Restore your heart-body-brain balance for optimal health
In this first simulcast, Dr. Gil explores the basics of polyvagal theory. He discusses the different branches of the automomic nervous system and how to allow the energy to release from your body.
At the end of the podacst, Dr. Gil talks a bit about his new online courses that are available.
I’ve heard the refrain from many patients. “I’ve been to several excellent doctors and none can figure out why my symptoms aren’t going away.” Chronic mold-related illness may be at the core of the issue. Identifying mold as the culprit is extremely important for recovery. Many times, treating the body without identifying mold as the issue could make the problem worse. Mold illness recovery may be an important aspect of your health journey. But how do you know if you might have a mold problem? And what do you do about it if you have a mold-related illness? Read on to learn more.
The symptoms of mold illness vary between people. The infographic below shows the different areas that symptoms can arise. Cognitive issues, mood problems, pain, sensitivity to light, sounds, chemicals, visual changes, respiratory problems, digestive issues, and other areas.
| CIRS Symtpoms | ||
| Physical Symptoms | Physical Symptoms | Cognitive/Emotional Symptoms |
| Fatigue/weakness | Abdominal pain | Memory issues |
| Dizziness | Diarrhea | Focus/concentration issues |
| Aches/muscle cramps | Joint pain | Word recall issues |
| Metallic taste | Morning stiffness | Inability to learn new things |
| Tremors | Skin sensitivity | Confusion |
| Sharp Pains | Appetite changes | Disorientation |
| Headaches | Sweats (especially night sweats) | Mood swings |
| Light sensitivity | Temperature regulation issues | Anxiety |
| Red eyes | Excessive thirst | Depression |
| Blurred vision | Increased urination | |
| Tearing | Static shocks | |
| Sinus problems | Numbness/tingling | |
| Cough | Shortness of breath |
Mold illness arises less from the mold itself but from the body’s reaction to the mold. Mold produces biotoxins and biofilm that interfere with the body’s ability to clear toxins. Biofilms are created by certain organisms, including mold, yeast, and bacteria. This enables the individual organisms to act together, preventing the body from effectively attacking the invader. Many patients will react to treatment protocols as a result. For example, pyroluria may be a result of mold or other biofilm producers. The body can ’t absorb vitamin B6, a key component of pyrrole treatment causing stomach upset.
The second thing that makes mold different is that mold produces toxins. For many people the problem isn’t fighting the mold. Rather, the biotoxins overwhelm the body. This is significant because it changes the treatment protocol. Instead of trying to breakdown the biofilm and kill the organism, we have to clear the biotoxins. Biotoxins can’t be killed because they aren’t alive! But our immune system overacts in response, creating high levels of inflammatory cytokines. This creates the symptoms in most people.
Clearing the biofilm and/or the biotoxins is key to treatment. But so is limiting exposure. I’ve lived in Portland, Oregon and the North Shore of Oahu. Both places get a lot of rain, leading to moldy environments. But dry climates can attract mold too. Tucson, Arizona has a lot of mold in the houses, according to several of my colleagues there. It has to do with building codes not prepping for the rain. I bring this up because living in a drier climate doesn’t make you safe from mold.
Many patients don’t realize that mold rests behind a wall in the bathroom or in a closet. It only takes one leak to cause an issue. These organisms can release an array of toxins into the air. For example, microbial volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can give a room that familiar musty smell. But these agents can release a variety of molecules, including endotoxins, spores, and inflammagens. Any of these can be in the air, (detectable by scent or not), and potentially create problems in the body. To treat the problem, the mold or toxins may need to be removed from your environment. In extreme cases, patients have needed to move houses. Several of mine moved because of finding mold in their homes.
Problems can hit almost anywhere in the body. But it is important to remember though you may have symptoms in multiple areas, it doesn’t mean mold toxicity is the problem. Other causes lead to this constellation of symptoms. Seeking professional help can be useful in determining the problem. I offer comprehensive testing and evaluation to help determine what may be happening to you. Most of the time, the problem can be solved with natural remedies and supplements. Schedule today to learn if mold related illness affects you.
