AboutJ.R. Strecker, B.S., D.C. Expertise I can answer questions related to the signs, symptoms, causes, types, management, treatment, and prevention of headaches and migraines. It is critical to accurately identify the type and cause of the headache to maximally reduce the frequency, duration, and intensity of the headache.
Please note: Due to the limitations of email communication, I cannot answer questions seeking a potential diagnosis or a second opinion. Without exception, any answers given may be used for educational purposes only. If a question is asked, you, the questioner, inherently agree to not use the answer for any type of evidence against another individual or to outweigh the advice or opinion of another healthcare professional. You, the questioner, also inherently agree to remove Allexperts.com and its affiliates and the author of the answer, Dr. JR Strecker, DC, from any harm or liability.
Experience I have extensive experience with chiropractic in an integrated system. I have treated patients at Venice Family Clinic, the nation’s largest free clinic and a teaching clinic for the UCLA medical system, in a heavily researched pilot program incorporating chiropractic and acupuncture with allopathic medicine. I am currently focused on private practice.
Organizations American Chiropractic Association.
California Chiropractic Association.
Publications Dr. J.R. Strecker’s Practice -- featured story (Front Page of Business Section), The Palisadian Post. Oct. 25th, 2007. (Dr. Strecker not the original author).
Education/Credentials Bachelor’s of Science, Human Biology (Cleveland Chiropractic College).
Doctor of Chiropractic, Cum Laude Honors (Cleveland Chiropractic College).
Awards and Honors Youngest chiropractor in professional history to graduate with a Bachelor’s degree
Past/Present Clients Consulting Chiropractor for Pharmaca Integrative Pharmacy – Pacific Palisades, CA
Question I was recently discharged from the Army due to Migraines. I have been having them for 17 years with no treatment until i got into the army. I suffer severe and sudden sharp pain in my right temple witch shoots to the back of my head and neck. Then comes nausea, lights and sound then begin to hurt. It gets so bad I have curled under my bed for days. They have attempted treatment with glasses, allergy medication, NSAIDs, triptans, and narcotics. And finally discharged me with a prescription for imitrex injections witch do not work. I have changed my eating habits, my stress levels and pretty much everything about my life with no results. I have had MRI's, CAT scans and been poked and probed till I was blue in the face and they say they can't find anything. I am at the end of my rope and sick of ERs, narcotics and Doc's who think I am drug seeking. Any advice you can give would be truly appreciated.
Danielle
Answer Disclaimer: please do not take any of my advice without at least consulting with your doctor(s) first. If necessary, print this email in its entirety for your doctor(s) to read. In addition, please do not attempt to use this website or my advice as a substitute for your healthcare needs or as a substitute for the advice of your doctor. There is no way a thorough health evaluation or assessment of any medical condition can be properly made via email. Please only use the contents discussed as a guide or tool to address your health matters with your doctor(s). If any of the information I provide conflicts in anyway with the information your doctor(s) provide, it is always best to default to the information provided by your consulting doctor(s) or to seek additional opinions from qualified, licensed healthcare providers as needed.
Hello D.,
I’m sorry to hear about your complications with your headaches. It sounds like you’ve been suffering with migraines for awhile and I’m sure you feel like a prisoner when you have an attack. It’s even more frustrating to go from doctor to doctor and not find the help you need.
Assuming you are female, there is a possibility that your migraines are hormonal. It depends. Beware, I’m a chiropractor and have no scope to recommend prescriptions, but there is some research that suggests birth control helps some women with migraines. On the other hand, however, there is also some research that shows some women experience migraines only after using birth control. So in other words, some women are helped and some women are hurt by birth control. Also being a chiropractor, I’m not a big fan of prescription drugs because they all have side effects. And there are more and more studies starting to link birth control with stroke in young women. Talk to your medical doctor, preferably a neurologist.
There is also a tendency for migraines to be passed genetically. So if another family member suffers, perhaps there is a genetic component. I’m from a school of thought that if this is the case, it doesn’t mean you have to suffer, but only that you are predisposed to migraines and more likely to suffer if a trigger is set off. I’m sure you’ve tried everything under the son in an attempt to avoid certain triggering factors, but I’m going to include a brief list of things just in case. Make sure you are doing your best to avoid these things:
• Tyramine, found especially in aged cheeses and red wines
• Food preservatives and additives, such as Nitrites and MSG (Monosodium Glutamate), with nitrites found in hot dogs, salami, and other packaged meats and MSG in certain soups and packaged foods.
• Sulfites, found in alcohol and processed, sugary drinks
• Certain grains, like wheat (containing gluten), eggs, milk, tree nuts, and seafood (especially shellfish).
