Dr. Clickner's Headache Guide
Can we talk about headaches? I think every single person has experienced headaches, some on the rare occasion, others almost every day. Some headaches are short-lived and mild, others are intense, debilitating and can last for days. The reality of headaches is that these are a condition, not an illness. They are the expression of an issue that requires resolution, but to resolve them, you have to understand them.
One of the most interesting aspects of headaches is that each headache produces a pattern that is more easily triggered the more often the pattern is activated. And that pattern can be activated by multiple triggers, so it’s not always for the same reason, making it more difficult to identify the headache pattern. To simply categorize them as “cluster”, “migraine”, “tension”, “sinus” is too simplistic to understand the patterns that bring headaches about.
I do suggest some general remedies for all headache challenges including Celeragesic homeopathic, Calamari Oil, Rehydrate homeopathic and White Willow Bark. But this is temporary and sporadic. The real remedy begins with the pattern. So let’s talk about the patterns…
Low Blood Sugar
The Pattern - these headaches occur when you’re hungry or have gone too long without eating something. The blood sugar drops and this especially affects the brain as the brain uses glucose as its primary nutritional source.
What to do - eliminate refined carbohydrates, simple sugars and starches while making sure you eat frequently. Increasing your essential fatty acid intake and whole proteins are very helpful to maintain your blood sugar for longer periods of time.
What do I recommend - Black Cumin Seed, chromium.
Liver Toxicity/Gallbladder
The Pattern - these headaches come with nausea and a general “sick” feeling with general aches and pains throughout the body, particularly between the shoulder blades and over the liver/gallbladder area. You may even notice a bitter or metallic taste in your mouth. Also sleeplessness and nightmares are common and a sense of constant worry and muddled thoughts are typical. This also creates an intolerance to fats and oils in the diet.
What to do - eliminate junk food, fried foods, trans-fats (such as margarine and hydrogenated oils) and refined carbohydrates including soda. Increase fruits and vegetables in the diet and keep proteins light.
What do I recommend - Choline, intestinal adsorbent clay or charcoal between meals, herbs for liver phase I and phase II detoxification, remedies for decongesting the gallbladder and bile duct.
Heart Weakness
The Pattern - this is a pattern that I’ve seen in both men and women with low blood pressure, fatigue with any exertion and sometimes feeling as though they can’t get a deep breath. Headaches most often start after exercise or any physical exertion.
What to do - this is an oxygenation issue which means that there is also poor carbon dioxide removal. This blocks nutrients to cells. So therapy to increase deeper breathing and making sure there is fresh air to breathe.
What I recommend - minerals are very important along with water-soluble B vitamins, but my favorite remedy of all time is Standard Process Cardio-Plus and I will even give up to 12 tablets per day for severe cases.
Food Allergy/Sensitivity
The Pattern - this is where the headaches will begin with specific offending foods, but over time the number of foods that trigger a headache will increase. This is because the problem isn’t the food, it’s the digestive tract. Proteins are the most typical problem food and the patient will have foul-smelling gas with this. If there isn’t foul-smelling gas, then it’s a carbohydrate problem such as a grain or a sugar. If the issue are fats/oils then the symptoms will be nausea, burping, feeling suddenly sick. over time, it can even be all three categories of foods. Constipation is also a common symptom, often relieved once the headache goes away.
What to do - I often will suggest trying an organically grown version of the same foods that have been identified as the culprit. This eliminates the fact that additives, chemicals, nitrates, preservatives may be at fault. It is essential to restore effective digestion while avoiding the foods that are identified as issues (once the organically grown challenge has been completed).
What I recommend - liver decongestive antihistamine is essential to process histamines from the food sensitivity. This reduces reactions. Proteins requires zinc/HCL/protein digestive enzyme. Carbohydrates require digestive enzyme for carbs/Lactic Acid nutritional Yeast. Fats require gallbladder remedies.
Environmental Allergy/Sensitivity
The Pattern - Many people develop sensitivities to chemicals, pesticides, even off-gasing from building materials. This overloads the body’s essential organs and pathways such as the liver, the lymphatic system, circulatory system and nervous system which produces the headaches. This also will tend to create issues in the sinuses due to inhaling the allergy-inducing elements, so what would be termed “sinus headaches” really need to trace back to what is inhaled.
What to do - starting to really evaluate your environments, lifestyle and occupation to identify and neutralize toxins. I often see this with wood stoves, construction, carpeting and landscaping. Trying to increase air filtration, ventilation and breathing protection helps to limit exposure which makes resolution much easier.
