Tension Headaches vs. Migraine Headaches

Hey, Dr. Axe here, doctor of natural medicine and founder of draxe.com. Today, I'll be talking about tension versus migraine headaches and other headaches, also how to get rid of these common headaches.

So if you're a person or know somebody who struggles with tension headaches and migraine headaches, I'll be going over the natural treatments, remedies, essential oils, and supplements to get rid of those today. So let's start off in talking about the differences here in terms of where you'll feel the headache. Now, if you have a tension headache, you'll tend to feel it in 2 areas.

One, the front part of your head as well as the base of your neck where your neck meets your skull, sort of that lower neck area, shoulder area, as well as the front of your head, that's a tension headache. A cluster headache is when you start to feel it sort of right over one region of your eye.

A sinus headache is when you get a lot of pressure right in this sinus region, it sort of starts going up into your forehead. Then we have migraine headaches. Now, migraine headaches will often affect one side of the body, an entire side, and those are the most debilitating by far of all headaches.

And then mixed headaches can also oftentimes be a combination of both migraine and tension headaches together, and that tension headache can often then trigger that migraine headache. So let's first talk about tension headaches. Now, tension headaches tend to be a dull aching pain around the forehead. Sometimes they'll almost wrap like a band around your head.

Now, it's pressure and tightness across the forehead, muscle aches and pains at sort of the base of your neck and head. And sometimes if that gets bad enough, really you just get sensitive to loud noises, you just get really annoyed very easy with things because you're experiencing so much pain and tension.

And also there can be tenderness when you're touching those areas right around your scalp line. And here are some ways to naturally manage a tension headache. Number 1, you got to manage stress properly. You know, emotional stress will trigger much muscle tension and it all goes back to this fight-or-flight response.

You know, imagine a lion or bear were chasing you, your muscles are going into activity mode, energy leaves your core, your digestive tract, your liver, your organs, and goes to your extremities, your blood flow. But what happens if that happens over time, over and over again, there's this tension that builds up in your neck and shoulder region increasing your risk of a tension headache.

Number 2, improve your diet. This is key to get rid of tension headaches. Really, you want to follow a diet that's anti-inflammatory, something that really causes relaxation. You want to make sure you're getting plenty of foods that are high in magnesium. Now, magnesium foods can include things like Spinach, okay? So spinach and green leafy vegetables are very high in magnesium.

Certain types of nuts and seeds like flaxseeds and almonds, specifically almonds can be higher in magnesium as well, grass-fed beef. But you want to be doing a lot of foods that are anti-inflammatory and a diet that's really rich in magnesium. Another favorite magnesium-rich food of mine is avocados, but get more magnesium.

Number 3, you know, probably the most common and effective natural treatment for tension headaches is chiropractic care. You know, chiropractors, especially chiropractors that focus on the upper cervical spine and the neck region, can do specific types of adjustments to remove tension and pressure off of the head and neck.

In fact, many people have claimed that after going to see a chiropractor, their headache was gone immediately. And there are actual medical studies showing that chiropractic adjustments are more effective than taking medications at getting rid of headaches without the side effects. Now, chiropractic adjustments work in several ways. One, they increase motion and relieve tension.

Number 2, they can increase your parasympathetic nerve system, especially when you're adjusted at the atlas bone at the very top of your neck. There's a nerve called your vagus nerve. That runs from that C1 area out to your organs, increases your parasympathetic nerve system, decreases that sympathetic nerve system, that fight-or-flight response, balancing cortisol, reducing stress on the body.

So chiropractic care actually has a multiplication effect or multiple ways it can reduce tension headaches. Also, chiropractors often also recommend rehab exercises to improve posture, which can also in fact reduce tension headaches. Okay. Tension and migraine headaches.

You know, if you're sitting at a desk all day and you're like this, your head forward, your arms out, poor posture can cause tension headaches. You want to get that head back over your body. So you really want to be cautious of good posture to relieve tension headaches as well, another thing chiropractic care can help with. Number 4 here is exercise. Again, exercise increases blood flow.

Blood flow tends to reduce muscle tension and some exercises are better than others. Swimming is great. Going out for a light jog or run, but just doing anything to really increase that blood flow is great. Hot yoga, Pilates, barre, all great forms of exercise for reducing tension headaches. Number 5 is acupuncture.

You know, acupuncture and using needles can actually release and relieve muscle tension and also increase circulation in the area, especially relieving stress around that neck and head region. And last but not least, massage therapy. You've got tense muscles. Massage therapy can help really relax those muscles, especially at the base of the neck and head there as well.

And there's another treatment I'll mention too that oftentimes chiropractors will do, sometimes osteopaths or therapists. It's called craniosacral therapy. That's another thing that can be actually effective for treating tension headaches. Now let's talk about migraine headaches. Of all headaches, migraine headaches are the most debilitating of all of them.

In fact, when somebody has a migraine headache, it can often cause them to be really— put them to a point where they can almost do nothing, the pain is so severe. So severe pounding on the head, especially one side of the head. It can actually cause nausea and vomiting from getting a migraine headache.

Sensitivity to sound and light, irritability, blurred vision, shakiness, numbness on one side, increased thirst, and really inability to concentrate or even speak or hold a conversation can happen. With severe migraine headaches. And migraine headaches are a warning sign that something is going on deeper in the body. That's your body saying, hey, something's not right here.

