Headaches & Migraines
What is your type of headache or migraine?
The first clinic in Poland offering a scientifically researched and effective treatment for all types of cervicogenic migraines.
Migraine and headache
The revolutionary method of treating cervicogenic migraines and headaches from Australia brings relief to 80% of patients within 4-5 treatments. It is the only scientifically validated manual approach that positively reduces the causes of migraine and headaches.
How does it work?
In the diagnosis and treatment of migraines and headaches, we use a specialized Manual Protocol that eliminates central sensitization of the brain stem, which, according to the latest scientific research, is the direct cause of headaches and migraines.
Studies have shown that the trigeminal-cervical complex is a source of irritation (sensitization) in migraines and headaches.
Regardless of the type of headache, this particular area that receives input from the trigeminal nerve and the three upper cervical nerves is constantly irritated. Various stimuli can trigger your headache, but the neck component is the strongest source of central sensitization.
The method we use is very selective and consists of pressure on individual structures of the cervical spine (without manipulation of the spine) to induce an appropriate response of the central nervous system.
Types of Headaches or Migraines
Cervicogenic Headache
Cervicogenic headache is perceived in your head but has origins in your neck:
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vertebrae
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joints
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muscles
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discs
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ligaments
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nerves
Poor body posture contributes to misbehavior of the disc between the vertebrae, which results in tension of the suboccipital muscles, which is so strong that it causes rotation of the cervical vertebrae. Continuous stimulation (sensitization) of the affected neck area contributes to central sensitization of the brain stem and the development of headache.
Quite often we can reproduce a headache by applying pressure to the upper cervical spine (C1-C2 and C3 vertebrae). This means that, in fact, your neck is the direct cause of your headache.
Praktyka kliniczna wskazuje, że aż 90% osób chorujÄ…cych na migreny albo bóle gÅ‚owy jest nieprawidÅ‚owo zdiagnozowana. Okazuje siÄ™, że te osoby, po precyzyjnym badaniu odcinka szyjnego, otrzymujÄ… diagnozÄ™ szyjnopochodnego bólu gÅ‚owy.
Szyjnopochodny ból gÅ‚owy może manifestować siÄ™ jako migrena, napiÄ™ciowy ból gÅ‚owy, a nawet jak klasterowy ból gÅ‚owy. Powód jest bardzo prosty. Wszystkie te schorzenia majÄ… tÄ… samÄ… przyczynÄ™, czyli centralnÄ… sensytyzacjÄ™ pnia mózgu.
Przyczyny szyjnopochodnego bólu gÅ‚owy
Symptoms of cervicogenic headache:
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neck pain and stiffness
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decreased range of motion
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muscle tension around your neck
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your headache more likely will start at the neck and travel up to the front of your head and behind your eye
Tension-type headache
According to statistics tension headache is the most widespread headache disorder and affects 85% of the population. It affects mainly women. It could be felt like a tight feeling on both sides of the head and quite often the onset is sudden. The headache can last from 1 hour to even 5-7 days.
People with tension-type headaches usually do not experience migraine symptoms, like:
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visual aura
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nausea
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vomiting
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blurry vision
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sound or light sensitivity
Co jest przyczynÄ… napiÄ™ciowego napiÄ™ciowego bólu gÅ‚owy?
Dawniej myÅ›lano, że napiÄ™ciowe bóle gÅ‚owy spowodowane sÄ… wzrostem napiÄ™cia mięśni lub skurczami mięśni wokóÅ‚ gÅ‚owy, powodujÄ…c ból gÅ‚owy typu napiÄ™ciowego. Ta teoria zostaÅ‚a już obalona, ponieważ najnowsze badania wykazaÅ‚y, że napiÄ™cie skóry gÅ‚owy u osób z napiÄ™ciowymi bólami gÅ‚owy nie jest wiÄ™ksze niż u osób, które nie cierpiÄ… na bóle gÅ‚owy.
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Co wiÄ™c może być prawdziwÄ… przyczynÄ… napiÄ™ciowego bólu gÅ‚owy?