What I recommend - the parotid glands are essential so I give a parotid extract, liquid phosphorus, liver decongestant.
Depression
The Pattern - it is amazing that depression can create headaches, but it does. This is often because heart weakness or an unresolved viral infection is behind this pattern causing fatigue. both mentally and physically. But this also tends to include a gradual lack of forward motion and increasing hopelessness. Typical medications for depression don’t tend to help with the headaches because these are linked more deeply to the physical history.
What to do - exercise, eating living foods and getting some life therapy are all essential to help reduce the frequency and tendency of headaches.
What I recommend - endocrine system support, relaxing mineral compounds, brain support, heart support or anti-viral remedies are all physical options that can be considered.
Structural Imbalances
The Pattern - this is a pattern that appears over and over again and will often include muscle or joint pain in the same places. So many times ligaments become stretched and joints cannot stay in place with movement. We also often have muscle strains and sprains that don’t resolve in a timely manner.
What to do - physical therapy such as chiropractic, osteopathic and myofascial are essential to work on the body’s physical aspects. However, the core issues here, when not the result of injury, tend to be due to trace mineral depletion and poor nutritional/dietary habits.
What I recommend - trace minerals with B12 and manganese, whole food vitamins C and E, my favorite ligament remedy of Standard Process Ligaplex I.
Pituitary
The Pattern - this is where recurring random headaches occur with no regularity or pattern. These headaches are especially painful and seem to occur both day and night.
What to do - avoiding sugar, alcohol and stimulants is essential while increasing fresh fruits and vegetables. This may often be the result of a concussive force to the head that is unresolved, so looking at Post-Concussion is important as well.
What I recommend - pituitary extract is essential, whole food vitamin E, trace minerals with B12.
Ovarian
The Pattern - headaches tend to happen during ovulation and/or menstruation and are often accompanied by mood swings and PMS. Menstrual migraines fall into this category.
What to do - avoid sugar, alcohol and all refined carbohydrates. It is important to include organically grown brown rice andd vegetables, especially kale and seaweed along with whole proteins.
What I recommend - herbs to balance the menstrual cycle, increased iron and iodine with anti-spasmodics such as Cramp Bark.
Thyroid
The Pattern - thyroid headaches is present as soon as you get up in the morning and then will decrease as the day progresses, especially after exertion. This is often a dull headache representing the thyroid’s inability to adapt to the waking state.
What to do - avoid heavy meals, particularly in the evening while including seaweed, saltwater fish, kelp and other foods that provide iodine.
What I recommend - balanced organic iodine is essential, including dried kelp and shellfish extracts, thyroid extract and increased essential fatty acids.
Capillary Fragility
The Pattern - this can actually wake someone out of a sound sleep because it is a crushing type of headache. This is because there is a leaking of blood from fragile capillaries into cerebrospinal fluid which will manifest bruising, puffy gums, GI tract ulcers and slowly healing cuts.
What to do - eliminate white sugar, refined and overcooked foods and canned or frozen fruits and vegetables. In this case it is important for the diet to be based on fresh/raw fruits and vegetables including juicing.
What I recommend - rutin and vitamin K supplements help tremendously, whole vitamin C, liquid phosphorus.
Adrenal Fatigue/Insufficiency
The Pattern - adrenal headaches begin in the late afternoon and your energy drops with this which can often be accompanied by some lightheadedness due to a drop in blood pressure.
What to do - snacking on fresh fruit is a great dietary suggestion. I also recommend 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of Celtic sea salt in a glass of water every morning. Eliminate heavy meals, especially lunchtime. I also recommend daily walks to increase circulation.
What I recommend - Adrenal support herbs, water-soluble B vitamins, liquid phosphorus and organic iodine.
Post-Concussion
The Pattern - this is a difficult situation due to headaches seeming to resolve after the original injury and then will return years later, often with other symptoms and/or after an illness. There can be many other symptoms including emotional issues. Studies have pointed out that there seems to be an autoimmune reaction that occurs which gradually creates illness and symptoms over time, often appearing as chronic immune illnesses.
What to do - physical attention such as cranio-sacral therapy, osteopathic manipulation and myofascial unwinding can all begin to elicit changes in the head cranial balance.
What I recommend - brain healing herbs and formulas along with fat-soluble B vitamins are essential. Improving ribonucleic acid utilization and increasing essential fatty acids are all helpful.