Topiramate - why treat the symptoms when you could treat the cause?
Dec 09, 2018
Migraine is a very common disorder characterized by a headache and associated features with or without the presence of an aura. For many years it has been a poorly understood condition but now we know that the underlying disorder of a migraine is due to brainstem sensitization aka hyperexcitability of the neurons in the brainstem (1). Topiramate, brand name Topamax, is a preventative medication that has been used to treat migraines although it’s original use, and is still commonly used, as an anti-epileptic drug. So why are we using an anti-epileptic medication to treat migraines, how does it help, what do you need to know and could there be a better option?
Frequently asked questions
Nov 19, 2018
I love and encourage questions however, commonly similar ones pop up, so here is a list of the most frequently asked questions and their answers to help you if you have been wondering the same things.
I’ve had my neck treated before so how is the Watson Headache Approach different?
Common manual therapy techniques utilised by osteopaths, physiotherapists and chiropractors are specific for neck pain, not headaches and migraines. The Watson Headache Approach has been designed to specifically treat headaches and migraines and is the only manual therapy technique, with research to support it that addresses the underlying disorder of a migraine, brainstem sensitization.
I’ve tried everything out there, manual therapy, tablets, botox etc. Could this work for me?
Yes. For approximately 80% of people the cause of their headaches and migraines is their neck. Medication just aims for symptomatic relief therefore sometimes it might reduce them but you’re still suffering, it...
Why is stress a trigger for headaches and migraines?And what you can do to stop it?
Nov 09, 2018
Up to 70% of individuals suffering with migraines report stress as a trigger (1). Whilst stress can be managed and is encouraged, there are certain times when stress enters our lives and it can’t be avoided, making these stressful periods even harder. So why is stress setting off a migraine attack and what can be done to prevent them from occurring?
It is a commonly accepted that hormones are a big trigger for headaches and migraines but are the stress hormones the cause or is it another factor of stress that triggers a migraine?
The stress hormones:
The main hormones associated with stress are cortisol and adrenaline. When we are stressed we go into either fight or flight mode however in both modes, cortisol and adrenaline levels are elevated, so are they responsible for setting off a headache/migraine attack? Research indicates that:
The stress hormones:
The main hormones associated with stress are cortisol and adrenaline. When we are stressed we go into either fight or flight mode however in both modes, cortisol and adrenaline levels are elevated, so are they responsible for setting off a headache/migraine attack? Research indicates that:
- Migraine sufferers potentially respond to cortisol levels differently than non-migraine sufferers however this does not appear to have...
5 things doctors don't tell you about headaches and migraines
Oct 04, 2018
The chances are that if you are reading this that either you or someone you know is suffering from ongoing headaches and or migraines, and I am sure that you are frustrated with not having a real solution.
Why does the only answer seem to be drugs or invasive procedures?
So let’s lift the lid on the secrets of the causes and treatments for headaches and migraines to help you get the best possible solution.
Why does the only answer seem to be drugs or invasive procedures?
So let’s lift the lid on the secrets of the causes and treatments for headaches and migraines to help you get the best possible solution.
1) Regardless of whether you feel neck discomfort or pain there is a strong connection between neck dysfunction and headaches and migraines.
Many cases of headache are caused by referred pain from an area away from the actual pain. This is very common phenomenon in the body. It’s like pain from a heart attack referring to the left arm.
This is a map of the referred pain areas which shows that based on where the pain is located headaches often come from the neck. If your doctor doesn't know this or does not how to examine the neck precisely - then...
Many cases of headache are caused by referred pain from an area away from the actual pain. This is very common phenomenon in the body. It’s like pain from a heart attack referring to the left arm.
This is a map of the referred pain areas which shows that based on where the pain is located headaches often come from the neck. If your doctor doesn't know this or does not how to examine the neck precisely - then...
Frosty days and bitter pain
Aug 13, 2018
It has been a common statement from patients that during these frosty Winter days, their headaches and migraines have increased. Their belief was that it was the cold that was making their pain worse, however it wasn’t actually the outdoor temperature that was the cause but rather their response to that drop in the thermometer that was leading to the increase in their pain.
During the coldest months of the year, we tend to hibernate. We spend more time indoors doing more stationary activities including reading books, watching television/Netflix and spending more time on out computers, rather than going outside for a walk, jogging or cycling. Due to these activities, our necks are getting less movement, promoting them to become stiff. Most indoor activities also promote a forward head carriage/chin poke posture which places strain on the upper 3 joints in the neck. The combination of these two elements provides the perfect environment for a headache/migraine to breed,...
The deep neck flexors - the pillars of strength of the neck
Aug 13, 2018
Our head weighs approximately the same weight as a light bowling ball (5kgs) and it sits atop our neck which is comprised of 7 cervical vertebra. The vertebra not only have muscles which attach to it that provide stabilization for the neck but these muscles also support the bowling ball of a head we carry around. So who are these muscles? They are the deep neck flexors: longus capitus and longus colli.
