Many suffer from headaches and migraines. In my practice, I have helped those with headaches lasting only a few times a week for a few months to those that have severe daily headaches for upwards of 20 years.
Often, these headaches affect every aspect of life, depriving enjoyment of family and friends to interfering with work and responsibilities.
I found there to be many causes for headaches. Often, headache suffers having multiple causes and types of headaches at the same time. The simplest reason, but still often tricky, is the muscular or tension headache. These headaches often overlap with other headaches, like sinus, migraine and cluster headaches. Muscular headaches can involve muscle spasm and contraction in sites close to the pain, but often are sent through a series of muscles, sometimes from distant points of the body, such as the pelvis, low back or even the foot and ankle. Other times, the headache might “feel” as if it is occurring in the back of the neck at the base of the skull, yet often the initial spasm came from the front of the neck or shoulders.
Many headaches have hormonal components. Often, these headache sufferers find an increase in severity or number of headaches during their menstrual cycle. Balancing these hormones can reduce headaches sometime without any physical attention to the muscles spasms. The largest reason for headaches I find is related to the digestive and immune systems. Your digestive system actually contains between 60 to 70 percent of your immune system. Poor digestion often causes dysfunction in the way this part of the immune system reacts, often causing widespread inflammation. Sometimes that inflammation can affect the way blood vessels, nerves, ligaments and muscles function, causing pain often in the form of a headache.
Many of these headache sufferers have had years of digestive problems, such as heartburn, reflux, indigestion, bloating, loose stools or constipation (at least one time a day). Often, the digestive problem will flare right before or after the headache. In treating these cases, I have seen many cases improve by solely treating the digestive system. These examples include most headache sufferers, but there are many more and a variety of ways to deal with them. We find the best approach is comprehensive. Treat the body as a whole; optimizing the physical, chemical and emotional perspectives give the best outcomes for headaches and a variety of other ailments. Always use experienced guidance in any treatment strategy.
Alternatives for Allergies
For many people, the change in season isn’t only about enjoying the warmer temperatures; it’s about fluctuations in their immune system as they begin the battle of seasonal allergies or hay fever.
Sneezing, runny nose, nasal congestion, post-nasal drip, itchy and watery eyes, coughing and breathing trouble are some of the symptoms that many Americans have been experiencing this spring.
Seasonal allergies are considered a type 1 immune reaction. These reactions happen immediately after being exposed to the allergen and result in the body releasing histamine. This inflammatory response leads to an array of symptoms that can range from breathing issues and swelling to the more common symptoms mentioned above.
Lastly, if ever experiencing a new type of severe headache, seek medical attention immediately as it may be a sign of a life-threatening condition.
Source: Dr. David Pollack. Location: Pollack Wellness Institute (formerly Creating Wellness Center) is located at 66 Commack Rd., Commack. For more information, call 631-462-0801 or visit CreatingWellnessLI.com. See ads on pages 21 and 31.
