Why is stress a trigger for headaches and migraines?And what you can do to stop it?

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:

• Migraine sufferers potentially respond to cortisol levels differently than non-migraine sufferers however this does not appear to have any impact on a migraine (2)
• Noradrenaline levels were found to be lower in migraine sufferers when compared to non-migraine sufferers (3). If the stress hormones played a role in setting off a migraine, noradrenaline levels would be expected to be higher, not lower than non-migraine sufferers. Infact, noradrenaline can be used to help treat migraines in the form of a preventative drug, Effexor, therefore once again confirming to us that it does not play a role in initiating a migraine.

So how then is stress triggering our headaches and migraines?

Your neck is the cause of headaches and migraines:
We know that:

• The underlying disorder in headaches and migraines is due to hyper excitability in the brainstem
• Misalignment of the upper neck can lead to this hyper excitability causing the head pain of a headache/migraine as well as the associated symptoms of a migraine.

Most of the muscles of the neck and shoulders attach into these top 3 joints in the neck therefore if they become tight, can lead to this misalignment, setting off a headache/migraine attack. When we get stressed, most often our first reaction is to protect the vulnerable areas of our body which are our abdomen and our neck. Therefore we hunch over and we shrug our shoulders up towards our ears. This promotes:

• A curving of the back
• Rounding of the shoulders
• Tightening of the muscles
• A forward head posture.

All combined, this posture places a lot of tension through the headache and migraine producing joints of the neck, therefore you are more likely to induce a headache/migraine attack. So what can be done to help decrease your headaches/migraines and prevent them in the future?

How to prevent a headache/migraine:
Weekend headaches/migraines are VERY common but this is our time for rest and relaxation, the work week was stressful. Why are you getting a migraine on the weekend when you aren’t stressed? It is also very common to get a headache/migraine on the most stressful days of the week, even if the rest of the week has been moderately stressful. Research has shown that you are more likely to experience a headache/migraine when your stress levels are uneven and not consistent. If you stabilize your stress levels, you are less likely to experience a headache/migraine.

It is important to carve out some dedicated time for yourself to help reduce pain attacks, whether it is reading a book, going out on a date night, yoga, whatever it is that helps you focus on you again and not on the stresses of the world/life. To help you relax, try sitting with good posture with your head in a neutral alignment, actively relax your shoulders and take 10 moderate breaths. Perform this whenever you feel stress taking ahold of you to help resettle you.

You can also get the cause of your headaches and migraines treated by having the top 3 joints in your neck treated by a practitioner with advanced training in the field of headaches and migraines.

So if you are sick of stress triggering your headaches/migraines, try these tips or come and have your neck assessed today.


References:
1)      https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3475609/
2)      https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29039159
3)      https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17568991