The deep neck flexors run down the anterior and antero-lateral surface of your spine to help stabilise your neck and support your head when stationary and in movement. When these muscles get weak however, this leads to things like forward head posture which can lead to dysfunctions in through the upper 3 joints in your neck, leading to headaches and migraines.
When the deep neck flexors are strong, they allow surrounding muscles to work optimally, however when they are weak, the other muscles need to work to support the neck and head and they can get over...
When the deep neck flexors are strong, they allow surrounding muscles to work optimally, however when they are weak, the other muscles need to work to support the neck and head and they can get over...
Let's stop sharing a bed with migraines
Aug 13, 2018
There has been an undeniable connection between headaches/migraines and sleep for decades. Too little an amount of sleep can trigger a headache and yet having a sleep in on a lazy Sunday morning can also set off a migraine. Those with headaches and migraines are at two to eight times’ greater risk of having a sleep disorder than the general public with nearly half of all migraines occurring between 4-9am. Waking first thing in the morning or shortly after you wake is an important sign that sleep may be affecting your headaches. However not only can the quality of your sleep be affecting your headaches/migraines, but also the way in which you sleep.
Biological links between sleep and headaches:
Lack of sleep and too much sleep are known to be a trigger for migraines. Disruptions in regular sleeping patterns, such as shift work and jet lag can also be triggers for migraines. Being excessively tired pre or post a migraine is common and it can also be therapeutic during a...
Lack of sleep and too much sleep are known to be a trigger for migraines. Disruptions in regular sleeping patterns, such as shift work and jet lag can also be triggers for migraines. Being excessively tired pre or post a migraine is common and it can also be therapeutic during a...
Posture – what is it good for? Absolutely everything!
Jun 25, 2018
“Sit up straight!” “Don’t slouch!” Ah don’t those words sound familiar. Well your mother was right when she said these phrases over and over again and don’t seem to have been paying attention. Having good posture is important for the health of every part of our body including our lower back, pelvis, upper back, shoulders and even our mood. But most importantly having good posture in important for the health of our neck due to the strong connection that our neck has with headaches and migraines. Most of us know what good posture is supposed to look like and yet we don’t implement strategies to help us achieve it. So here are some tips to help you improve your posture to help decrease your headaches and migraines.
Desk ergonomics:
As a species we like to believe that we have evolved and yet with all the knowledge we have acquired I like to believe that we have begun to devolve because we have made ourselves slaves to our desk...
As a species we like to believe that we have evolved and yet with all the knowledge we have acquired I like to believe that we have begun to devolve because we have made ourselves slaves to our desk...
The pill free solution to your headaches
Mar 15, 2018
Have headaches got you constantly in pain and feeling down?
That was the case for Mrs. X until she came and discovered the pill-free solution to her chronic headaches and migraines.
Mrs. X is a mid-30-year-old female with daily ‘background’ headaches that would spike into severe migraines once every 2-3 weeks. Although this sounds bad, this was actually the best Mrs. X had felt in years because her migraines used to be far more frequent.
What helped to decrease these headaches/migraines down to this current state was:
That was the case for Mrs. X until she came and discovered the pill-free solution to her chronic headaches and migraines.
Mrs. X is a mid-30-year-old female with daily ‘background’ headaches that would spike into severe migraines once every 2-3 weeks. Although this sounds bad, this was actually the best Mrs. X had felt in years because her migraines used to be far more frequent.
What helped to decrease these headaches/migraines down to this current state was:
- Preventative medication
Botox injections into the back of the neck
Plus pain medication when the migraines did attack.
Mrs. X had little sleep leading her to be constantly exhausted, but too much sleep would bring on a migraine. The constant pain and drowsiness were affecting her mood, her concentration and her ability to be sociable.
Mrs. X had previously had an MRI performed that was clear of...
5 things you’ve been doing wrong for your headaches/migraines
Mar 14, 2018
Have you been suffering for years from headaches/migraines and tried everything under the sun to try to help them?
Here are the 5 common mistakes that people make when trying to treat their headaches and migraines.
Here are the 5 common mistakes that people make when trying to treat their headaches and migraines.
According to the Migraine Research Foundation, migraines are the 3rd most prevalent illness in the world and the 6th most disabling.
In our ever increasingly busy lives, sometimes it is hard to take a moment to breathe, let alone stop to take a break. In between, kids, partners, friends, work, and activities, let alone the pain, no one has time to be regularly debilitated by migraines.
Wouldn’t life be that much easier without having to worry about headaches or migraines?
“Life throws enough challenges at us without having to deal with frequent headaches/migraines to make it even harder. Why not make life easier for yourself and take the time to work on you?”
-Dr. Beth Yule – Osteopath at Premier Sports and Spinal Medicine
Here are 5...
