Did Neanderthals Have Headaches? Glenview Doctor Explores In New Book

GLENVIEW, IL — Headaches may feel like a thoroughly modern problem. A Glenview neurologist's new book looks millions of years into the past for clues about why we get them.

Dr. Lawrence Robbins, a retired headache specialist with about 40 years of clinical and academic experience, explores those connections in "Neanderthals Had Headaches: Evolution Meets Medicine."

The recently published nonfiction book brings together anthropology, genetics, neuroscience and evolutionary medicine, examining how ancient anatomy and inherited traits may continue to shape human health.

Robbins wrote the book for general readers as well as people interested in science, describing its approach as accessible and occasionally humorous.

Despite its definitive title, the book explores possibilities about Neanderthal headaches and migraines. According to a release announcing the book, Robbins examines whether their skull anatomy and powerful neck and jaw muscles could have contributed to head and neck pain.

He also looks at Neanderthal genetic variants associated with pain sensitivity, immunity and inflammation, exploring whether some susceptibility to headaches could have ancient roots.

But headaches are only part of the story.

A major section focuses on the transition to walking upright: when it happened, why it happened and what it meant for the human body.

Robbins examines competing explanations for why our ancestors began walking on two feet, including energy efficiency, changing environments and the advantages of freeing their hands to carry food and infants.

The book also explores the physical trade-offs of that transition, looking at the spine, pelvis, knees, feet and neck, along with questions about back pain, joint problems and childbirth.

Another section introduces evolutionary medicine, which considers how the body's evolutionary history can inform our understanding of health and disease. Robbins also explores chaos theory and evolution, considering the roles of chance, climate and mutation, along with possible connections to the nervous system and migraine.

The book builds on decades of writing about headaches. Robbins’ earlier titles include “Management of Headache and Headache Medications”, whose second edition was published by Springer in 2000, and “Advanced Headache Therapy: Outpatient Strategies”, published by Springer in 2015.

Now retired, Robbins managed the Robbins Headache Clinic in Illinois for decades and launched a free neurology and headache clinic in Honduras. His MedCentral author page features articles and commentary on migraine treatment and medication safety.

"Neanderthals Had Headaches: Evolution Meets Medicine" is self-published and is primarily available through Amazon, Robbins told Patch.