Migraine Headaches: A solution to the problem (Part 2 of 3)

First off, if you missed my last post on migraines, then be sure to catch up and read them.

Last time we discussed some of the most common causes of migraines and some simple things you can do at home to possibly address them on your own. If those changes didn’t help or you haven’t noticed any changes then let’s dive deeper in this blog into the causes of migraines and additional things you can do to help.

Last week, I alluded to the possibility of having a ‘hard or soft’ lesion. Let’s talk a bit about that. In neurology the terms ‘hard or soft’ lesion are used to address different types of processes in the brain. A ‘hard’ lesion is something like a tumorous growth (brain cancer). Also, some type of major incident such as a stroke can cause a ‘hard’ lesion. Areas of dead brain tissue are the result of strokes. MRI studies and/or CT studies of the brain can rule out ‘hard’ lesions from ‘soft’ lesions.

A ‘soft’ lesion is something that cannot be seen on imaging studies. These are areas of the brain that are decreased in function. These areas are not getting enough fuel to perform their basic operations. This is where the functional neurological exam comes into play. We can determine what part of the brain isn’t functioning well and recommend Brain Based Therapy (or BBT) to address these areas.

In the last blog I also mentioned food sensitivities as a cause for migraines. We can run specific tests to determine which foods you may be sensitive to. If a food item (typically gluten, dairy, or soy products) is causing your migraines and we determine that through food sensitivity testing, you’ll have to stop eating that food – but guess what? Migraine symptoms most likely improve!

Also, having a patient run blood tests to determine if your body chemistry is functioning well is a major component of our treatment protocol. Your brain controls everything in your body. If your brain isn’t functioning right, we often will see changes to your blood chemistry and can recommend dietary changes and nutritional supplements to address those issues.

Now I know what most patients are saying here, “Dr. Glickert, what if my blood tests are ‘normal?’” We’ll discuss this in our next blog and help you understand why blood tests are poorly understood in our current healthcare system.

Now, let me throw out a bit of a warning here. Most of our migraine patients don’t have *one* thing that’s causing their migraines. It’s usually a combination of issues. Most of our patients have a multitude of issues going on and that’s why we focus on addressing ALL of the causes to reduce your migraine symptoms (or possibly even eliminate them).

Additional Home Therapy

Some additional home therapies that I often recommend for patients is to be sure to read food labels carefully. Mono Sodium Glutamate (MSG) is a major component in causing migraines. I have a blog on my website that lists all the additional names of MSG.

Thevanguardclinic.com/MSG-Names

Mono Sodium Glutamate is a neurotoxin, which are a class of exogenous chemical compounds that can affect a developing or mature nervous system. These powerful flavor enhancers may make food have more flavor, but they also have powerful effects on you and your brain. MSG is often times hidden in food, which is why learning how to read food product labels is extremely important in the healing process.

Also, be sure to start a deep breathing technique. The brain feeds off oxygen and in fast paced lives, we don’t take those few minutes each day to take good deep breaths in. I’m not partial to a specific technique for your deep breathing, just spend at least 10 - 15 minutes per day taking deep breaths from your diaphragm. I do have a very short video detailing what I do for my own deep breathing technique which helps keep me calm and focused throughout the day. You can watch that here;

http://Thevanguardclinic.com/deep-breathing

As always, be sure to watch my videos on migraines which are located on our clinic’s website;

http://Thevanguardclinic.com/migraines

Also, if you would like more information on our clinic, be sure to visit us on the web or in person!

Thevanguardclinic.com

The Vanguard Clinic

2108 Schuetz Rd.

St. Louis, MO 63146

(314) 625 – 8454

Also, if you’d like to email me directly, please don’t hesitate to send over your questions! mglickert@thevanguardclinic.com

I look forward to seeing you soon!

Dr. Michael J Glickert

Chiropractic Physician

The Vanguard Clinic