A few years ago, I went to the optometrist to have a regular check up. I needed new contacts because my old ones weren’t working too well. After my exam, the doctor asked “How long have you been wearing glasses?” I told him since my teens. His responsed with amazement. “You don’t need glasses at all, Dr. Winkelman. At your age, your eyes shouldn’t be improving they should be getting worse! What are you doing to get optimal health?” In fact, my follow-up recently showed not only had my eyes remained great but several cholesterol deposits that had been there were gone!
Optimal Health is something that almost everyone wishes to have. But what is it and how does one get there? In this article, I want to give my definition of optimal health and what impedes it. In a future article, I’ll go through how trauma plays a role in interfering with optimal health.
Optimal health represents a total balance and homeostasis in the body. How do you know things are right, though? If you don’t get sick, does that mean you’re healthy? Not necessarily. I’ve seen many patients who never were sick get serious illnesses later in life. Colds and flus give our body an opportunity to tune up our immune system and remove toxins. (More on that later.) Can we use tests? Blood test
s only measure a moment in time. Most blood tests do not give us a long-term picture of what is happening in the body. Hair and urine tests can give us the long-term picture but can sometimes be misleading. For example, I’ve seen hair mineral analysis that shows the body has not mercury, but all the signs are there in other ways. Plus, you can’t run tests every week. It would be too expensive. So how can we self-evaluate to determine how we are doing?
I like to use a simple system called SEAMMS to measure how patients are doing. It’s not a complete examination or touches on every system in the body. But it’s a simple system for self-evaluation without the need of a physical examination, tests, or imaging. The first S stands for sleep. Sleep is a key component of optimal health. Good sleep requires 7-12 hours (depending upon one’s age), of deep sleep at night, preferably uninterrupted. If you struggle to fall asleep or stay asleep, you likely have an imbalance somewhere that requires some intervention. One of the best treatments for sleep is Cognitive-behavioral therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I.) There are definitely supplements and medications one can take to help sleep, but not all of them work for everyone. Melatonin, for example, is great to help one fall asleep but not stay asleep. (And most people take too high of a dosage.) Furthermore, some people don’t do well with hops, valerian, or other herbs that help with sleep. Knowing what to take is a topic that I need to save for another article.
Good sleep leads to the next factor, which is energy. One should be able to function throughout the day without brain fog, lethargy, or crashes. The occasional nap is fine. I should clarify that if one works out extremely hard, the day is hot, or something out of the ordinary. Many activities can sap energy, but baring any of those, you get through the day easily. If your energy is off though, there is likely something out of balance in the body.
Appetite, which includes digestion, is the next important aspect of optimal health. Studies from the Blue Zones show that people who live the longest tend to not overeat. They eat until they are around 80% full and stop. People in the blue zones eat all the colors of the rainbow, limit dairy and meat, and are mostly plant-based. Furthermore, good digestion means you are absorbing the nutrients you’ve taken in. (Chewing is an important factor.) Gas and bloating are not an issue. And you have well-formed and regular bowel movements. Constipation and diarrhea are rare.
Menses are regular in terms of length of cycle and the number of days bleeding. Cramping, headaches, premenstrual tension, and other symptoms are minimal though occur from time to time.
The musculoskeletal system is the next area that is important to look at. Do you wake with aches and pains? Or do you jump out of bed? Does doing the slightest bit of exercise hurt? If you’re in good shape, you can do things without consequences. Though I do recommend stretching before and after exercise. When I was younger, I had aches and pains every morning. But as I worked with my doctor on optimal health, that went away. Now when I get out of bed, it is rare that my body hurts at all.
The last S is a sense of wellbeing. This is harder to definite as it varies for everyone. But there’s a sense of minimal stress, feeling fulfilled, having purpose, and being part of a community. What intrigues me about the Blue Zone research is how social networks and spirituality are so important for longevity. It may be why the one-two drinks a day helps some people live longer. It’s not the alcohol, but rather the socialization that increases life span. As you’ll see in other articles, this may be the key link to chronic health problems.