NajnowoczeÅ›niejsze badania naukowe wykazaÅ‚y, że górny odcinek szyjny jest odpowiedzialny za napiÄ™ciowe bóle gÅ‚owy. KonsekwencjÄ… tych nieprawidÅ‚owoÅ›ci jest uwrażliwienie pnia mózgu, co prowadzi do powstania napiÄ™ciowego bólu gÅ‚owy.
TÄ… teoriÄ™ potwierdziÅ‚y już wczeÅ›niejsze badania w roku 1977, kiedy za pomocÄ… elektromiografii zmierzono aktywność mięśni skóry gÅ‚owy, gdzie nie znaleziono żadnych zmian, natomiast zauważono zwiÄ™kszonÄ… aktywacjÄ™ mięśni wokóÅ‚ szyi. To potwierdziÅ‚o, że górny odcinek szyjny byÅ‚ odpowiedzialny za naopiÄ™ciowe bóle gÅ‚owy, a nie napiÄ™cie wokóÅ‚ gÅ‚owy.
Jak leczyć napiÄ™ciowe bóle gÅ‚owy?
JeÅ›li jesteÅ› jednÄ… z wielu osób cierpiÄ…cych na przewlekÅ‚e bÄ…dź epizodyczne napiÄ™ciowe bóle gÅ‚owy i masz wrażenie, że dotychczasowe metody leczenia nie przyniosÅ‚y ci ulgi, sugerujemy udanie siÄ™ do specjalistycznej kliniki, która zajmuje siÄ™ wyÅ‚Ä…cznie leczeniem migren oraz bólów gÅ‚owy. Jeżeli nikt tak naprawdÄ™ nie znalazÅ‚ przyczyny twojego bólu gÅ‚owy, to warto by byÅ‚o dokonać oceny sensytyzacji pnia mózgu, która jest najczÄ™sztszÄ… przyczynÄ… bólów gÅ‚owy.
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W Reha Migrena zajmujemy siÄ™ leczeniem wszystkich rodzajów migren oraz bólów gÅ‚owy i wykorzystujemy najnowoczeÅ›niejsze metody diagnostyczne oraz lecznicze tych schorzeÅ„. Nasze metody sÄ… wolne od leków, manipulacji i sÄ… nieinwazyjne.
Cluster Headache
Cluster headache is regarded as the most painful headache of all other types of headaches. It is a rare type of headache but the symptoms are the most severe and debilitating.
A person with a cluster headache can have 1- 2 episodes of severely painful cluster attacks that can last from 10-15 minutes up to 3 hours.
One person can have up to 8 attacks a day. If you are experiencing more attacks during spring or autumn, where the break between episodes is at least 6 months, that means you have episodic cluster headaches.
Chronic cluster headaches sufferers experience them in less than 3 months intervals.
Symptoms of Cluster Headache:
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Unilateral, severe, and deeply situated pain around or behind one eye or in the temple
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Excessive tearing and redness of the involved eye
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Swelling or droopiness in the affected eye
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The runny nose on the affected side
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Agitations, restlessness
Leczenie klasterowych bólów gÅ‚owy
JeÅ›li jesteÅ› jednÄ… z wielu osób cierpiÄ…cych na klasterowe bóle gÅ‚owy i masz wrażenie, że dotychczasowe metody leczenia nie przyniosÅ‚y ci ulgi, sugerujemy udanie siÄ™ do specjalistycznej kliniki, która zajmuje siÄ™ wyÅ‚Ä…cznie leczeniem migren oraz bólów gÅ‚owy. Jeżeli nikt tak naprawdÄ™ nie znalazÅ‚ przyczyny twojego bólu gÅ‚owy, to warto by byÅ‚o dokonać oceny sensytyzacji pnia mózgu, która jest najczÄ™sztszÄ… przyczynÄ… bólów gÅ‚owy.
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W Reha Migrena zajmujemy siÄ™ leczeniem wszystkich rodzajów migren oraz bólów gÅ‚owy i wykorzystujemy najnowoczeÅ›niejsze metody diagnostyczne oraz lecznicze tych schorzeÅ„. Nasze metody sÄ… wolne od leków, manipulacji i sÄ… nieinwazyjne.
