Learn More About... Headaches and Migraine
HEADACHE AND MIGRAINE: A GENTLE, EFFECTIVE TREATMENT WITHOUT DRUGS
Headache is the number one health complaint, even more prevalent than the common cold. Chronic headache pain is traditionally treated with a wide variety of Drugs, each with their own set of side effects. It is important to our health that we find an alternative to treating the symptoms of headache and treat the cause. Dr. Strasser has over 20 years of experience providing gentle, drugless treatment for headache and migraine. He ia a professional member of the International Headache Society.
Dr. Strasser takes an individual approach to diagnosing headache pain. Headaches are signals from the body of imbalance or disturbance. It is just a important to see headache pain as the outcome of a set of imbalances that are unique to you. "Treat the patient, not the disease" is crucial to successful drugless management of headache pain. The important question for Dr. Strasser is, "What is the body trying to tell us?" by giving us headache symptoms.
Based on a comprehensive history and examination, Dr. Strasser provides an integrated program of care for headaches that includes gentle cranial therapy, gentle chiropractic manipulation and manual techniques, nutrition, research-based botanicals and supplements, and stress-lifestyle strategies.It is important to emphasize that you can have more than one type of headache, and sometimes specifically identifying a headache type is difficult. This supports treating headache symptoms on an individual basis.
Here is Dr. Strasser's commentary on the most common headache types and his approach to treatment:
- MIGRAINE: I consider migraine to be a neurological "threshold" headache. Migraine patients have an inherited tendency to these headaches. Migraine episodes occur when their threshold to an episode is lowered. For 20 years, I have treated migraine with a natural, drugless protocol of care. Patients are sometimes told that one particular supplement, diet, or spinal adjustment, will "cure" their migraines. However, in my clinical experience, managing migraine without drugs is complicated and there is no "quick-fix" to the natural treatment of migraines. Medical approaches, such as Triptans as well as "seizure" drugs and other medications, can stop Migraine symptoms, but run the risk of producing rebound headaches. All migraine drugs have substantial "side" effects. Triptan drugs are contraindicated in patients at risk for heart disease, an often silent disorder. Please see my article on Migraine (link) for a fuller explanation of my approach to diagnosis and treatment.
- TENSION HEADACHES: are common headaches that may be related to the same threshold factors that account for Migraines. Tension headaches usually involve both sides of the head, unlike Migraine which usually affects only one side. Tension headaches are almost always less severe than Migraine, but they can be chronic and very disruptive. The same chronic threshold factors that can cause Migraine can cause Tension headaches: structural fixations and imbalances, chronic stress, metabolic imbalances such as low blood sugar, hormonal imbalances, sleep disorders can lower the bodies threshold and set off tension-type headaches. Tension headaches are usually easier to treat than Migraines. I utilize gentle chiropractic care in conjunction with addressing threshold imbalances to treat tension headaches. If you suffer from chronic Tension headaches, I may suggest Cranial Therapy (link) in addition to chiropractic and holistic approaches.
- NECK/CERVICAL SPINE HEADACHE : are headaches that are directly related to fixations or restrictions in the spinal joints in the neck (and the tight muscles resulting from such joint restrictions). Migraines and tension Headaches can have spinal fixations as an important factor lowering the threshold to attack. Usually, neck-related headaches are more directly related to a neck injury, postural or muscular imbalances, or chronic neck problems. If neck pain or restriction comes just prior to a headache, you may have a Cervical Spine Headache, although migraine and tension Headaches also sometimes are signaled with neck symptoms. I utilize gentle chiropractic techniques including non-force approaches to treat cervical Headaches.
- TRAUMA HEADACHE: usually occur after a head injury, sometimes even if the accident is a relatively minor one. Also, called a post-traumatic headache, often mimic Migraine and Tension Headache. Trauma headaches respond especially well to gentle cranial therapy and gentle chiropractic techniques including non-force approaches.
- REBOUND HEADACHE: are an important and medically-recognized classification of headaches in which drugs and pain medications can themselves trigger headache symptoms. This can occur with patients taking migraine medication, such as Triptan drugs, and taking these drugs more than 2-3x weekly is considered contraindicated because of the rebound phenomena. If taken regularly, any painkiller, including over-the-counter medications can suppress the bodies natural abilities to produce internal painkillers. In the treatment of headaches, rebound phenomena has to be treated with careful drug withdrawal in conjuncition with chiropractic care and cranial therapy.
- SINUS HEADACHE: are associated with inflammation and infection of the sinus cavities, but are considered rare. Often pain in the sinus regions, above and below the eyebrows or behind the cheekbones, are not true sinus infections, but symptoms of tension or migraine headaches. I evalaute sinus pain to determine whether patients are having a true sinus infection. Chronic sinus infections are often due to complex factors including cranial tension, allergies, stress and nutrition.
- HYPERSENSITIVITY/ALLERGY HEADACHE: are probably overdiagnosed by natural physicians, naturopaths and chiropractors, and ignored by medical physicians. Some patients have true hypersensitivies to foods and benefit from nutritional approaches. Often however chronic stress and other theshold factors are the primary core of headache symptoms. Highly complicated and restrictive diets, and an emphasis on "detoxification", are often not helpful to the headache patient. Constructive, reasonable nutritional suggestions are often helpful in headache management and particular trigger foods need to be eliminated and modified, but an overemphasis on food allergies, food combining and "toxicity" are not relevant to headache management.
- TMJ HEADACHE: are characterized by facial pain primarily in the jaw. Usually pain is caused by muscule spasms associated with jaw misalignments, uneven bite and TMJ syndromes. Dental infections and conditions have to be ruled out. Invariably, if a patient is referred to a dentist, and there is no dental infection, they are prescibed "night guards" and bite appliances by their dentists, with no further treatment. I advocate an active approach that utilizes specific cranial therapies, gentle trigger point and manipulation techniques, to the jaw; cranial therapy to treat the effects of chronic stress; gentle spinal manipulation to treat the neck (often related to TMJ disorders) and lifestyle strategies to reduce stress and improve wellness. TMJ and jaw pain can be the outcome of important structural problems and imbalances in the body that require active care. See also this (link) for more information on my approach to TMJ diagnosis and treatment.
- CLUSTER HEADACHE: cause intense pain behind or near one eye. A cluster headache episode is characterized by additional symptoms of tearing and reddness of the eye, sweating, flushing and nasal congestion. This headache effects primarily men (90%). Episodes occur several times a day usually in cycles that can last for weeks. I treat cluster headaches with the same strategy as migraines. They can be considered a "threshold" type of headache. A careful history and examination and an individualized approach to treatment is the key to successful, drugless management. Lifestyle changes, cranial and chiropractic therapies, specialized supplementation are emphasized.
- ORGANIC HEADACHE: These headaches are rare (less than 2% of all headaches), but they are symptoms of serious medical problems outside of the scope of chiropractic. I refer patients suspected of having organic headache immediately for medical evaluation. Organic headaches are associated with tumor, infection, severe high blood pressure (severe hypertension) or stroke.
Dr. Strasser has over 20 years of experience helping patients manage Headaches. By evaluating each individual patient for threshold factors and determining what might be lowering or overwhelmng their threshold to headache episodes, Dr. Strasser establishes an integrated approach to management.
Dr. Strasser combines gentle chiropractic approaches, cranial therapy, nutrition, selected individualized supplements and stress-reduction strategies to treat headache pain. Dr. Strasser regularly works with other health professionals, and refers as necessary, to provide you with a team-approach to headache treatment.
We are always available to answer questions you may have regarding Dr. Strasser's approach to treating Headaches.
