Migraine headache is a common condition with a prevalence of 17.6% females and 5.7% males. It was estimated that 23 million people older than 12 years of age have severe migraine headaches. Medical research showed that there was a 60% increase in the disease from 1980 to 1989. The social and economic effects of migraine are staggering, between $2 million to $17.2 million are lost in productivity per year. A successful treatment plan for migraine headache has not only medical but also serious economic and social implications.

Migraine headache is a recurrent neurovascular headache disorder characterized by attacks of debilitating pain associated with photophobia, phonophobia, and nausea and vomiting. The highest incidence of migraine occurs between the ages of 20 and 35, and is often associated with a positive family history of the disease. Migraine headaches are classified into two diagnostic categories: migraine with and without aura. Migraine without aura (common migraine) consists of unilateral or generalized cephalgia, throbbing or pulsatile in nature, in conjunction with nausea, vomiting, and photophobia. Migraine with aura is preceded by a 15-20 minute episode of visual or sensory aura. Auras are most likely visual alterations, usually experienced as hemianopsia and scotomata that enlarge and spread peripherally.

Tension headaches are also common complaints, especially for women. Non-typical migraine and tension headaches are very similar and to distinguish from each other. From the holistic point of view, the causes for the headaches are similar and we always treat them the same way. High inflammation in the body is the baseline issue for both types of headaches. There are five common factors that cause inflammation and lead to headaches:

• Allergy and immune response
• Candida and intestinal toxins
• Hormonal imbalance
• Stress and emotional issues
• Structural imbalance

Allergy related headaches could be a sinus problem. The pain is around your forehead and spread to one or both sides. It happens to individual with or without allergy symptoms. Allergy headaches are not easy to detect because of the delayed reaction from food allergies. If you have a headache in the morning, it may be related to the allergic food you ate last night. Sugar and wine are known to trigger headaches in the morning. Allergy testing such as electrodermal screening is useful to get clues what food and environmental factors bother you the most. With detoxification and Immune System Reprogramming, allergy headaches can be easily controlled. For those who have had allergy headaches for their whole life, the healing process may take a few years, but the headache may get better sooner than you think.

Candida is a hidden cause for many headaches. For more information about Candida please read Candida and Leaky Gut Syndrome. Candida overgrowth produces special toxins that may leak through a “leaky gut” to our body and cause a lot of physiological changes, such as hormone imbalance, problems in nerve and circulation systems, which in turn can cause headaches. Candida headaches normally come with sleeping disturbance, sugar craving and food indigestion. Solving Candida issue is not very easy. The therapy involves Immune System Reprogramming, detoxifying the body, helping ingestion and leaky gut. Special Candida protocol is used in the later stage of the IBMT including Candida control remedies and dietary changes. Without dietary changes the Candida problem will not go away easily and will come back from time to time.

Hormonal headaches often happen around ovulation or menstruation period. It happens a lot during menopause as well. The headaches often combine with other symptoms like irritable, mood changes, sleeping problems etc. Hormonal headaches are caused by high inflammation which is the result of hormonal fluctuation. Many factors cause hormonal fluctuation including immune response, Candida overgrowth and adrenal stresses. Chinese medicine is often used to treat hormonal headaches. Both acupuncture and Chinese herbs are effective to control hormone imbalance. Please read below for details.

Emotional headaches often happen to those who would like to hold their emotion inside. Emotions are processed through different meridians. If for some reason there is a blockage in the meridian, the specific emotion can not be released easily. Emotional blockage causes toxin build up, hormonal imbalance and adrenal stresses in the body. Adrenal stress caused by busy lifestyle also leads to headaches. Stress caused headaches are related to sensitive immune system, fluctuation of blood sugar and toxin accumulation. Solving emotional blockage and reducing stress is the key to help the headaches.

Structural headaches often happen after physical accident like auto accident, falling down or moving heavy object. Some patients don’t have clear accident but do shows structural imbalance such as spine misalignment. Structural headaches always start from the back of the head and often combine with neck or shoulder discomfort. A proper adjustment of bone or muscle with cranio-sacral and osteopathic technique will help to release the headache.

Clinically these above headaches are often mixed together. In the beginning we do not have to do specific therapy unless the type of the headache is very clear. The first thing we need to do is to reduce inflammation and detoxify because the direct reason to cause headache is inflammation. IBMT is very helpful to reduce inflammation in the body. Sometimes after initial chaotic layer is gone, the headaches are already getting better without even addressing specific root issue. But solving the root issue will prevent the headaches coming back forever.

Dr. Harry Hong's comprehensive program specializes in the integration of a variety of natural healing therapies such as energy testing, allergy desensitization, homeopathy, Chinese medicine and acupuncture, enzyme therapy, flower essences, hyperbaric oxygen therapy and much more. The Healing Light Co is committed to provide quality special care to the Highly Sensitive Person with Highly Sensitive Body. We are located at northwest suburb of Chicago area and have a Out-of-Town program as well. For more information, please visit www.highlysensitivebody.com.

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