Vestibular migraine
A formal diagnosis of Vestibular migraine was only developed in 2012 but it is still poorly diagnosed and misunderstood. It is listed in the appendix of the International Classification of Headache Disorders, for entities that ‘are believed to be real but for which better scientific evidence must be presented before they can be formally accepted’.
Symptoms of vestibular migraine:
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Vertigo, dizziness
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Headache
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Photophobia
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Nausea
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Brain Fog
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Lethargy
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Sleep disturbances
Vestibular migraine, if properly diagnosed, can be treated at Reha Migrena. We now know that the nerve endings from the top of the neck feed directly into the sensitized brainstem, causing the aforementioned symptoms. Moreover, the sub-occipital muscles play a major role in proper vestibular function and a dysfunction in these muscles can be very disruptive. With the revolutionary method, we can correct the positions of the three upper neck vertebrae and help with vestibular migraine.
Menstrual migraine
The most recent research demonstrated that women suffering from menstrual migraines do not generally have any hormonal abnormalities. However, they have found that the primary contributing factor to menstrual migraine is the upper neck which sensitizes the brainstem. The slight changes in the estrogen levels before or at the end of the menstrual cycle are interpreted by the already sensitized brainstem as something out of balance. This misinterpretation results in migraine symptoms.
We can distinguish 2 main types of menstrual migraine:
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Pure Menstrual Migraine
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Menstrual Related Migraine
Pure menstrual migraine occurs 1-3 days before or after menstruation and women affected by them do not experience any other migraines outside of their menstruation cycle. They only occur in 10% of women.
Menstrual-related migraine typically occurs 1-3 days before or after menstruation but also can experience head pain outside of their menstruation cycle.
Leczenie menstruacyjnej migreny
JeÅ›li jesteÅ› jednÄ… z wielu osób cierpiÄ…cych na menstruacyjne migreny i masz wrażenie, że dotychczasowe metody leczenia nie przyniosÅ‚y ci ulgi, sugerujemy udanie siÄ™ do specjalistycznej kliniki, która zajmuje siÄ™ wyÅ‚Ä…cznie leczeniem migren oraz bólów gÅ‚owy. Jeżeli nikt tak naprawdÄ™ nie znalazÅ‚ przyczyny twoje migreny, to warto by byÅ‚o dokonać oceny sensytyzacji pnia mózgu, która jest najczÄ™sztszÄ… przyczynÄ… migreny.
Ważne jest aby przyjść co najmniej 5 dni albo więcej przed miesiączną, aby mieć jak największe korzyści z leczenia.
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W Reha Migrena zajmujemy siÄ™ leczeniem wszystkich rodzajów migren oraz bólów gÅ‚owy i wykorzystujemy najnowoczeÅ›niejsze metody diagnostyczne oraz lecznicze tych schorzeÅ„. Nasze metody sÄ… wolne od leków, manipulacji i sÄ… nieinwazyjne.
Whiplash headaches
Can whiplash cause headaches?
If you have recently experienced a car accident or fallen on your head, you can be diagnosed with whiplash. The sudden and severe movement to your neck during the impact causes damage to many muscles, nerves, or ligaments in your neck. Whiplash can cause neck pain and surrounding muscle tension, reduced range of motion, and headaches.
How can I treat whiplash-induced headaches or migraines?
Research has identified that the trigeminocervical complex in the brainstem is the source of irritation (sensitization) in migraine and headaches. Regardless of the type of headache, that specific area where the input from the trigeminal nerve and three upper cervical nerves is received is constantly irritated. Many triggers can spike your migraine, but the neck component is the strongest source of central sensitization. Due to moderate or severe injury to your neck during a whiplash, that process of sensitization takes place immediately after the injury.
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Migraine with or without aura
Migraine is a complex neurological disorder producing symptoms like nausea, light or sound sensitivity, dizziness, brain fog, and disorientation that is caused by the overactive brain stem. The groundbreaking method that we use can help the overactive pain-induced reflux return to normal, in other words, it desensitizes the brainstem.
The pain typically lasts between 4 – 72 hours and is one-sided, pulsating, moderate to severe.
We distinguish 2 types of migraine, with and without aura.