Now, having a sense of what optimal health is, how does one get there? In some ways, it is the easiest thing to do and in other ways, it is extremely challenging. Why? Optimal health is something the body naturally works towards. We have mechanisms in place that, when properly functioning, allow us to remove toxins from our system. Our bowels, liver, kidneys, lungs, and lymphatic systems all remove toxins from the body. What are some of those toxins? Some factors that can harm our health include nutrient depleted foods, air pollution, and toxic emotions. But sometimes the body gets overwhelmed and struggles to remove these things. Poor diet, lack of exercise, microbiome imbalance, and a lack of elimination can cause problems. That’s why these are some things naturopathic doctors emphasize in their practices. It is important to have the basics of proper health to encourage the body to heal, recharge, and eliminate toxins. Sleep, for example, is the time that our body removes many toxic components and melatonin may activate the enzymes that does this.
Much of the research is in cellular senescence, the phenomenon of the cessation of cell division. When stressed or damaged, cells stop dividing to allow for healing. For example, when we are cut, the cells around the wound stop dividing to staunch the injury. In a healthy organism, other cells come after the wound heals and removes them from the body. But when the stress or insult is chronic, the body doesn’t remove these cells. Senescent cells are called zombie cells in some of the literature. They produce hormones that attempt to turn other cells into zombies. What causes this chronicity? Inflammation!
In my next article, I’ll go into more detail about how inflammation reduction is critical for optimal health. But this give us a way to self-evaluate on a regular basis how we are doing towards that optimal health. Remember that optimal health is not something achieved and forgotten. It requires ongoing effort and vigiliance. If you want to work towards that goal, make an appointment with me to discuss.
In over 15 years of working as a Naturopathic Physician, I have seen many patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) or OCD traits. I can tell you that holistic treatment for OCD works extremely well. What is OCD? And what types of natural remedies for OCD are effective? The Walsh Protocol is highly effective. But before I get into that, let us explore what OCD is.
OCD is a pattern of unwanted thoughts and obsessions leading to repetitive behaviors (compulsions). These compulsions and thoughts interfere with daily activities. In extreme cases, very dark thoughts accompany the behaviors. Regardless, the person suffers extreme distress and anxiety. (OCD is a subset of anxiety.)
One can try to stop the obsessions or compulsions but that often serves to increase the distress and anxiety. Performing the acts is an attempt to relieve the stress. The thoughts come back even when ignored, leading to more ritualistic behavior and the cycle of OCD.
Often, OCD revolved around a theme, such as a fear of germ contamination. To ease the fear, the compulsion starts. In this example, compulsive hand washing is even to the point of sore or chapped hands.
If you have OCD, holistic treatment for the condition exists. Before we explore treatments, I want to discuss the symptoms in more detail.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder usually includes both obsessions and compulsions. But it is also possible to have one without the other. Some people cannot see that their obsessions or compulsions are excessive. What is excessive? Anything that interferes with your daily routine, social, academic, or work functioning. It is important to distinguish OCD from perfectionism. Perfectionism is the desire for something to be flawless. Recently, I had my car detailed. My friend joked about the detailed that it’s a good way to channel his OCD. And while he worked really hard to make my car perfect while spending hours cleaning it, he didn’t obsess about the things who couldn’t get perfect. He just moved on. Thoughts about actual problems in your life, or liking things arranged particularly, are not necessarily OCD thoughts. It’s when these actions and thoughts interfere with your life that it is a problem. Let’s dive into the difference between obsessions and compulsions.
OCD obsessions appear as recurring thoughts, urges, or images that cause distress. One may try to ignore them or use a ritual to remove them. Typically, these obsessions intrude when attempting to do something else.
Some examples of obsessive themes include:
Examples of obsession signs and symptoms include:
OCD compulsions are repetitive behaviors one feels driven to perform to reduce anxiety. Engaging in compulsions brings temporary relief but rarely pleasure. One invents the rituals or rules to control anxiety, but is rarely realistic or related to the problem.
