Chronic Headache

In medicine a headache or cephalalgia is a symptom of a number of different conditions of the head. Headache is caused by a disturbance of the pain-sensitive structures in the head. The brain in itself is not sensitive to pain, because it lacks nociceptors. Several areas of the head and neck have the pain-sensitive structures. The pain-sensitive structures are divided in two: within the cranium (blood vessels, meninges, and the cranial nerves) and outside the cranium (the periosteum of the skull, muscles, nerves, arteries and veins, subcutaneous tissues, eyes, ears, sinuses and mucous membranes).

There are a number of different classification systems for headaches. The well-recognized is that of the International Headache Society. Treatment of a headache depends on the underlying etiology or cause, but commonly involves analgesics.

Migraines are very painful headaches that usually begin on only one side of the head and may become worse with exposure to light.

Migraines are commonly preceded by warning symptoms (prodrome), that may include depression, irritability, restlessness, loss of appetite, and a characteristic “aura”—usually a visual disturbance such as flashing lights or a localized area of blindness that follows the appearance of brilliantly colored shimmering lights. Migraines may also involve nausea, vomiting, and changes in vision.

Tension headaches, which were renamed tension-type headaches by the International Headache Society in 1988, are the most common type of primary headaches. The pain can radiate from the neck, back, eyes, or other muscle groups in the body. Tension-type headaches account for nearly 90% of all headaches. Approximately 3% of the population has chronic tension-type headaches.
Various vitamin and nutritional deficiencies have been linked to the development of chronic headaches. Proper correction of those deficiencies frequently helps to alleviate or completely stop a headache.

Various botanicals have been successfully used to treat and prevent different forms of headaches.

For example, Butterbur Root Extract and Feverfew were found to effectively prevent and treat migraine in children and adolescences and adults.

The combination of Pine Bark, Vitamin C and Vitamin E reduced frequency and severity of Migraine Headaches.

Reducing Homocysteine level has helped to decrease disability from severe migraine by 30%. (Homocysteine level goes up as a result of certain B vitamins deficiencies.)

Alpha Lipoic acid was found to reduce the frequency of migraine attacks, the number of headache days and the severity of headaches over the course of 3 months.

Low Levels of Coenzyme Q10 was found to be a possible cause of Migraine Headaches in children and adolescents. There are quite a few reports of positive response of Migraine treatment with Coenzyme Q 10.

We believe that accurate diagnosis of the nutrient deficiencies as well as certain hormonal imbalances (for example, progesterone), is fundamental to the successful treatment of the chronic headaches.