Headaches that hinder
Arnp | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 10 years, 6 months AGO
If you struggle with headaches of any type, there are several different treatment options.
Medications commonly used for headaches can be helpful for some people, but don't always work, and can also cause other problems. The functional medicine approach is to go beyond symptom management and to find and resolve the underlying cause(s) by looking for what the body might be missing (sleep, exercise, sufficient hydration, vitamins/minerals, hormones, musculoskeletal alignment, etc), or what the body might need to eliminate (toxins, hormones, inflammatory foods, environmental triggers, etc).
Ask yourself what might be missing. Are you getting 7-8 hours of sleep, at least 70 ounces of clean water daily, and a low-sugar, protein rich breakfast? Maybe you are on diuretics, or drink a lot of coffee and are magnesium deficient; this is a common problem and several of my patients have resolved their headaches by using a magnesium supplement. B vitamin and other micronutrient deficiencies may also cause headaches.
Then ask yourself what you might need to eliminate. Are you managing stress in a healthy way? Are you frequently eating common headache trigger foods such as gluten, dairy, aged cheeses, wine, processed meats, artificial sweeteners (or real sweeteners, of any type!) chocolate, processed foods? Having too much (or too little) of certain hormones (such as thyroid and sex hormones) can also lead to headaches. Finally, chiropractic adjustments, acupuncture, massage, mindfulness and other modalities can be very useful for resolving headaches.
These are just a few possible causes and solutions, and it's important to work with your own trusted health care provider before making any changes to your medication or supplement regimen.
Monica Eggleston, ARNP, FNP-C, is a nurse practitioner board certified in family practice. She treats adults and children of all ages with a functional medicine approach at Lakeside Holistic Health. Visit our website at www.lakesideholistic.com or call us at (208) 758-0568 for more information.
ARTICLES BY ARNP
Leaky gut and autoimmune conditions
When people think of "the gut" they often just think about colonoscopies, reflux, and antacids. But the gut is much more than that! A healthy gut is the foundation of overall health. It is home to most of our immune system and to the majority of our microbiome (all the organisms that live in us and on us), and is interconnected with all systems of the body. The gut produces and absorbs nutrients, secretes hormones, and makes neurotransmitters. These substances affect every other organ and system in the body, so what happens in the gut has a major impact on the rest of the body.
Headaches that hinder
If you struggle with headaches of any type, there are several different treatment options.
Treating autoimmune conditions
Chances are, you or someone you know or love are one of the many millions of people with an autoimmune condition. Autoimmunity is an "attack on self," where a person's immune system makes antibodies to and destroys their own tissues. Autoimmune conditions (such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, Graves Disease, and multiple sclerosis, to mention just a few) are the third most common type of disease in the U.S., after cancer and heart disease. They can involve almost any part of the body, including brain, nerves, muscles, digestive system, kidneys, thyroid, heart, and skin.