Why do I Have a Headache?

The International Headache Society identifies 14 categories of headaches! This makes headaches tricky to treat, but the Wellward Regenerative Medicine team is versed in teasing apart the different types of headaches. 

Why does a Head Ache? 

Headaches develop for many reasons.  People have headaches in the front of the head, the temples, and the back of the head.  We get headaches that have a piercing feeling, headaches that pulsate, and headaches that ache.  Headaches can have other symptoms associated with them, such as changes in vision, nausea, and hearing or seeing things. There are so many different types of headaches–that’s one of the biggest challenges–that headaches are very individualistic, so it’s hard to categorize them.  And it’s hard, it’s even harder, to get a better grasp of what to do about them and how to treat them. 

Happily, we have found some commonalities among various types of headaches, and we know they can come from many sources.  A lot of them come from peripheral nerves.  The nerves that course throughout the body, running through two layers of tissue, are called fascia.  The nerves run or “floss” through the body’s tissue.  As we age, the tissue begins to get a little wrinkly, with nooks and crannies where nerves can get stuck.  Our tissues become adhesive, so sometimes, the nerves get trapped in the muscles.  When they become irritated, repetitive movements evolve into a headache over the course of a day.

Is “Migraine” Just Another Word for Headache? 

A migraine is a special kind of headache that’s like a miniature seizure taking place. Many things can irritate a nerve and hit it repetitively with a signal that snowballs out of control. Progressively that nerve becomes more and more sensitive causing a cascade of signals to fire off in the brain.  They cause a lot of noise in the brain, and the brain interprets them as a headache or migraine headache. 

There are many theories as to why people get migraine headaches. One of them is old: that it causes the blood vessels to constrict, so it changes the circulation patterns in the brain, and that causes a headache. Another theory is that miniature seizure activity we mentioned earlier.   The brain is going haywire with signals. It is very energy-consuming for the brain. It starts to accumulate metabolites, irritants, and byproducts of all that activity. And that, in and of itself, can be very irritating. A third theory is that the chemicals the brain sits in– the chemical soup–can accumulate some inflammatory markers or toxins. These toxins sensitize the skin surrounding the brain and the chemical soup in which it sits. When that starts to get irritated, it causes a headache.

Headaches Starting in the Neck 

The nerves that go to our head start from the neck. So to get from spine to head, the nerves have to travel through muscles which can sandwich nerves and irritate them with every movement. When nerves share a root, an irritation along one nerve can bleed over onto other nerves. In particular, the nerves that go to the joints of the neck share roots with the nerves going up to the back of the head. So any arthritic or disc problem can translate to headaches. We see a lot of these backside headaches among people who’ve had a car accident or some significant change in their neck functionality that slowly develop arthritis and disc problems.  They start getting headaches regularly. It’s not something you have to live with.  Wellward has some outstanding solutions for headaches linked to the neck.

Should I go to the Emergency Room for My Headache?

If it’s a different headache from what you’ve experienced before or one you’d describe as “the worst I’ve ever had,” then it should be checked out immediately because there are some headaches that signal emergency problems. For everything else, Wellward professionals are standing by to help.  We’re well versed in understanding and teasing apart the different types of headaches that are out there.  We can get to the root cause because there are a lot of really straightforward solutions for headaches that are uncommon in the medical community. 

Do you suffer from headaches?  Wellward offers many options to address your pain.  Please reach out to us to ask any questions or to set up an appointment:  859-275-4878.  The Wellward team looks forward to speaking with you and helping you on your journey to healing and better health.