A woman's natural menopause, which marks the end of her reproductive years, is a transformational process marked by hormonal changes. While hot flashes and mood swings are among the more well-known menopause symptoms, headaches, and migraines are both common and frequently overlooked components. The link between menopause and headaches/migraines is examined in this article, along with the underlying causes and possible treatment options.

The Hormonal Influence

A woman's body goes through a significant decrease in oestrogen and progesterone levels during menopause. These hormonal changes can have a significant impact on many biological processes, including the control of blood arteries in the brain. The neurovascular processes associated with migraines and pain perception are known to be significantly influenced by oestrogen in particular.

Oestrogen's Impact on Pain Thresholds

The pain-processing centres in the brain are thought to be affected by oestrogen. Women may...

It's Headache and Migraine Awareness Month, and it's the perfect opportunity to review where you are at with your migraine attacks and what additional things you can do to find more relief from migraine.

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.  

 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. This 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,...

Today is Day 3 of National Pain Week and we have been exploring the connection between headaches and migraines and other health conditions. Today we are speaking about Arnold Chiari Malformations. 

Arnold Chiari Malformations (ACMs), headaches, and migraines are interrelated medical conditions that can cause discomfort and pain in the head and neck region. ACMs are structural defects in the brain and spinal cord that can cause headaches and migraines, while headaches and migraines are common symptoms associated with ACMs. Understanding the connection between these conditions can help patients better understand their symptoms and treatment options.

Arnold Chiari Malformations are a group of structural defects in the brain that occur when a portion of the brain called the cerebellum descends into the spinal canal. There are four different types of ACMs, ranging from mild to severe, and each type can have different symptoms and treatment options. Common symptoms of ACMs...

People often ask “What do I do specifically for a vestibular migraine?” or “What can I do to help my hemiplegic migraines?” and the answers are fairly similar because regardless of what general type of migraine you have, they stem from the same place. 

Migraines are a type of headache that affects millions of people worldwide. They are characterized by a severe headache, often accompanied by light sensitivity, sound sensitivity, nausea, and vomiting. Migraines can be debilitating and can greatly impact a person's quality of life. In many cases, migraines are caused by a condition called central sensitization. Understanding the connection between central sensitization and migraines can help people better understand their symptoms and available treatments.

Central sensitization is when the central nervous system, including the brain and spinal cord, becomes sensitized to stimuli. This sensitivity leads to an increased perception of pain, even from...

Waking up to a headache or migraine is an unfortunate way to kick off your day. Frequently, individuals ask, "Why do I wake up with a headache or migraine? Is it normal?"

Today, we'll delve into some of the most prevalent reasons behind waking up with a headache or migraine.

Hi, I'm Dr. Beth, an osteopath at Melbourne Headache Solutions.

Experiencing a headache every morning used to be a constant struggle for me, and it was undeniably the worst way to start the day. All I could wish for is for it to vanish!

But why do morning headaches and migraines occur?

Here are some common reasons why you might be waking up to that intense pain early in the morning.

One, if you're a snorer, or if you have conditions like sleep apnea, research indicates a higher likelihood of waking up with headaches or migraines.

Two, clenching or grinding your teeth increases the chances of waking up with morning headaches or migraines. The heightened tension in facial muscles and neck due to teeth clenching...

If you know that neck pain is adding, contributing, or causing your headaches and migraines, then today's video is for you. So today I'm going to show you an exercise to help reduce your neck pain and stiffness to hopefully help decrease your headaches and migraines.

Hi, I'm Dr Beth osteopath here at Melbourne Headache Solutions.

Neck pain and stiffness are two of the most common associated features with headaches and migraines. We know that there's one of the leading causes of headaches and migraines. Particularly, the top three joints in the neck, but you can't have healthy top three joints in the neck without having a healthy rest of the spine as well.

If it feels like concrete and it moves like concrete, then basically you can't have a healthy top part of the spine and you're going to get headaches and migraine. So, we need to make sure that your cervical spine and your neck is moving nice and healthily to help decrease those headaches and migraines.

So particularly for...

Sugar and carb heavy traits like cakes and lollies and breads, they all sound super tasty and they’re particularly prevalent right now in these weeks leading to Christmas, but could they be contributing to your headaches and migraines?

Hi everybody! My name is Helen and I'm an osteopath here at Melbourne Headache Solutions. Today I want to talk to you about how sugar and carbs could be affecting your headaches and migraines.

Fluctuations in your glucose level affect your brain more than any other organ in your body. These rises and drops can result in headaches. So how does this come about? Well, now, before you start going into a panic saying, I'm going to think, I'm going to tell you to stop eating all your delicious traits. Don't worry, not everybody is affected by sugar and carbs and also not all sugar is bad for us.

There are three different types of sugars that could be really bad for us. It's things like sucrose, which is our white table sugar. Fructose, which is found...

New persistent daily headaches can be slightly terrifying or even terrifying when they come on because one day, you don’t have any kind of headache but then all of a sudden, now you’ve got a headache all day every day. So, we’re talking about where do they come from, what are they, and most importantly, what can we do about them?

Hi! I’m Dr. Beth. Osteopath here at Melbourne Headache Solutions.

Chronic headaches or this new persistent daily headache, they’re essentially a threshold problem. So, with these headaches, they come on when you have reached your certain threshold and all of a sudden, the headache has now started switching on. Now, your threshold is different to my threshold, which is different to the next person’s threshold. So, essentially, we have these building blocks that contribute and build up until essentially we have reached our threshold where the headaches will turn on. Now, what are these building blocks that contribute to...