Compulsions typically have themes such as:
OCD usually begins in the teen or young adult years, though signs of it appear in childhood. A gradual increase of symptoms occurs as people age, and sometimes the obsessions and compulsions change. Symptoms worsen with increased stress and can be disabling.
Now that we have explored what OCD is, how is it treated? When I think holistically, I consider various approaches to treat the condition, not just medication. Many people find benefit from a mix of psychotherapy, the Walsh Protocol, neurofeedback, and/or Naturopathic care. Let’s explore each of these.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is effective for many people with OCD. One type is called exposure and response prevention (ERP). In ERP therapy, you gradually face fears and learn to resist rituals. ERP takes effort and practice, but improves one’s life quality if effective.
Neurofeedback shows great promise to treat OCD. Many patients report having less severe symptoms following neurofeedback sessions. During neurofeedback, we first map the brain by placing sensors on the scalp. The map directs treatment of OCD by showing which areas of the brain may be most affected. Depending upon the type of neurofeedback system and severity of symptoms, most practitioners treat 1-3 times per week. I like to start with weekly sessions to better monitor how the treatment takes.
The Walsh Protocol is a highly effective holistic treatment for OCD. When I first started using the Walsh Protocol, we thought OCD was strictly a methylation issue. It turns out that OCD may also have an element related to NMDA receptors too. The beauty of the approach is that knowing the biosubtype allows us to determine the treatment plan for the NMDA receptor, too. Patients with OCD typically have issues with memory extinction. By affecting the NMDA receptor, supplements can help ease symptoms. Many patients report having fewer disturbing thoughts or compulsions.
OCD and other mental illness may be related to high levels of inflammation in the body. Natural treatments like bio-therapeutic drainage, supplements, gut balancing, and hydrotherapy can reduce inflammation and lower oxidative stress in the body. While these treatments do not always immediately resolve the problem, they do improve overall health. One aspect of OCD that I am integrating into my practice is looking at trauma. Trauma affects many areas of the body but particularly the mitochondria. Changes in the mitochondria cause a myriad of downstream effects on glial cells (the helpers of neurons), methylation, oxidative stress, and so forth. In fact, mitochondria may be an important aspect of all health problems. This approach can help can not only help OCD but likely prevent other conditions too.
Curious to get treatment for OCD. Contact me today to schedule an appointment. I’m excited to share what I have learned and help you or your loved one struggling with OCD. Call my office today at 808-726-2772 or use the schedule now form.
When you think about trauma, do you think about accidents and child abuse? Trauma may be the biggest health issue that isn’t recognized. It touches our lives in so many ways. Traumatic events vary as do people’s responses to events that we deem scary. How do I know if I have trauma is a common question I get from patients.
To start, we need to define what trauma is. Trauma is any event that occurs where the nervous system gets activated but doesn’t reset. I explain the details in another post. But the basics are this. Something happens that causes us to be on alert. Our sympathetic nervous amps up, causing our heart to race, pupils to dilate, and glucose gets mobilized so we can fight or flee. (This is the fight/flight response.) When the danger passes, ideally, your system calms down. Say you have a near miss accident while driving. In milliseconds, you respond to the threat so you can react to the situation. At the last minute, you swerve to avoid the wreck. Some people pull over after this type of experience to calm themselves. They may shake, scream, or somehow discharge the pent up energy. But what if you don’t do that? Sometimes, that event leads to what I’m calling trauma. The energy gets stuck. And that energy can affect mind, body, and spirit.
What are some examples of trauma? Surgeries, poorly performed procedures, accidents, and adverse childhood experiences such as bullying at school or verbal or physical abuse are examples of trauma. But many times, the event is one we never considered traumatic because we rationalized it away. For example, many patients never considered a surgery traumatic because the procedure went well. But the body responds as though there is a threat. People remember little from the time they were preverbal (around 2 years of age). If anything happened, your body might remember it, but you would have no recall of the event. Finally, there is evidence that some trauma is epigenetic. This means that we may experience situations as traumatic because one of our ancestors passed that to us. You can read more about this in my report.You can read more about this in my report.
