One more common type of headache is called a sinus headache. This frequently can present as atmospheric pressure changes occur if the individual has chronic inflammation in their sinuses cavities. This type of headache responds well to food sensitivity testing and dietary modification as well as in the moment of pain with laser therapies which can rapidly reduce the pressure in the sinuses.

One more that we see a lot of is the cervicogenic or “Tension type” headache which is caused by improper muscle firing patterns in the neck, head and shoulders. This type is the most common cause of head pain and comprises a full 80% of the people who experience headaches. This is another type that responds fabulously to laser therapy as well as proper oxygenation and magnesium.

So what puts the ache in headache? The pain-sensitive structures of the head are the culprits. These are the arteries of the brain and skull, the tissues surrounding the head, the veins, the dura mater covering over the brain, and certain nerves called cranial nerves. When these parts are inflamed, stretched, pulled, or under pressure, any type of headache may be caused. Migraine headaches can be classified into two types: classical and common.

The classical migraine is a headache that follows an aura or some type of spontaneous event such as numbness or tingling. The aura may be flashes of light, squiggly lines, or a halo effect. The common migraine does not have an aura associated with it. Most people who suffer from migraines suffer from common migraines – usually at a 3:1 ratio.

Approximately 28 million Americans suffer from migraines, and millions go without treatment. Scientists once thought migraines were caused by abnormally dilated or enlarged blood vessels. Now, new imaging devices have allowed them to watch brains during migraine attacks, and scientists are discovering that sufferers have abnormally excitable neurons or brain nerve cells.

The latest migraine research has yielded a mechanism called cortical spreading depression, or CSD. Prior to the onset of pain in a migraine, researchers have observed a sudden burst of cortical activity that occurs most commonly in the occipital lobes (back part of the brain). The occipital lobe will increase in frequency of firing, or have a burst of activity, and then there will be an episode of silence or depressed activity. The actual activity of the brain becomes depressed when compared to normal. The resulting pain comes from either the brain stem activation or from blood vessels inflamed by rapidly exchanging blood flow or both.

I take a different approach to the treatment and prevention of headaches and migraines. After a thorough neurological examination I determine which part of the nervous system is not functioning properly and if there is proper fuel delivery in the form of oxygen and glucose. In many headache and migraine patients I may find a high mesencephalic output. There are three parts to the brain stem: top, middle, and lower. The mesencephalon is the top part of the brain stem. A high output of the mesencephalon that is not dampened by the lower portions (the Pons and Medulla) will cause an increased pulse and heart rate, inability to sleep or waking up from fitful sleep, urinary tract infections, increase warmth or sweating, and sensitivity to light.

Often times in these patients poor muscular firing patterns have developed that lead to chronic spasms in the involuntary muscles of the neck and shoulders. For these patients utilizing laser therapies has been extremely successful at minimizing and sometimes removing one more trigger for their pain.