• Noxious stimuli, such as loud noises, bright lights, and certain smells
• Mechanical causes, such as arthritis from the neck, Temporomandibular Joint Syndrome (TMJ Syndrome), grinding your teeth (Bruxism), and other joint dysfunctions
• Referred causes (causes originating elsewhere), such as pressure from inflamed sinus cavities, muscular trigger points, eye strain (from reading glasses, contact lenses, prolonged computer use, etc.), and other structures from the mouth, neck, and ears
• Traumatic causes, which can lead to brain swelling and bleeding that can build and put pressure on the brain
• Drug withdrawal, including from alcohol, caffeine, and cigarettes
• Infectious causes, which are usually accompanied with a fever, such as Meningitis or the Flu
• Miscellaneous causes, like sleep deprivation, dehydration, and of course, stress.
Another big hidden culprit is aspartame or artificial sweeteners. So you should really be drinking nothing but water. Stay away from sweetened drinks, especially low calorie drinks like Diet Coke or other diet products. Artificial sweeteners are found in tons of products beyond popular soft drinks, so be very diligent with your efforts.
Another very important thing you need to do is be faithful with a wholesome, organic diet, avoiding any healthy foods listed above. There is so much processing to our foods that most people are eating healthy products when they are not. It can take a lot of effort determining which products are safe to eat and have no triggers. I know you said you’ve tried avoiding allergic foods before, but I don’t know you and unfortunately there is no way for me to evaluate you or counsel you. There are a variety of practitioners I’m going to recommend for you at the end to help you. For your diet needs, I really recommend you going to see a naturopathic doctor. You can find one here: http://www.naturopathic.org/findannd.php. It really is important that you have practitioner certified in nutrition dealing with your diet recommendations. If you could choose the most qualified, I would say a naturopath is going to be your safest bet. They might even draw blood on you. When they draw blood, they will analyze it a little differently than a Medical Doctor. They are quite thorough in their analysis.
Another possibility is your migraines might be rebound headaches. If you’re taking too many pain-killers, then after awhile, the pain-killers can cause the headaches. If you’ve had migraines for as long as you have, this is a possibility that should be investigated.
The last thing that I really want to emphasize is your need to consider an alternative care practitioner. Understand most patients turn to alternative care practitioners after medicine and special tests have failed to shed any light. I’m concerned that you’ve tried medication after medication with no improvement. Who knows? Maybe alternative medicine will not help you any. But there are millions of people helped everyday by an alternative care practitioner. Unfortunately, the general public doesn’t get to hear about the amazing research validating professions such as naturopathy, chiropractic, acupuncture, and more because we don’t have the financial support medicine sometimes has from the pharmaceutical companies. As a chiropractor, I personally help patients with migraines all the time. It’s also important for you to understand that every doctor is different, especially in certain technical fields like acupuncture and chiropractic where there are variations in technique from practitioner to practitioner, so it can take some time before find a doctor that helps you the most. And also remember that the body is an amazingly complex machine, and just because one practitioner may not provide much help doesn’t mean another practitioner of the same type will not be able to help either. It takes time finding a practitioner who understands migraines and your needs thoroughly. In my opinion, you need to get nutritional counseling from a naturopathic doctor. If there are none in your area, then go to a chiropractor certified in nutrition or a certified nutritionist. After ruling out diet with a professional who specializes in this field, and if your migraines are still present, my advice would be to go to either an acupuncturist or chiropractor next. I’m not sure which state you live in, but acupuncture training can vary drastically from one state to the next. It used to be in my home state of Kansas, and perhaps it is still this way, that a chiropractor could take a dozen weekend courses in acupuncture and begin an acupuncture clinic. Whereas in California, acupuncture is a 3-4 year graduate program after obtaining a B.S. So finding a knowledgeable acupuncturist might take some effort. And there is still the possibility you won’t respond to acupuncture. Like I said, chiropractic maybe able to help you as well. If you go to a chiropractor, I would look for one certified in neurology. Chiropractic neurologists are among the brightest in the profession and will likely assess you in a slightly different manner than another chiropractor. I believe there are only about 400 in the country. Even I am not one, but am still recommending you go see one. You can find one here: http://www.acnb.org/locator/index.php. If this doesn’t help, then go to a different chiropractor. Not all chiropractors are the same. There is also a technique called NAET that is an allergy elimination technique most commonly practiced by chiropractors or acupuncturists. The technique assesses your allergies to certain substances and attempts to desensitize you. It can take several visits, however. You can learn more about it here: http://www.naet.com/. If still there is no resolution, then I would consider an osteopath who practices osteopathy. Most of the osteopaths practice medicine and are practically the same as a medical doctor, but there are still plenty of osteopaths practicing physical treatments.
I spent extra time outlining alternative care because I truly believe if medicine fails to help, then you have to look elsewhere. If you don’t, you risk being a victim of your migraines the rest of your life. If I were in your shoes with your symptoms, I would be willing to try everything. I hope this helps, and I really believe there is an answer out there for you if you search hard enough. That’s why I’ve written such a lengthy response.
