Ow! My aching head!

Tips and treatments to relieve the common headache

Headaches by Dr. Jennifer Salib Huber B.Sc,P.Dt,ND.

While most of us have experienced a headache or two in our lives, some people are bothered by headaches on a frequent basis. While there are many types and classifications of headaches, I'm going to touch on some of the most common causes of the common headache:

Hypoglycemia: Drops in blood sugar are a common trigger for headaches. If you experience pain when you are hungry, along with other symptoms such as shakiness, anxiety and increased perspiration, low blood sugar may be to blame. Try to avoid foods high in sugar, and eat meals balanced in protein, fat and carbohydrates. Don't forget to include healthy snacks such as almonds and trail mix. If this is a recurrent and frequent issue for you, please discuss it with your ND to get to the root of the problem.

Stress and Anxiety: Worried about an upcoming event? Have an important deadline at work? Tension headaches (the most common type of headache) are usually associated with a stressful event. They can also be accompanied by tension and pain in the upper back. In addition to bodywork(massage/chiro/bowen/acupuncture) and deep breathing exercises, supplements such as calcium and magnesium can help to ease muscle tension. Don't forget to treat the cause and get to the root of stress. We now know that stress is an initiator for inflammation, so can cause pain in many parts of the body. There are several wonderful herbs that can be used to help manage and treat chronic stress.

Food Sensitivities: Food allergies and intolerances are a leading cause of headaches, especially migraines. Caffeine, chocolate, artificial colours, sweeteners and alcohol are common triggers. But, any food can be problematic. The trick is to sleuth out the likely culprit. Going over a week's diet diary with a fine tooth comb is a good place to start. An elimination diet can help to bring pain relief, as well as confirm suspect foods.

The key to successfully treating headaches is to treat the cause, and not just cover up the pain. The naturopathic approach to treating headaches takes into account diet, lifestyle, medications, etc. to come up with an individualized treatment plan.

A Chiropractic approach by Dr. Denise Wright, DC

Unfortunately, as some of you know, there can be several causes of headaches. From the chiropractors point of view, subluxations (the vertebrae is out of place, causing poor movement and pressure on the nerves) at the top of the neck cause headaches. The nerves at the top of your neck run up the back of your head. So, when these nerves are irritated, headaches are a common symptom.

A chiropractor’s approach to headaches is first to determine the cause of your headache. If the cause is not helped by chiropractic, ie food sensitivities, then the appropriate referral will be made. However, if it is a subluxation-related problem, then you will have a gentle adjustment to restore the movement to the vertebrae and take the pressure off the nerves. Typically, a referral to the massage therapist will also be made, since there is usually muscle spasm of the muscles of the back of the neck along with the subluxation.

Finally, you can have a miserable combination of factors that cause headaches, so that is why a multi-disciplinary clinic like ours might be the right place for you.

Massage therapy and the treatment of tension headaches and migraines by Jennifer Petley, RMT

Although tension headaches and migraines are due to different causes, massage therapy can be an effective means for treatment and prevention. Tension headaches are most often caused from muscular stress and trigger points whereas migraines are from various sources such as allergies, hormones and emotional stress.

When treating a client whom either experiences or is experiencing a headache, the treatment aims are the same. The therapist wishes to decrease the clients stress and reduce muscular tension and pain. This is achieved through gentle soothing massage techniques along with diaphragmatic breathing as well as additional techniques focusing on muscles in the back of the neck as well as possibly in the jaw area.

Another modality sometimes used, with the clients consent, is the use of aromatherapy oils. These oils are often blended into the primary massage oil and include a combination of lavender, rosemary and peppermint.

Headaches and Acupuncture by Kayla Crocker R.Ac

An acupuncturist views a headache as the bodies’ response to an underlying problem; therefore, symptomatically treating the pain is often not enough to prevent recurring headaches. Acupuncture can be used alongside other treatment methods to restore the body to a state of balance and well being, which in turn can help prevent and treat the common headache. There are many reasons why a person suffers from headaches whether they be from stress, muscular tension, diet, lifestyle, or an illness -acupuncture works by creating a treatment plan specific to an individual’s needs. There are many different ways an acupuncturist may choose to treat headaches depending on their cause and the individual client. This may include:

1. Acupuncture: The use of needles to affect the flow of energy in the body. Can also be used to release muscular tension and trigger points, relieve pain, reduce stress, and promote sleep, all of which are possible factors which contribute to headaches.

2. Acupressure: often referred to as “acupuncture without needles”, acupressure is an effective tool in the treatment of headaches and it can safely be used at home if needed.

3. Bodywork: Cupping - the use of suction to relieve muscle tension and promote blood flow, Gua sha or “skin scraping”- releases toxins, relieves muscular tension, disperses “stuck” energy, and Tui na – a form of massage which incorporates many aspects of acupressure.

4. Chinese diet therapy: Your practitioner may also provide you with diet recommendations specific to your treatment plan which may help prevent the recurrence of headaches.