Before I answer that question, we need to discuss shame and trauma. Shame is a form of developmental trauma. It leads to a similar type of avoidance. If your arm hurts, you don’t move it around. If you have a psychological wound, you don’t poke at it. Regardless if you are aware of trauma, it affects your mind, body, and spirit. How? Below is a list of typical reactions people have both right away or ones that are delayed.
Immediate Emotional Reactions | Delayed Emotional Reactions |
Immediate Physical Reactions | Delayed Physical Reactions |
Immediate Cognitive Reactions | Delayed Cognitive Reactions |
Immediate Behavioral Reactions | Delayed Behavioral Reactions |
Immediate Existential Reactions | Delayed Existential Reactions |
While many diagnoses fit these symptoms, the similarity to pyrrole disorder and/or autoimmune conditions jumped out at me. For a long time, we have suspected that pyroluria is a physiologic response to trauma. It may or may not be but in another post I will discuss how trauma directly affects the body.
Trauma clearly affects many aspects of our lives. Because it is an energy block, trauma can block our creative force, particularly if you don’t remember the trauma. It could limit your life in ways that you don’t understand. If you freeze when trying to do some forms of work, such as writing an article about trauma, you may not get a promotion. Or if you are afraid to fly, you won’t be able to go to business meetings, or a family reunion in Hawaii.
What do you do about trauma if you realize that it exists in your life? For the moment, working with a therapist (or me) is the best option. Working with me is a great option if you have pyrrole disorder or other health issues happening. While taking vitamins won’t take the trauma away, it often makes the process easier. I am working on an online course. Join this new mailing list to learn more.
With WHO declaring the Covid-19 a pandemic, we all must take precautions. By now you have received many emails about what to do to protect yourself. Social isolation, as best as possible, is one of them. That does not mean you cannot see the doctor. The advantages of telemedicine are clear right now. For many years, I have offered telemedicine appointments. I use HIPAA compliant software to allow me to do video consults with patients. For many people, this suffices to get their medical needs met. First, a quick reminder about how to protect yourself:
The CDC and the WHO recommend several basic measures to help prevent the spread of respiratory diseases such as Covid-19.
NOTE: Several surveys suggest that only 66% of Americans wash their hands regularly. This is problematic. Get in the habit of washing your hands. It could save your or someone else’s life.
Second, if you are showing symptoms, isolate yourself right away. There is testing available, but they must perform the test in an outpatient setting. The test is a nasal, lung, or throat swap. Hawaii is setting up test centers for symptomatic patients. Oregon is rolling out drive through testing stations. Many clinics do not want patients to come if they are showing symptoms. My local Adventist Health outpatient clinic is asking people to stay home and call the advice line if they are sick. Why? Most offices do not have resources to handle infections disease.
And this is one of the biggest advantages of telemedicine. Most people infected with the coronavirus (or another virus) can be treated at home. While it is likely highly contagious and will be deadlier than the seasonal flu, it is self-limiting in the majority of cases. I can prescribe treatments via video (or instruct you what to do if it’s more serious.) Telemedicine appointments can help with the coronavirus (or other illness). There are many natural treatments body fight infections before needing hospitalization. And if you have other health concerns, telemedicine appointments helps avoid exposure.
If you wish to discuss your symptoms, or have any other issues that require medical help, please call my office to schedule a telemedicine appointment.
You can email me at info@askdrgil.com or call 808-726-2772.
In medicine, hypothyroidism and anxiety aren’t typically associated. It is usually depression associated with a low thyroid function and anxiety with high. But many of my patients found their anxiety disappear with proper thyroid function. Why is this? Could low thyroid be the answer to treatment-resistant anxiety? Many patients come to me taking thyroid but are not feeling better. Others presented with subclinical hypothyroid. Why is this? Let’s explore more about these issues. I should note that hormone interactions in the body are very complex. This article does not serve as a full primer but a short introduction.
