Headaches
It was really close between headaches and sleep on voting so I will do both with next blog being on sleep. So headaches, where do I start? The first point that I want to get across is headaches are the PERFECT example of the concept that there is a HUGE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT IS NORMAL AND WHAT IS COMMON. Just because headaches are so common in our population does not mean they are normal. They indicate that there is an issue going on in your body. And the worse the headache, the louder the body is crying for help. And I can assure you that they are not caused by an over the counter drug deficiency. People think that if they have a headache, they need Advil or Tylenol etc. without ever thinking to themselves…”why do I have this headache?” Well in this blog I want to point out the most common causes of headaches that I see clinically beyond you just being hung over J.
Headaches affect so many people and they can present themselves many different ways. They can be in different locations of your head and can have many different intensities. I once had a migraine headache that kept me out of school for 3 weeks when I was in 6th grade and I had my mom take me to the ER in the middle of the night because my head felt like it was going to explode. I had been on steroid inhalers for the 3-week duration with no relief and I couldn’t leave my dark room without the feeling of nausea and my head in a vice, it was miserable. And then when I saw the ER doc, he shined a light in my eyes to check my pupils and the headache vanished instantly. It was the most bizarre thing and the docs couldn’t explain it. Fast forward 10 years and when I received my first muscle testing treatment, the doc goes have you ever had gnarly headaches or mono? I said yes when I was 11 years old I had a migraine for a month and when I was 17 years old I was in the hospital for 2 weeks and out of school for 1.5 months with an awful case of mono. He said that’s because your liver is riddled with viruses and you have had these since you were a child. My mind was blown. Why couldn’t that pediatrician or ER doc just muscle test me and find this in a matter of seconds and give me the right treatment? That’s why it’s essential to get treatment by a doc who uses muscle testing to ask your body what’s going on instead of guessing.
Anyways, the reason I start with this story is because the number one cause of headaches in people I see clinically is subclinical viral infections. These are the type of headaches where your head feels like it is in a vice and often times it gets worse when you lay down. These can be called migraines as well however when you hear the word migraine then what you should think immediately is a congested liver. Yes most times there are viral infections in that liver but it could be due to diet and environmental sensitivities like perfume or cleaning products etc. that affect the liver’s detoxification ability. For people with viral headaches, the foods that will make them worse are high in arginine. I have these patients avoid rice, nuts/seeds, chocolate and caffeine. These patients will also feel worse or get a headache after being in the sun for extended periods of time. That has to do with the essential fatty acid levels of the patient since viruses come to the surface when essential fatty acids and calcium levels are not optimal. And the sun will expose this underlying imbalance. Now these viruses aren’t like the flu virus or a common cold corona/rhino virus. These viruses are in something like the herpes family like the chicken pox virus or Epstein Barr aka mono virus. These viruses stick around in your system for a long time if you don’t do herbs to cleanse them. Pharmaceuticals don’t combat viruses. I will talk about these supplements later in the blog.
The second most common type of headache I see is a headache that is in the forehead and or behind the eyes. These headaches also are liver related. Now in this case, it can be viruses in the liver as well but the more common is a blood sugar imbalance since the liver is very involved in blood sugar regulation of the body. And the most common pattern is a hypoglycemia pattern aka low blood sugar. This means that you skip meals often or eat too many carbs that raises your blood sugar quickly and then it tanks even quicker to low levels. This will cause dizziness and or fainting. Seizures are often due to low blood sugar attacks. See why diet again is so important? So if you have a headache that is behind your eyes and or in your forehead, think liver having issues controlling your blood sugar imbalances. Also, I find these headaches have a HUGE EMOTIONAL STRESS COMPONENT. That’s because the more stress in your life, the harder it is to control blood sugar. Remember, your blood sugar regulation determines your mood. People getting hangry are an example of that. Type 2 diabetes is really just a stressful life with a terrible diet point blank period.
