In his second podcast, Dr. Taves reveals one of the most overlooked causes of headaches. While most doctors diagnose headaches based off of traditional symptoms, they ignore the root cause of headaches.
Dr. Taves relates some shocking
statistics about headaches. About 3% of the population admits to suffering from chronic
headaches. Around 40% of migraine sufferers report
having 1-4 episodes per month, and
half of those sufferers confess that those
migraines are severely disabling. Migraines
are proven to significantly reduce the quality
of life, even more than osteoarthritis and diabetes.
In the face of these statistics, Dr. Taves highlights three
misconceptions that people hold about migraines. Firstly,
many people believe that the pain source stems solely
from the head. Secondly, some believe that the pain is
imagined, and therefore not real. Thirdly, many patients
believe that their migraines are a vascular, or medical,
problem.
These fallacies can be dispelled by what Dr. Taves
claims is the most overlooked cause of headaches
and migraines: a neck injury.
Neck injuries often send pain signals to the brain stem,
and the brain perceives them as coming from the head
or face area. As a result, the brain misinterprets the
signal and pulls in other sensory nerves to accompany
the pain. This is why many migraine sufferers are
sensitive to light and sound.
If the joints connecting the head and the neck are injured
or are tense, then you can lose movement. This loss of
movement reduces your flexibility and range of motion
which can trigger head pain.
Because CT or MRI scans will not pick up this loss of
movement in the neck, doctors overlook the problem
and cannot identify the root problem of your headaches.
Doctors are focused on reducing the frequency and
intensity of their patients’ migraines. They diagnose
migraines based on symptoms, so that they can directly
address the symptoms. However, this means they
fail to address the root cause of the patient’s headache.
Patients are often put on abortive or preventative
medications, which they often take daily. They become
committed to a lifestyle of medication, without any hope
of their painful road coming to an end.
This is why Dr. Taves believes it is crucial to identify the
cause of your headaches, so that you can progress
toward complete healing and live a life free of
medication. His goal at Novera is to empower individuals
to break free from a life of pain and dependence.
He advises not to dismiss the fact that your headaches
could be caused by neck tension. Even if you have never
suffered a neck injury, there are plenty of factors that
could be leading to neck tension. Craning your neck to
look at a cellphone, sitting at a desk for a long period of
time, or reading books are all situations that can cause
neck tension.
Come into Novera and have Dr. Taves assess your head
and neck if you are having headaches or migraines! In
the meantime, get out and exercise. Movement always
helps with the flexibility of the neck and eases tension in
the body.
Tune in to next week’s podcast to learn about the possibility
of hormonal or genetic migraines! See you then.
Listen to this episode of The Headache Doctor Podcast here.
