Conditions we treat

Many people believe headaches come from “tight muscles in the head.” In fact, this idea was disproven back in 1977. Studies show that scalp muscles don’t tighten during a tension headache. What does change, however, is the tension in the muscles at the top of the neck.

Research shows there are four possible reasons the lower brainstem becomes sensitised — the key issue in headaches and migraines:

1. Low serotonin levels – although there’s no test to confirm this.
2. Abnormal signals from inside the head – such as tumours, infections, or aneurysms. These are usually ruled out by MRI or CT scans.
3. Reduced pain-control systems – normally, your body can dampen pain when another pain is present (like when hitting your thumb makes you forget your headache briefly). Sometimes, this system doesn’t work as well.
4. Problems in the neck – disorders in the upper cervical spine can send constant “pain signals” to the brainstem.

Because scans of the brain often come back clear, the neck is a strong suspect.

• Dysfunction in the top three vertebrae of the neck sends a steady flow of pain signals into the brainstem.
• These signals make the brainstem more sensitive over time.
• Once sensitised, the brainstem overreacts to everyday triggers like stress, tiredness, dehydration, chocolate, cheese, wine, or hormonal changes.
• Instead of managing these triggers normally, the brainstem sets off a headache or migraine.

After decades of research, one common factor has been found in all headache and migraine patients: a sensitised Trigemino-Cervical Nucleus (TCN) — also called the lower brainstem.