We treat Jaw Pain!

Jaw pain? Trouble opening your mouth? Headaches?
If you have experienced them, you would know that severe temporo-mandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction can be incredibly disabling.

Jaw pain can have a major impact on your daily life. Talking and eating can become hard - things that many of us take great pleasure in. 

Many people don’t realise that TMJ dysfunction is a significant source of pain in the neck/head region – and that these conditions are highly treatable. Research suggests that around 20% of people may suffer from TMJ dysfunction, with a slightly higher prevalence in women.

Do you suffer from any of these common symptoms of TMJ dysfunction?

• Localised jaw pain or tenderness
• Clicking, popping or grating sensations of the jaw
• Headaches
• Teeth grinding
• Tinnitus (ringing) or blocked ear sensations
• Pain with chewing
• Inability to fully open the mouth
• Locking of the jaw
• Blocked sinus, tooth pain, neck stiffness, face numbness, twitching...

Far too many of us these days have had some experience personally or with loved ones who are dealing with migraine and its physical, emotional and mental impact.

If you have a headache, the easiest thing to do is to pop a pill. But if you're one of those people who suffer from chronic headaches and migraines, you know that this tactic doesn't work. Your head still aches and you're still miserable. 

There are numerous reasons for chronic headaches, but it's often due to inflammation and imbalances in your brain and body. This is caused by many different things like nutritional deficiencies, hormonal imbalance, gut health, food sensitivities/intolerances, stress, lack of sleep, poor diet, and infections and toxins.

Though we don’t have all the answers yet, we do know that focusing on the essentials of brain health can have a big impact on reducing the frequency and severity of migraine attacks, and often putting migraine into remission. 

We have been researching brain...

Migraines can be devastating, and there are many new treatments on the horizon: drugs, diets and lifestyle changes.

But who should you see? And what remedies will help you the most?

The first step should be to see an excellent general practitioner or family doctor who can confirm that you have a migraine and, if possible, rule out other causes for your symptoms. They should also have a good neurologist that they can refer you to if needed and referrals to other migraine experts that can help you get to the root cause of your condition. 

We know that the best migraine treatment is an integrative approach. People that commit to this "integrative" approach consistently put their migraines in remission.

However, the correct treatment for migraine is still controversial because there are many kinds of migraines and no single migraine treatment. 

There is an arsenal of migraine medications (painkillers and anti-inflammatories), but because the body's inflammatory response...

Have you ever experienced dizziness and vertigo?

Are you wondering why is it occurring?

Still not sure of who should you consult? 

If so, this complete guide to dizziness and vertigo is for you.

Vertigo and dizziness can arise from a range of conditions and can be severely debilitating. That’s why having a deep and clear understanding about these issues is a key step in finding long-term relief.

In this guide, we will dive deeper into the anatomy and physiology, symptoms, and different causes of dizziness and vertigo as well as some prescribed medications, ways on how to fix it, and home remedies and diets that can help reduce symptoms.

Anatomy and physiology

Inside the inner ear is a series of bony canals that are filled with fluid. These canals are oriented at different angles and, as the head moves, the fluid within the bony canals move. This sends messages to the brain telling it how fast and what direction to move the head and neck. The information...

If you are experiencing migraine attacks, then you know how debilitating they can be. That's why it's essential to work with a knowledgeable team about diagnosing and treating migraine headaches.

It's also important to know that you are not alone. There are many support networks out there for you, including the team here at Melbourne Headache Solutions.  

This blog post will answer the most common questions that people ask about their migraine condition. 

What exactly is a Migraine?

Migraine is a neurological condition affecting the brain, but it can cause symptoms throughout the entire body that can range from severe head pain, nausea and vomiting to temporary paralysis of parts of the body.   

A migraine is classically described as an intense, throbbing headache usually on one side of the head accompanied by nausea and sensitivity to light or sound. However, there can be a huge range of symptoms, and no two people’s migraine are...

Migraines can be debilitating, leaving you in pain and unable to function daily. If you're suffering from chronic migraines, you must find the proper treatment to stop your migraines before they have lasting effects on your life. 

If it's been more than two years and you're still not seeing much improvement in your condition, it may be time to find a new doctor who can give you the kind of treatment that works best for you and your migraines. 

However, finding the right migraine doctor to treat your condition can be challenging and time-consuming, especially if you don't know where to look or what questions to ask. 

This article will help you find the best migraine doctor so you can reduce the number of migraines you experience and regain control of your life.

Here are some signs that it's time to move on and find a new migraine doctor:

1. You’ve tried various medications but nothing seem to work. 

If you’ve tried countless of medications...

If you have been suffering from chronic headaches and migraine without getting much relief, seeing a headache and migraine specialist can help you get a correct diagnosis and make sure you are receiving the proper treatment. 

A specialist will check your symptoms, look for the cause, and set up a detailed plan to treat your pain and improve your everyday life.

Of course, your regular doctor can help you a lot. But a specialist often has a deeper understanding of headaches and migraines and may have access to different treatments, such as Botox

It can take people with migraine many years before they see a migraine specialist, but you shouldn’t wait that long if you feel that your current treatment is not providing the relief that you or your doctor expected.  

A migraine specialist may perform additional tests such as brain scans and blood tests to ensure that your migraines and headaches are not caused by any life-threatening condition such as a tumor.

Typically...

Have you ever had a raging headache after enjoying your favourite bottle of wine?

You’re probably wondering why something that tastes so good can cause you so much pain. Read on to find out the main culprits of your wine headaches and how you can beat them.

Approximately one-third of headache and migraine sufferers will report their symptoms being triggered by the consumption of alcohol. Particularly, red wine has been identified as the main migraine trigger for centuries now. While alcohol can bring you closer to other people, it can also make you more prone to headaches and migraine attacks. Not too fair, isn’t it?

Mostly, we believe that we have just reached our alcohol limit thus, that throbbing pain in our head. However, this is not always the case. Some of us has had only a sip or two then the headache begins. So, what is it about wine that causes headaches?

Before we get into naming the main culprits of your wine headaches, let us bust one myth first: Sulfites do...

A lot of women link headaches and migraines to pregnancy and menopause. But what is the truth behind experiencing headaches and migraines during periods of pregnancy and menopause?

There had been a lot of confusion surrounding the effects of pregnancy and menopause on headaches and migraines. That’s what we are going to make clear. According to Dr. Beth, when women go through pregnancy or menopause, there are many hormonal changes that the body experiences and that is how they affect headaches and migraines. When you go through these periods, things tend to fluctuate up and down and three possible things could happen: (1) your headaches and migraines disappear; (2) they will get worse; or (3) they won’t change at all.

You want the first possibility to occur, but headaches and migraines have different effects on women.

Like any other part of your body, both pregnancy and menopause and their associated pains and symptoms...

Stress is reported as the number one trigger in headache and migraine sufferers. It can come in many forms, including both emotional and physical stressors, which leads to an increase in the stress hormone, cortisol. There are many exercises that can be used to help decrease stress which can help to decrease your headaches and migraines, but one very effective and easy way is through breathing exercises.

The simple breathing exercise, known as diaphragmatic breathing, consists of breathing through your mouth while trying to actively control your abdomen –your belly button is one of the primary focus points. Basically, you are using your diaphragm, a large muscle in your chest, to breathe. This type of breathing has benefits beyond just alleviating headache symptoms; it can also help with everything from digestion and even lowering blood pressure.

The benefits of diaphragmatic breathing

There’s a reason these exercises are so popular —it’s because they...