A Functional Approach to Uncovering the Cause of Your Headaches and Migraines.

Do you suffer from fatigue, brain fog, allergies, general aches and pains and inflammation?  Do you experience gastrointestinal issues and does your diet need a major overhaul?  This article could give you some insight into what could be causing your issues.
 
Did you know that there are significant links between migraine/headache and a range of inflammatory disorders such as asthma, obesity, metabolic syndrome, estrogen dominance, allergies and GI diseases?  Dysbiosis of the gut microbiota and increased intestinal permeability (leaky gut) may be causing a hyperactive immune response in your body resulting in chronic inflammation, headaches and migraines.
 
The gut microbiome is made up of tens of trillions of microorganisms, some good, some bad. The bacteria in our gut are essential for communication between the gut and the brain, digestion of food, a strong immune system and even our mental state.
A whole variety of lifestyle, genetic and environmental factors can trigger gastrointestinal issues, including use of antibiotics and NSAIDs, high fat diet, hormonal imbalances, stress and infection.  This reduces the integrity of your gut lining, affects immune responses and alters the bacterial environment (microbiome) in the gut making you more vulnerable to inflammation and headaches.    
 
Impairment to the lining of our gut creates intestinal permeability (leaky gut).  As a result toxic mediators such as food particles, bacterial toxins and other pathogens leak into the blood stream and trigger a heightened immune response.  This leads to pain and inflammation, food sensitivities/triggers, and deficiencies in absorbing the nutrients, minerals and electrolytes required for the body's normal metabolic processes.
 
Exposure to and accumulation of toxins, chemical toxins and toxic metals can also alter your immune responses resulting in toxic overload, hypersensitivity, allergy and auto-immunity, reducing your immunity to infections and creating a pro-inflammatory environment where headaches and migraine thrive.
 
Mitochondial cells are particularly susceptible to nutrient deficiencies, environmental toxins, and oxidative damage.  Mitochondrial cell damage reduces CoEnzyme Q10 production, causes defects in cell energy production, increases free radicals (unstable molecules which are highly reactive), reduces antioxidant protection, creates cellular damage, brain inflammation and hyperexcitation of nerves. Headache and migraine can occur as a result.  
 
During an attack, pain in the head, neck and face, and associated symptoms of headaches and migraine are triggered by dysfunctions in the top 3 vertebrae of the spine.  This is further exacerbated by being in a state of chronic inflammation and results in hypersensitisation of the nerves that exit the spine at those levels. Pain signals are sent to the brainstem creating the unpleasant sensations of headache and migraine.  If these dysfunctions remain unaddressed inflammation and pain continues.
 
Changing the cycle of inflammation is easier than you think.  Modifying lifestyle and environmental factors that contribute to your symptoms can cause a significant improvement in your quality of life.  Introducing strategies and diets to support your gut microbiome, repair the gut lining, increase immunity, and replenish essential nutrients will aid in repairing your body's natural metabolic processes and reduce inflammation.
 
Research shows that multistrain probiotics can reduce the intensity and frequency of migraine attacks, and in reverse enhanced function of the gut can decrease intensity and duration of migraine attacks.
 
Detoxifying from chemical, metal and environmental pollutants can take time but results in decreasing inflammation and reducing oxidative stress and headaches/migraines.  Ensure chemicals and mould are removed from the home and workplace in order to decrease the toxic load on your body, leaving you feeling energised and healthy.
 
Dietary Response
 
Introducing dietary changes and supplements to repair the gut lining, improve cellular energy and fight free radical damage is an important part of the journey to becoming symptom free and reducing prescription medication use.  Research suggests the following diets can be of benefit when treating headaches and migraines.
 
The Microbiome Diet
A diet that promotes microbiome diversity. Excludes all processed foods, added sugar and sweeteners, hormones, chemicals, soy, dairy and grains.  Eat large and diverse portions of plant based food (30 per day) and take supplements to heal the gut.  Take supplements to enhance your stomach acid and digestive enzymes and eat high probiotic and prebiotic foods such as onion and garlic, almonds, legumes, kombucha, banana and kimchi to repopulate the microbiome in the gut.
 
The Alkaline Diet
Normalizing your pH levels can be done by simply increasing your consumption of certain foods that will raise your pH.  These include lemon water, green smoothies, super greens, almonds, raw vegetables, and apple cider vinegar.  Ditch processed and packaged food for more whole foods.
 
Ketogenic Diet
Many migraineurs have a genetic intolerance to carbohydrates and the ability of the brain to use glucose as a fuel source, this creates an electrolyte imbalance and migraine.  Eating a low carbohydrate diet high in healthy fats results in the creation of ketone bodies which can be used as fuel for the brain in place of glucose. As a consequence imbalances in electrolytes are corrected and migraines relieved.
 
GAPS Diet
(Gut and psychology diet) 
The GAPS protocol is designed to heal the gut, preventing toxins from entering the bloodstream and lowering “toxicity” in the body. Designed to heal and seal the gut lining, rebalance the immune system, and restore the optimal bacterial ecosystem within the gastrointestinal tract.  Restricts all grains, dairy, starchy vegetables and all processed/refined carbohydrates while focusing on easily digestible and nutrient dense foods.  Supplemented with probiotics, essential fatty acids, and digestive support.
 
IgG Elimination Diet
An IgG elimination diet is a common treatment strategy to address IgG food sensitivities. An elimination diet removes foods that may be causing inflammatory immune responses.  These foods are then carefully reintroduced at a later date.  Elimination diets can pinpoint symptom-triggering foods that may cause or worsen headaches, migraines and other chronic conditions. An IgG elimination diet has been found to be helpful for those suffering both IBS and migraine.  Gluten, dairy, eggs, corn and soy and mould are avoided.
 
Paleo- AIP Diet and “Stress Remedy Program”
The AIP (autoimmune-protocol) takes the paleo diet and adjusts it to focus on healing leaky gut and decreasing inflammation in the body.  Eliminating grains, dairy, eggs, nightshade vegetables, sweeteners, carbohydrate and fructose, as well as nuts and seeds are shown to improve GI repair. Nightshade vegetables, such as tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, and peppers, are known to worsen leaky gut, increase inflammation, and aggravate pain.
 
Supplements
 
Using specific supplements may decrease headaches and migraines by aiding in GI function, decreasing inflammation, balancing microbiome diversity, healing the gut lining, aiding cellular recovery and optimising immune response.  Studies suggest that the most effective supplements for headache and migraine are Magnesium, Coenzyme Q10, Vitamin B1, 2, 3, 6, 12, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Vitex, Feverfew, Probiotics and Melatonin.
 
Final Note  
 
For best results investigations such as GI mapping, blood tests, IgG allergy tests, etc can be undertaken under the guidance of a functional medicine practitioner, nutritionist, or naturopathic doctor to ensure you have the correct diagnosis and dietary requirements.  
 
If any of this resonates with you and you want to find out more about what could be triggering your headaches and migraines then get in touch with us.  Here at Melbourne Headache Solutions we are passionate about helping people with their headaches and migraines. We are dedicated to finding out what the root cause of your problem is and helping you to find a way to get your symptoms under control.  We are currently open and operating at normal hours so please get in touch!
 
 
Written by Dr Helen (Osteopath) who works in our Camberwell Clinic - Melbourne Headache Solutions https://www.melbourneheadachesolutions.com.au/the-team.html