Before jumping into the complexity of hormones, I want to review the scope of the problem. Anxiety occurs in 30-40% of patients with hypothyroid. They can also have irritability, depression, learning issues, and poor concentration.
Most research suggests that doctors should not give medications for depression and anxiety until they check thyroid levels. While I agree with the approach in theory, it’s not as simple as testing thyroid.
To understand the paradox of this problem, I want to explain a bit about the hypothalamic-pituitary axis (HPT). This may be technical but bear with me. The hypothalamus and pituitary are in the brain, controlling hormonal function in the body through different hormones. The hypothalamus produces Thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) to signal the pituitary to make thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). TSH signals to the thyroid to produce T4 (Thyroxine) which is stored in the thyroid gland until the body needs to use it. When the body needs energy, T4 converts to T3 (Triiodothyronine).
Because T3 is so potent, the body only converts what it needs when it needs it and mostly inside the cell. T3 then crosses into the nucleus and started turning genes on. If you have listened to my podcast about methylation and epigenetics, there may be a connection here. Remember that everything you eat, drink, breathe, and experience can change your genetic expression. Specifically, high or low methyl may affect T3 binding at specific sites, thereby producing different results. The following are required for the thyroid to work:
There are a lot of steps. I want you to remember this list because it will be important in a moment.
But the doctor said my thyroid levels were normal!
Both the tests for thyroid and their interpretation are problematic. Typically, most doctors only run a TSH to see if thyroid is functioning well. But many recent research studies suggest that TSH is a poor measure of thyroid function. Several studies concluded that looking at just TSH does not show how cells are utilizing thyroid.
Some doctors know this and also measure T4 to determine thyroid function. There are problems with this approach. First, both TSH and T4 measure supply of thyroid hormone. A normal TSH means that the pituitary receives the message from the hypothalamus to tell the thyroid to produce thyroid. When these numbers are normal, most likely, your thyroid is working. But often in hypothyroidism, the problem stems from somewhere further downstream from the gland. Look at the list above. There are four more steps below the level of the thyroid that can lead to hypothyroidism.
If TSH or T4 is off, most clinicians give T4! That helps nothing further downstream, and it could make things worse for many people too. Why? Because the body may convert too much T4 to reverse T3. This blocks the receptor sites for good T3 but no cell activity changes. Reverse T3 also stops conversion of T4 to T3. When this occurs, treatment to reduce reverse T3 must be given before thyroid function can return to normal.
The other big problem with this testing is that it presupposes that if there’s T4 that the T4 is getting into the cell and the body is converting it all to T3. But that is not always the case.
But my doctor tested the T3 and it was normal!
I’ve done that too but what we are finding that measuring T3 and T4 are not always good indicators of thyroid function either. One problem is that T3 is an intracellular component meaning that we don’t see a lot in the blood. Therefore, doing a blood test tells us nothing about how the cell is utilizing T3.
But the biggest problem with these tests is that many common conditions skew the results. For example, patients with fibromyalgia have low normal TSH normal T4 but low T3. Doctors typically treat these patients as though their thyroid is either normal or on the high end. Patients who are obese typically have thyroid results that do not correlate with their symptoms. The same is true of patients with high levels of inflammation and diabetes.
Many conditions may be issues of conversion of T4 to T3. Why is this happening? Much of the research suggests that chemicals such as flame retardants, bisphenol A, plastics, heavy metals and such. These compounds may disrupt the energy production mechanisms in cells called mitochondria.
You may wonder how this related to anxiety. The short answer is we don’t know. My best guess is that the sympathetic nervous system kicks in to speed up processes in the body. Adrenaline rushes over long periods leads to anxiety.
If you suffer from anxiety, depression, learning issues, or brain fog, it’s time to get your thyroid checked. There are better ways to test thyroid than just doing a TSH including taking your temperature or measuring other hormone in the body such as sex hormone binding globulin. This is what I do in my practice now instead of measuring just the thyroid levels. I am certified in Wilson’s Temperature Syndrome therapy, a novel approach to correct issues with thyroid conversion. In fact many people who were previously diagnosed with Hashimoto’s or other thyroid issues, regained healthy thyroid function after this treatment approach. Schedule with me if you want to learn more. Your path to feeling better is just around the corner.
