Patient Question: migraine sufferer

PATIENT QUESTION:

I’m 29 years old. I've been a severe migraine sufferer since I was about five.2years ago I broke and dislocated my right jaw. My pain is horrific now. At least 3to4 days out of the week I’m sick with them now, when it only used to be maybe 2 a week. It’s really messed up my life. I can’t raise my children like I need to; I can't even hold down a job now. I’ve been on and off imitrex since my teens.I’ve tried every other migraine med. plus depression med. and most of the time imitrex helps but it doesn’t call them down at all and I’m only allowed 9 100mg a month. They last me maybe 2wks out of a month and sometimes since I broke my jaw it doesn’t even touch the pain. I may be getting prosthesis for my jaw and hopefully that’s going to help a few of my migraines but what about the ones I’ve always had. By now, I know all the foods, smells, brightness, stress level. I know all the tricks of a migraine. And still, most of the time there’s not much I can do when it comes on.jus lay down, sometimes for 2 or three days. My life has never been right. Ive been in constant pain. What to do?

ANSWER:

Dear ______,
I would recommend you get a neuromuscular dental work-up as soon as possible. You may find that when you treat the new headaches from the broken jaw that you will also impact the long standing headaches. Migraines are caused by disturbances in the trigeminal nerve, which controls the jaw muscles but also supplies nerves to the teeth jaw joints sinuses and tongue.. If you can correct the bite with a diagnostic orthotic and restore the neuromuscular system the headaches should become less frequent and less severe at the very least but often can be eliminated. I recently had a patient who had a continuous headache for fifty years that disappeared with her orthotic. The Trigeminal nerve also controls blood flow to the anterior 2/3 of the brain (which is where many migraines begin) and correcting the system can give remarkable results.
I have had patients whose migraines disappeared for most of the month but still showed up if they were exposed to old triggers. Often even those get better with time. Other patients find relief except during menses or ovulation. Frequently initial therapy results in immediate decreasing frequency and severity of the headaches and as the patients continue treatment other problems are found that were not previously apparent. Some of these patients with severe problems need to have other non-dental proceedures done in conjuction with their neuromuscular orthotics. I usually start with the orthotic and then work on remaining symptoms. I describe what I call my onion analogy. Correcting a long term severe problem is like peeling an onion. You remove one layer which expose the next layer. Each layer is different some may belong to the dentist or physical therapist while others can belong to the patient, ie breaking bad habits or unhealthy behavior. Other layers can be treated by Chiropracters, opthamologists, allergists varying with each patient. I find I sometimes meet the real patient only after several visits when the pain is significantly resolved. The patients personalities were buried under layers and layers of pain. It is amazing how different patients are when they are no longer in constant or frequent pain.

Blood Pressure-Related Headaches

Hypertension (high blood pressure) and hypotension (low blood pressure) can both cause headaches.

Hypertension can be present with no discernible symptoms and is usually discovered during a routine medical examination. Headache is only one indicator of high blood pressure that usually feels like a band tightening around your head, with the headache worse in the morning, and feelings of fatigue, dizziness and heart palpitations present. If you experience any of these symptoms for the first time, it is an excellent idea to have your blood pressure checked.

A little known cause of high blood pressure to the general public is sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is in the TMD/TMJ (temporomandibular joint disorder) family of known causes of high blood pressure and various other medical conditions.

Hypotension can also be responsible for headaches that usually occur when you change positions quickly, such as standing quickly from a sitting position. Any change in normal health patterns should be checked by a physician to rule out underlying problems not previously apparent to you.

Treatment for blood pressure related headaches is easily accomplished by controlling your blood pressure through thorough medical evaluation and treatment.

If you believe your headache is related to a blood pressure problem, please contact an experienced headache specialist in your area without delay.

QUESTION:

My 14 year old daughter has had chronic daily headaches since May 2009. They started a week after she had her braces removed and started wearing the retainer. Her braces were put on to correct an overbite. She has been tested pretty thoroughly and we have not found anything else that could be causing her headaches. She complains about her neck hurting and has also complained about her jaw hurting. Her orthodontist says he does not believe there is a connection and her jaw is aligned. How do I find out if she has TMJ or if something with her jaw may be causing her headaches? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

ANSWER:
I would immediately have a Neuromuscular Dental Evaluation done. The bite can "look perfect" but still not be physiologically correct. This is especially true if permanent teeth were removed during ortho. I have supplied you information on a Neuromuscular Dentist in your area code. Please read my articles from Sleep and Health Journal for more information.

Stress vs. Tension Headaches

Tension headaches are often referred to as stress headaches for a very good reason. Stressful situations make a person tense, and, this, in turn, causes actual physical changes in a person's body that can cause a headache.

Some factors that contribute to stress in our everyday lives are work-related problems, poor eating and sleeping habits, chronic medical conditions, and constant worrying brought on by the current economic conditions and global problems.

Stress on the human body causes changes in breathing, heart rate, blood pressure and causes teeth clenching behaviors and muscle tension along with changes in sleep patterns and moods. Physical stress on the muscles of the head and neck may trigger a tension or stress-related headache. Adequate rest, a proper diet and regular exercise can assist you in preventing stress or tension-related headaches.

While over-the-counter medications alleviate the pain of a tension or stress-related headache, eliminating the underlying causes of the stress, whether physical or emotional, is a healthier way to approach the problem. A treatment plan that addresses the causative factors of your stress, or at least helps alleviate the physical manifestations of your stress, can offer you relief from your headache pain.

If you suspect stress and tension are the causes of your headaches, please contact an experienced headache physician in your area today for an evaluation.

Cluster Headaches

Cluster headaches are said to be one of the most painful and debilitating headaches suffered by countless people. Cluster headaches strike without warning and stop you in your tracks. They get their name from the fact they tend to strike sporadically in clusters, rotating through periods of intense pain and then abating. Cluster headache periods can last from weeks to months with long episodes of total remission.

There are two categories of cluster headaches: episodic and chronic. Episodic cluster headaches occur within one week or a year with long periods of remission and chronic cluster headache periods occur for longer than a years' time with very short remission times.

The pain of a cluster headache is excrutiating and brings the sufferer to the point of exhaustion. The pain is said to be so intense that although it is not life threatening, the sufferer feels they cannot continue to live with such pain in their lives. The causes of cluster headaches are unknown, but anecdotal information seems to indicate they are in some way related to an individual's biological clock.

If you suffer from the excrutiating pain of cluster headaches, please contact an experienced cluster headache physician in your area today to schedule a thorough evaluation to determine how to proceed with your treatment and bring you relief from your pain and offer you a better quality of life.