Next, headaches that are along the sides of your head are gallbladder in origin. This is because if you look up the gallbladder meridian in Chinese medicine, it runs along the sides of the head. And in Chinese medicine, anywhere the meridian channels run, you can have a pain or symptoms if there is an issue in that organ. So what hurts the gallbladder? Let me list out the most common offenders. First and foremost is chronic yeast and fungus in the body from eating too much sugar and or breathing in mold at some point in your life. The gallbladder holds bile that not only digests fats for your body but also is how we detox fungus from the body. So if the infection clogs the gallbladder bile flow, a side of the headache can be a symptom. Bile is also how we get rid of toxic estrogen and hormones in your body so if your hormones are off and you have side of the head headaches, check your gallbladder. Next is a diet high in unhealthy fats. Those oils create sludge in the gallbladder and diminish its function. Healthy fats can contribute too if the patient has a really sluggish gallbladder. Another clinical pearl about the gallbladder is it will mimic stomach issues and give people things like IBS. The gallbladder is overlooked so much in medicine and far too many are taken out which creates all the issues I just listed. Lastly, people that are very frustrated or bothered all the time get gallbladder issues. Yes emotions can affect certain organs and anger, frustration and resentment affect the gallbladder. Lastly, one thing that I have noticed in clinical practice which I have never read anywhere or nobody has ever told me but it’s an observation that is 99% accurate is anybody with gallbladder issues has had father issues growing up. Every single time I get somebody with a gallbladder issue, the first question I ask them is how was your relationship with your father growing up. 50% of the time they start crying on the spot. Maybe I will write a paper on it sometime down the road. Until then, I will just keep writing my observations in these blogs.
The three types of headaches I have covered thus far make up 80% plus of all headaches I see. Another few common headaches are a headache that is at the top of your head. This is a hormonal headache and I see it more in the female population especially around their cycle. This has to do with the pituitary gland that regulates your endocrine system. Also, headaches that are in your temples can be gallbladder of course but also can be due to teeth clenching and grinding. But any jaw issue is really a digestion issue. So fix the digestion and your jaw issues most times resolve. And with me being a chiropractor, when your neck is out of alignment, this can cause tension headaches. It is very important to get adjusted at least twice a month. The adjustment doesn’t just help physical pain go away, it helps all the nerves that control the organs and emotional responses of the body as well. This is why so many chiropractors that only adjust people get amazing results. Because the nervous system controls everything to do with the body and the adjustment fine-tunes the nervous system. It’s an essential tool for your health. The last type of headache I see in practice are sinus headaches. These come from a body that is congested with toxins. The organ most involved is the bladder. In Chinese medicine, the bladder element known as water is in between the elements that deal with the liver and colon, which is where most toxins reside. And the bladder meridian starts in the sinuses so that’s where issues will happen when the bladder is compromised. Sinuses are never the real issue, they just get beat up when detoxification organs down stream aren’t working efficiently.
So now lets go over what action steps you can take if you suffer from any of these types of headaches:
1. For viral headaches, besides eliminating foods high in arginine like rice, nuts/seeds, chocolate and caffeine….the two supplements I would use for that are Vervita Immune Rmor and Vervita Matrix Synergy. These have viral fighting components to them and help with the essential fatty acid and calcium issue that allows viruses to thrive.
2. For frontal/behind the eyes headaches that deal with liver and blood sugar imbalances on top of balancing your blood sugar with good fats and protein with less carb intake, I recommend taking Schisandra Supreme which is a great herb for helping the liver and Vervita Cir Q Tonic along with Black Cumin oil which supplies vitamin, minerals and herbs that strengthen the liver. Make sure you eat fat and protein often to prevent your blood sugar from dipping. If your blood sugar is high, I recommend Vervita Regenerzyme Heart and if it is low I recommend Vervita Matrix Synergy. For the emotional component of this headache, I use Vervita Sore to Soar which is an essential oil that deals with frustration (the emotion of the liver).
3. For gallbladder headaches, use Vervita Klenz, which helps with fungus issues and toxins in the bile. I would also add Vervita Cir Q Tonic to help the liver since the liver and gallbladder work directly with each other. Another herb that can really help gallbladder issues especially if there are stone is Body Guard Supreme. For the emotional aspect of gallbladder issues, use Vervita Sore to Soar oil similar to what I use for liver emotions as well.
4. For hormonal headaches, I support the pituitary gland with Vervita Immune Rmor and Vervita Black Cumin oil which helps produce healthy blood for healthy hormones to work properly.
5. And last but not least, for sinus headaches I support the bladder with Vervita Cir Q Tonic, Vervita Klenz and Vervita Immune Harmony essential oil. Those three will tackle sinus headaches.
In conclusion, headaches are a body’s cry for help. They are common but not normal. They are something that you don’t have to suffer with but you need to realize where in the body has the issue and work on that. With the information above, you can make great strides in getting rid of your headaches. Now its up to you to take the necessary action steps. Have a great weekend!
This is the way,
Dr. Charlie