as a tight neck and shoulder muscles. Yoga can be both a
treatment for headache and as a preventive measure. Starting
with a simple
yoga sequence, which unwinds the upper quadrant
of the body, may be helpful.
- TAI CHI: This is an ancient Chinese exercise shown to reduce
waist circumference, prevent fractures in clinical studies, in
addition to the mind-body benefits. Tai chi DVD’s are available
at The Center. You can also call us for contact information to
local tai chi studios run by a tai chi master who is also a board
certified sports medicine physician.
Supplements
Various supplements, including calcium-magnesium,
feverfew, riboflavin (vitamin B2), coenzyme Q10, and SamE have
been studied in clinicial trials and may be appropriate for some.
We can customize a plan for you. Learn
more about supplements that reduce headaches...
Acupuncture
Acupuncture has been studied as a treatment for migraine headache
for over 20 years, and recommended by the National Institutes
of Health, as well as the World Health Organization as a treatment
for headache. Dr. Li is an Eastern and Western trained acupuncturist
at The Center.
Acupressure & Massage
Acupressure/massage, whch has been found to be very helpful for
tension headaches, is available through our acupuncturist, Dr.
Li
Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy using essential oils extracted from plants, through
inhalation, massage oils, roll-ons or diffusers, may ease headache
pain as quickly as within 20 minutes and easy to do for yourself.
You can use a single essential oil, or create a blend of two or
three. Essential oils, diffusers, and more available at The Center.
- LAVENDAR is good all-around stress reliever. Helps with insomnia,
too, as it can stimulate calming alpha brain waves.
- PEPPERMINT is cooling, refreshing, good for migraine headaches,.
Can be rubbed into the temples and back of the neck (but do a
patch test on the inner elbow first to gauge skin sensitivity)
- GERANIUM is for hormone-related headaches,
relieves depression and emotional tension. One caveat: It may
reduce libido
- EUCALYPTUS is uplifting and stimulating, good for
sinus headaches, especially with peppermint and rosemary
- SWEET MARJORAM is calming, good for tension headaches,
can help with decreasing snoring
—June 2007
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Wellness e-Letter
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