Many a person has tried to resolve their headaches and migraines by suppressing them. Having had many decades of headaches and migraines myself, dating back to early childhood, I can appreciate reaching out for anything that works. Having also resolved them (they are now past history), I know how it feels to be rid of them as well (hint: it is wonderful!). But it was a journey.
The most important lesson I have learned about headaches and migraines, from my own history and that of many, many patients, is that there is no one reason for them, and no one cure. It is a puzzle. An important thing that anyone can do for their headaches is to explore the multiplicity of factors that could be involved. Piecing together other seemingly unrelated symptoms, tests beyond the traditional medical tests, listening intently while going through a thorough health and lifestyle history (not just current, but past as well) – it’s this kind of investigative work that is required to piece together the puzzle of what is causing the headaches.
Of course, it doesn’t stop there either. Once a complete picture is coming into clarity, acting on what is needed to change them, once and for all, is in order. To live a life headache-free, you have to be willing to live without that which is causing the headaches.
For instance: I had a patient with severe migraines especially after activity. She had a very athletic lifestyle that was compromised every time she ran or even remotely pushed herself. She ate cleanly, drank plenty of water, was within a perfect weight, but yet suffered these debilitating migraines. After thorough investigation we found she was being overdosed on bio-identical hormone replacement therapy (b-HRT). In fact, it was so high, the lab called me personally to report it. When I told her I felt this was the cause, she was alarmed and in tears because she so loved her b-HRT. Patients have to make their own decision whether or not to go off medications, and this was no different. She went home, discussed it with her husband and medical doctor and decided to wean off. Weaning of HRT is not an easy process and it wasn’t for her. However, within a month, she could already tell the difference in her migraines, and within a few months she was migraine free, and still is, several years later.
Even though, in that case, there appeared to be one cause, it still took more investigative work to figure out, beyond that, why she needed HRT in the first place. So, using acupuncture, dietary modifications and supplements, we resolved her hormonal imbalance (you can’t go off a medication and not fix the underlying cause that necessitated the drugs!).
With good investigative work, you can solve the problem of your headaches once and for all by putting together all the puzzle pieces and fixing the picture, not just suppress the puzzle piece!
©2023 Holly A. Carling, O.M.D., L.Ac., Ph.D.