Migraine symptoms can be extremely painful. If you have never had one, you are lucky. Migraine symptoms consist of debilitating head pain, nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to sounds and light. In extreme cases, one can feel weakness on one side of the body that can last minutes to days. Some people never get head pain; rather they have problems with vision such as an aura around everything (ocular migraine symptom), stomach pain (abdominal migraine), or some other unexplained phenomenon. An article in the Sunday NY Times provides a bit of a first person account of migraines. Natural migraine treatment requires us to know the cause. I have identified at least 9 different causes of migraines. Likely there are more than the nine. Let’s explore the causes of the migraines and possible treatments such as LENS Neurofeedback.
Before we jump into the categories of migraines, I just want to give a brief overview of the scope of the problem. Estimates vary between 10-20% of the US population suffers from migraine symptoms. It costs consumers approximately $12.7 billion a year in medical costs plus another $12 billion in missed workdays. People who suffer from migraine headaches make less money than people who don’t. Not only that, people who get migraines are at a greater risk of heart attack and stroke.
Traditional medicine manages migraines headache symptoms with polypharmacy, or the use of multiple drugs. While providing relief, many of this drugs have side effects too. Determining triggers can help reduce the frequency of migraines. Chocolate, alcohol, caffeine, menses and barometric changes are some of the common ones. A trigger creates a migraine but isn’t necessarily the cause. The cause though is what makes the trigger manifest into a migraine. Not everyone who eats chocolate gets a migraine. For those who are susceptible to migraines, chocolate can create one. By the cause, I mean what is it that allows a trigger to work. Stress and a lack of sleep may also affect people. The trigger though, isn’t the same as the cause. I work with people to help them understand triggers because it can bring relief. Then we find the underlying cause so they don’t get sick again. Many of my patients tolerate the thing that made them ill previously. They start to live their life more fully.
Understanding the cause is the simple way to cure migraines. Finding the cause is not always so easy. Let’s explore some of the different causes.
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI): One of the most common causes of migraines is previous head trauma. I discuss the details of head trauma in the last post. Head injury is common and can cause migraines. Even minor bumps on the head or whiplash injuries can add up and lead to headaches later in life. In the last post, I go over the treatments in this situation.
Female Hormonal Imbalances: Many women get migraines related to their menstrual cycle. The headaches can occur right before or when their menses start. While this can be its own cause, it is usually related to liver imbalances. Treatment requires balancing of the hormones first. Ensuring that the cycles are regular is the first thing I do in this case. More often than not, though, it requires looking at the liver.
Liver Imbalance: Liver imbalance is common for people with migraines. The liver clears toxins from the body, and hormones are no exception. But other imbalances can occur too. The inability to eat rich foods or drink alcohol without a problem maybe a sign of a liver issue. The way I describe this issue to patients is that their liver cells just aren’t working as liver cells. Naturopathic treatments remind the liver cells how to do their job. Our DNA is more of a blueprint than a hardcoding. The body has flexibility in what it produces. If the liver isn’t doing its job, it means it’s not producing the proper proteins to be doing its job. I use a variety of supplements that assist the liver and others that work to reset the epigenetic state. Gemmotherapy, homoepathy, and low dose botanicals can all help with the liver.
Gastrointestinal: This is distinct from a liver problem. Sometimes, there is a problem with the foods we eat because we aren’t digesting them. This could be due to food sensitivities causing GI distress. For reasons unknown, this can lead to migraines. Changes in the healthy flora in the intestines can lead to this issue. These organisms help protect the gut and allow us to digest food well. The reason why so many people react to so many foods is that the gut is too loose. Leaky gut is a real problem, and one of its symptoms is migraine. Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth or SIBO can be the culprit too. Proper diagnosis of this problem starts with an elimination diet. If the problem isn’t completely resolved, then I run other tests. SIBO, Leaky Gut, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, and Crohn’s can all be causes of migraines. Treatment varies based on the diagnosis.