What is a migraine aura?
Migraine aura affects less than 30% of people. Aura is a one-sided and fully reversible neurological sign where the majority of people will experience visual disturbances like scintillating scotomas (vision replaced by a geometric shape – e.g. a zig-zag), visual snow, flickering light, loss or blurred vision. Together with migraine aura, people can also experience:
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Pins and needles or numbness
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Tinnitus or buzzing sensation
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Altered cognitive function, like the inability to form words
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Altered taste
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Difficulty speaking or smelling
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Difficulty swallowing
Over the years of research, the scientists were not able to work out the mechanics of migraine aura and it has been observed that the mechanism in the human brain appears much more complex than first thought.
The current ‘best guess’ is that an event similar to the cortical spreading depression observed by Leao in 1944 is ‘likely to be’ the underlying cause of auras associated with migraine.
As the blood flow decreases the nerves are not able to conduct signals. When the signals cease, the brain isn’t able to interpret the information, for example, from the occipital lobe (visual cortex) – so part of the visual field is lost, or in some cases replaced, and we have a scotoma.
People with migraine with aura have the same abnormal brainstem function that other major forms of headache have. The abnormality shared by all these disorders is an overstimulated brainstem in the area housing the trigeminal (face and head nerves) and upper three cervical nerves (top of the neck).
Sinus Headache
Sinus headache can occur due to respiratory infections in patients experiencing oversensitivity of the trigeminal nerve. In normal circumstances, the trigeminal nerve reacts to an allergen and then relays the information to the superior salivatory nucleus to produce mucus and clear the sinuses. In patients with central sensitization, any type of non-allergic dust is registered as a threat, and our body experience overproduction of mucus, which becomes home to bacteria and causes frequent sinus infections. This process also results in sinus headache, where patients experience symptoms similar to migraine or tension-type headache, but also runny nose, watery eyes, or sinus pain.
Hemiplegic Migraine
Hemiplegic migraine is a rare but serious condition because the symptoms are very similar to a stroke.
A person affected by a hemiplegic migraine experiences typical migraine symptoms, such as one-sided pain in the eye and face, and may also have a migraine aura.
Additionally, there are symptoms of hemiplegia, such as:
• Slurred speech
• Weakness, partial paralysis of one side of the body
• Tingling on one side of the body and face
• Drooping corner of the mouth
• Disorientation
•Dizziness
• Drowsiness or loss of consciousness
People who experience these symptoms for the first time should go to the emergency room as soon as possible because brain imaging is necessary to determine the cause of hemiplegia.
There are two types of hemiplegic migraine:
Familial
In this case, two or more people in the same family experience weakness on one side of the body as a symptom of migraine. If a parent suffers from hemiplegic migraines, on average 50% of children will develop this disorder.
There are three identified gene mutations that occur in hemiplegic migraine - CACNA1A, ATP1A2 and SCN1A. This causes the associated calcium channel in nerve cells to malfunction from time to time, and when this happens, it results in a migraine attack. However, these specific mutations do not occur in all families in which they are diagnosed.
Sporadic
People suffering from sporadic hemiplegic migraine have no familial or inherited connection. Simply put, the cause of their condition is unknown.
Once a detailed diagnosis has been carried out and doctors have determined that the person suffers from hemiplegic migraines, it is possible to seek help at Reha Migrena.
Cyclic vomiting syndrome (CVS)
Cyclic vomiting syndrome is a condition that affects often children and the pathway leading to a proper diagnosis can be very frustrating. Patients often experience patterns of:
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Sudden bouts of nausea and vomiting, that happen at similar times of the day or week and are triggered by consistent but seemingly unrelated triggers, and no one else at home seems to get similar symptoms.
Patients affected by cyclic vomiting syndrome also undergo multiple tests to exclude any other gastrointestinal issues and come back with no evidence of organic, systemic, or metabolic diseases that is likely to explain the symptoms.
80% of children affected by CVS go on to develop migraine symptoms in their adulthood. Only 40% of CVS get a correct diagnosis.
If your child has similar symptoms and has undergone investigations that didn’t point to any other conditions, we can conduct a non-invasive assessment at Reha Migrena.