Migraine, Tension Headache and Stress

Why is it that when stress and migraine and tension headache are discussed studies all sorts of unproven mechanisms are discussed at length – despite all of the research and billions of dollars there is no proven causal mechanism – ‘it may be this …. or ‘it may be that‘ etc.

Muscle tension is evident in the necks of ‘tension headache‘ sufferers and migraineurs – it is tensed, shortened musculature acting on joint stiffness which leads to head pain.1

Research has shown that stress management approaches, including Relaxation Therapy and cognitive behavioural therapy consistently improve migraine 2 – if you are less stressed then stiff spinal segments sit quietly without any significant movement expected of them. Biofeedback is also helpful in managing migraine 2 for the same reason.

It can be very difficult to manage stress in our lives (for a whole lot of reasons including heart disease, depression, and other mental health disorders) and whilst is is important to take measures to do this, from a headache and migraine point of view, identifying and eliminating relevant neck disorders is crucial.

Cheers

Dean

(1. Bakal DA, Kaganov JA. Muscle Contraction and Migraine Headache: Psychophysiologic Comparison. Headache 1977;17(5):208215

2. Rains JC, Penzien DB, McCrory DC, Gray RN. Behavioral headache treatment: History, review of the empirical literature, and methodological critique. Headache. 2005;45(Suppl. 2): S92-S109.)

© 2009 & Beyond. Watson Headache Institute, All Rights Reserved.