Hormonal: Other hormonal imbalances can lead to migraines. Adrenal imbalances causing rapid changes in cortisol or epinephrine can cause migraines. The adrenal gland is also responsible for instructing the liver to produce certain proteins. Sometimes the liver is fine but the adrenals aren’t directing it appropriately. Or the thyroid may be out of balance. An imbalance in either could disrupt sleep, and fatigue is a common trigger for migraines.
Metal Imbalance: This is a new one for me although the research about this is almost 30 years old. The main culprits here are Zinc and Copper. The body requires both metals for proper functioning. In general, Americans are low in zinc and high in copper. This may be due to the effects of food processing, but it is unclear why. High copper levels may cause both migraines and menstrual difficulties. It also exacerbates low zinc. Zinc supplementation has shown promise in research studies as a treatment for migraines. (Med Hypotheses. 2011 Jul;77(1):147-51. A new horizon into the pathobiology, etiology and treatment of migraine. Dillion, Singh, Lvall) Simple testing of blood and/or hair can help reveal this issue. Zinc supplementation can be effective for raising zinc levels. Vitamin E and other nutrients can lower copper levels.
Heavy Metals: Another issue with metals is the heavy variety. Mercury, cadmium, arsenic, and aluminum can all contribute to migraines. Heavy metals can come from a variety of sources, and often the headaches come on as the body is trying to get rid of them. Elimination of metals needs to be gradual to prevent severe symptoms. A simple mineral prescription can start to mobilize the offending metals out of the body. Headaches will be completely gone in months.
Inflammation: Inflammation is starting to gain traction as a cause of many different conditions. Recent publications have suggested that migraines may be inflammatory. What does this mean? Inflammation is the process the body uses to heal damage. It is to be a short-term activity to do so. Cells release hormones called cytokines that are signals to repair damage. These make us feel achy, sluggish, and depressed. For various reasons, the body sometimes gets into a chronic inflammatory state. This means that the entire body feels down, as if ill. In some people, the inflammation leads to headaches. The reasons aren’t completely clear. Treatment would consist of lowering inflammation in the body. This is probably a good idea for most people. An anti-inflammatory diet, omega-3’s (fish oil), and turmeric are simple ways to reduce inflammation.
Cardiovascular: Changes in arterial pressure may also contribute to migraines. In this situation the pain doesn’t start with stress but when there is relaxation. Patients get migraines on the weekend or on vacation. What is interesting is that some of these patients may have had asthma earlier in life. There appears to be changes in the autonomic nervous system affecting the arteries. Another issue that can arise is that the person with migraines has a small hole in their heart. We have no idea what the relationship is between the two and it is somewhat rare. Treatment here definitely varies depending upon the situation. Neurofeedback or biofeedback can be helpful to stabilize the nervous system.
Musculoskeletal Issues: TMJ, neck issues, and shoulder injuries can all cause migraine symptoms. I didn’t include this in the first iteration of the article and a chiropractor reminded me of this. We don’t know the exact mechanisms of this but there may be a stress or emotional component. Many patients find relief with physical adjustments, massage, and craniosacral therapy.
Emotional: Mental/emotional issues can cause migraines. And what comes first, is not clear. LENS Neurofeedback can be extremely useful for decreasing migraine symptoms (or even curing them entirely.) But for many people, simple exercises that reset the autonomic nervous system can improve people’s lives.
These are some of the causes of migraine. Others exist, of course, but these are the ones that I see most commonly in my practice. As you can see, it is a complex problem, and just treating the symptoms won’t change the issue. Treating the underlying cause helps reduce the problem. If you or someone you love suffers from migraines, please call me. I have a Naturopathic practice in Portland but can work with people remotely using Skype or telemedicine. While my I delight in helping people. And maybe you too can one day be migraine free.
A combination of these can help reduce your risk of illness and keep you healthy this holiday season. If you have tried these and still get sick a lot, call for a consultation.