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	Newsletter Archive March 2007 November 2006 August 2006 May 2006 February 2006 October 2005 May 2005 February 2005 *In the interest of conservation, we no longer print our newsletters. Please send us an e-mail to receive our monthly E-News. IWD 2009 Presentation IWD2009 Healthy Hormones Handout PDF reader required. Download Adobe PDF Reader for free here	Ow! My aching head! Tips and treatments to relieve the common headache Headaches by Dr. Jennifer Salib Huber B.Sc,P.Dt,ND. While most of us have experienced a headache or two in our lives, some people are bothered by headaches on a frequent basis. While there are many types and classifications of headaches, I'm going to touch on some of the most common causes of the common headache: Hypoglycemia: Drops in blood sugar are a common trigger for headaches. If you experience pain when you are hungry, along with other symptoms such as shakiness, anxiety and increased perspiration, low blood sugar may be to blame. Try to avoid foods high in sugar, and eat meals balanced in protein, fat and carbohydrates. Don't forget to include healthy snacks such as almonds and trail mix. If this is a recurrent and frequent issue for you, please discuss it with your ND to get to the root of the problem. Stress and Anxiety: Worried about an upcoming event? Have an important deadline at work? Tension headaches (the most common type of headache) are usually associated with a stressful event. They can also be accompanied by tension and pain in the upper back. In addition to bodywork(massage/chiro/bowen/acupuncture) and deep breathing exercises, supplements such as calcium and magnesium can help to ease muscle tension. Don't forget to treat the cause and get to the root of stress. We now know that stress is an initiator for inflammation, so can cause pain in many parts of the body. There are several wonderful herbs that can be used to help manage and treat chronic stress. Food Sensitivities: Food allergies and intolerances are a leading cause of headaches, especially migraines. Caffeine, chocolate, artificial colours, sweeteners and alcohol are common triggers. But, any food can be problematic. The trick is to sleuth out the likely culprit. Going over a week's diet diary with a fine tooth comb is a good place to start. An elimination diet can help to bring pain relief, as well as confirm suspect foods. The key to successfully treating headaches is to treat the cause, and not just cover up the pain. The naturopathic approach to treating headaches takes into account diet, lifestyle, medications, etc. to come up with an individualized treatment plan. A Chiropractic approach by Dr. Denise Wright, DC Unfortunately, as some of you know, there can be several causes of headaches. From the chiropractors point of view, subluxations (the vertebrae is out of place, causing poor movement and pressure on the nerves) at the top of the neck cause headaches. The nerves at the top of your neck run up the back of your head. So, when these nerves are irritated, headaches are a common symptom. A chiropractor’s approach to headaches is first to determine the cause of your headache. If the cause is not helped by chiropractic, ie food sensitivities, then the appropriate referral will be made. However, if it is a subluxation-related problem, then you will have a gentle adjustment to restore the movement to the vertebrae and take the pressure off the nerves. Typically, a referral to the massage therapist will also be made, since there is usually muscle spasm of the muscles of the back of the neck along with the subluxation. Finally, you can have a miserable combination of factors that cause headaches, so that is why a multi-disciplinary clinic like ours might be the right place for you. Massage therapy and the treatment of tension headaches and migraines by Jennifer Petley, RMT Although tension headaches and migraines are due to different causes, massage therapy can be an effective means for treatment and prevention. Tension headaches are most often caused from muscular stress and trigger points whereas migraines are from various sources such as allergies, hormones and emotional stress. When treating a client whom either experiences or is experiencing a headache, the treatment aims are the same. The therapist wishes to decrease the clients stress and reduce muscular tension and pain. This is achieved through gentle soothing massage techniques along with diaphragmatic breathing as well as additional techniques focusing on muscles in the back of the neck as well as possibly in the jaw area. Another modality sometimes used, with the clients consent, is the use of aromatherapy oils. These oils are often blended into the primary massage oil and include a combination of lavender, rosemary and peppermint. Headaches and Acupuncture by Kayla Crocker R.Ac An acupuncturist views a headache as the bodies’ response to an underlying problem; therefore, symptomatically treating the pain is often not enough to prevent recurring headaches. Acupuncture can be used alongside other treatment methods to restore the body to a state of balance and well being, which in turn can help prevent and treat the common headache. There are many reasons why a person suffers from headaches whether they be from stress, muscular tension, diet, lifestyle, or an illness -acupuncture works by creating a treatment plan specific to an individual’s needs. There are many different ways an acupuncturist may choose to treat headaches depending on their cause and the individual client. This may include: 1. Acupuncture: The use of needles to affect the flow of energy in the body. Can also be used to release muscular tension and trigger points, relieve pain, reduce stress, and promote sleep, all of which are possible factors which contribute to headaches. 2. Acupressure: often referred to as “acupuncture without needles”, acupressure is an effective tool in the treatment of headaches and it can safely be used at home if needed. 3. Bodywork: Cupping - the use of suction to relieve muscle tension and promote blood flow, Gua sha or “skin scraping”- releases toxins, relieves muscular tension, disperses “stuck” energy, and Tui na – a form of massage which incorporates many aspects of acupressure. 4. Chinese diet therapy: Your practitioner may also provide you with diet recommendations specific to your treatment plan which may help prevent the recurrence of headaches.

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