Got Migraine Pain?
Read this to find out the cause….and the best prevention tip!
Millions of North American’s suffer from the pain of migraine’s which can be relentless. Migraines can occur anywhere from once per year to more than three times per week and last hours to days. They are often associated with an aura, light sensitivity, nausea, vomiting, and severe throbbing pain on one or both sides of the head.
Migraines are very difficult and often unsuccessfully treated by conventional means. There are many types of drugs such as calcium channel blockers, beta-blockers, anti-seizure medications, triptans, antidepressants, and more –which work poorly, if at all and are accompanied by frequent side effects.
In my practice there are 6 underlying causes of migraines and sometimes patients might have a combination of more than one.
- The most common cause is Food Sensitivities. Other food sensitivity related symptoms that can accompany migraines are digestive issues such as gas/bloating, constipation and/or diarrhea, fatigue, sinus congestion, joint pain, skin conditions like eczema and more.
GET TESTED! A simple blood test can reveal any sensitivities that may be causing your migraines. Testing for celiac disease is also recommended because wheat and gluten are among the biggest causes of headaches and migraines. Get your test here.
TRY AN ELIMINATION DIET- By removing the top culprits for a period such as gluten, dairy, corn, soy, tomatoes, sugar, peanuts and eggs can eliminate migraines completely. Slowly re-introduce each food back in one a time to find out which food or foods are the underlying causes.
- Chemical Triggers can also be a cause of migraines. A processed-food diet including aspartame, MSG (monosodium glutamate), nitrates (in deli meats), sulfites (found in wine, dried fruit, and food from salad bars) can be to blame. Tyramine-containing foods like chocolate and cheese are also common triggers. Eliminating these foods and eating a diet rich in whole foods with an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables can be the answer to your migraine pain.
- Hormonal Imbalances play a huge role in the cause of migraines. When Estrogen dominates, and progesterone is too deficient, hormonal migraines can develop. Birth control pills, hormone replacement therapy, chemical exposure to estrogen mimickers (xenoestrogens) perimenopause, menopause or changes in ovulation can cause huge shifts in the estrogen and progesterone balancing act.
GET TESTED! Hormone testing can reveal where the imbalance lies. Uncovering hormone imbalances is the key to eliminating a hormonal cause of migraines. Get your test here!
- Magnesium Deficiencies are becoming more and more common and migraines can certainly develop as a result. Symptoms of a Magnesium deficiency that can come along with migraines might include muscle cramping and twitching, constipation, anxiety, insomnia, irritability, sensitivity to loud noises and palpitations.
If you are experiencing these symptoms you may want to consider supplementing with Magnesium. Try my favourite Magnesium here
- Mitochondrial Imbalances are yet another underlying cause of migraines. There are usually some accompanying symptoms such as fatigue, muscle aching, and brain fog, although sometimes the only symptom can be migraines.
There is some testing that can help to reveal if there is a mitochondrial imbalance called a urinary organic acid test. Get your test here.
- Spinal misalignment is a structural issue that can cause migraine. In many cases of migraine headaches, the origin of pain stems from misalignment of the spine's vertebra. This spinal misalignment can affect nerves traveling to the brain, resulting in chemical imbalances and neurologic issues that cause migraines.
Spinal manipulation from a chiropractor is an effective remedy sought by many individuals who experience migraine headaches. Chiropractic treatment can relieve misalignments and pressure against pinched or inflamed nerves. Even after one successful session with a chiropractor, a headache can be relieved as the vertebra are restored to proper alignment.
While you are discovering the cause of your migraines, the most effective preventative treatment is called Petadolex from Pascoe. It is a specialized extract from the Butterbur plant. Petadolex helps to reduce the frequency of migraine headaches when taken preventatively. In fact, a placebo controlled double blind study was done on Butterbur and the results were impressive. After only 4 weeks of taking this Butterbur extract, 45% of participants noted a 50% reduction in migraine attacks.
Petadolex is ideal for:
- Those how experience 2-3 times migraine headaches per month
- The migraine headaches last more than 48 hours
- Migraine headaches are unbearable
- Migraine headaches are accompanied with an aura, experiencing neurological symptoms such as visual disturbances
- Consult a health care practitioner for use beyond 4 months
Petadolex is not suitable in pregnancy, breastfeeding, those will allergies to the Asteraceae/Compositae/Daisy family or those will liver disease.
Petadolex is the gold standard for Butterbur extracts:
- Petadolex® 75 mg is produced through a worldwide unique patent.
- The extracts do not contain the liver toxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids.
- Petadolex® 75 mg is the original butterbur product extract preferred by published clinical trials
- Petadolex® 75 mg contains the active ingredients Petasin and Isopetasin
- The ONLY Butterbur Extract Recommended By Canadian Headache Society
Take 1 Petadolex twice daily with food for 3 months for maximum effects. Many people notice improvements after only a few weeks.