Here are some natural ways to combat a migraine headache. Now, number one, I'm saying by far, is changing your diet. There are specific foods that will absolutely trigger a migraine headache. Gluten is a big one. You know, if you are consuming gluten, Sometimes migraine headaches can be connected to a condition called leaky gut syndrome.

Now, your intestines act like a net, and if you get a lot of inflammation in your gut, you can get holes in your gut.

We all have holes in our lining, but you can have these doors open up or these— imagine a net gets a tear in it, so certain things start getting through the net, getting into your bloodstream, they can recirculate and then affect the brain, gluten, sugar, processed food additives, toxins can actually cause these brain issues triggering a migraine headache.

So eliminate gluten, conventional dairy products, sugar, and any type of inflammatory food from your diet.

And you may also consider getting an IgG food test, antibody test to see if there's a food you're intolerant to or sensitive to, but a diet high in vegetables, fruits, and wild meats And even something like a sprouted rice, those are the safest foods to eat on a regular basis to combat or completely prevent migraine headaches completely. Number 2, you need to get enough sleep.

You know, sleep is so important for reducing inflammation, for healing of the brain and the body. You want to make sure you're getting 8+ hours of quality sleep a night. Number 3, managing stress. We know stress can trigger all sorts of things.

And listen, all of these things can also trigger that leaky gut syndrome I was talking about They can be at the root cause of migraine headaches including diet, not enough sleep, managing stress. All of these can increase cortisol which in fact increases that leaky gut syndrome. Number 4 here, keep a migraine journal. This is one of the biggest things you can do.

When you get a migraine headache, go back and look at what you did the day before, everything you ate, how much stress you were under, what were you doing Figure out what that— because for many people, there are a couple triggers that will cause that headache. Again, whether it's gluten or sugar, whatever it is that will trigger that migraine headache.

Number 5, limit screen time or light exposure. Now, if you're at your computer all the time, those blue lights, remember, it's all about your sympathetic nerve system. We have this balance in our body, your sympathetic nerve system is lifting weights, it's running, Hey, a bear is chasing you. You're fighting or flying. A lot of us live in that state.

Your parasympathetic nerve system, your blood flow isn't external; it's internal. Your energy to where your body is digesting food. So think about this: when you're out running a you know a five k or a triathlon, you can't digest a burger, right? It kind of like you just can't digest it properly because all your energy is on the outside. When you are in a parasympathetic state, your body is then.

Breaking down, it's digesting, it's secreting certain hormones, certain digestive enzymes. Blue light exposure from your cell phone, your computer, and a TV screen, it puts you in a sympathetic state. To get in a parasympathetic state, you need to go on walks in nature, getting outside more, reading a good novel. Those things put you in a state that's in a state of relaxation.

You need to get in that parasympathetic state. One great way to dampen the effects of blue light is to get blue blocker sunglasses that have red or orange lenses or yellow lenses. And you can actually find those blue block light sunglasses. That's something I wear every night starting at 8:00 PM.

I actually wear those blue blocker sunglasses if I'm on my phone, computer, watching TV to dampen the effects of— because it actually also affects your melatonin levels, your sleep hormone. There as well that kind of fluctuates with cortisol. I know I'm getting off in the weeds here, but here's the point. Too much blue light can trigger a migraine headache. Number 6, use essential oils.

You know, essential oils such as lavender, Roman chamomile, ylang-ylang, even peppermint. These oils relax the body. Peppermint has more of a numbing effect because of the compound found in it called menthol, whereas lavender and chamomile and ylang-ylang are more relaxing. But using essential oils, you can diffuse them, you can rub them on your body.

One of the biggest things I recommend for people that get migraine headaches or tension headaches is make a bath, take 1 cup of Epsom salts, 20 drops of an essential oil like lavender, and soak in the tub for 20 minutes every evening. And that has great benefits for completely relaxing the body, preparing you for sleep. And can be great for fighting any type of headache.

So essential oils and Epsom salts have magnesium known as the relaxation mineral that can go in the bath there as well. So here's what you need to know about getting rid of tension headaches. You got to manage your stress properly. Take that healing bath I just mentioned with Epsom salts and lavender. Go for a walk outside. Schedule things in your week to your love to do.

Here's the thing, you can't just say, I'm going to manage stress, okay? You've got to plug it into your schedule. Take time right now, write down all the things that are causing you stress, then write down all the things that relieve stress or just that you love to do. Get rid of those things that cause you stress, start adding in those things that you love to do, that will make a big difference.

Improve your diet. Remember, gluten-free, anti-inflammatory foods. Get chiropractic care. The benefits of chiropractic for headaches specifically is tremendous. Exercise, acupuncture, massage therapy. And when it comes to migraine headaches, as I mentioned earlier, the other things can help. In fact, chiropractic care can be great for migraines.

But changing your diet, again, gluten, sugar, hydrogenated oils, conventional dairy products, these can all trigger that leaky gut syndrome which is the root cause of migraine headaches. Improve your diet, get quality sleep, manage stress, keep a migraine journal, this is big. Figure out what that trigger is. Limit light exposure or get those blue-blocking sunglasses. Use essential oils.

And sometimes, hey, in terms of diet, you can do an IgG, what's called a food sensitivity or a food intolerance test to see maybe you got your own form of kryptonite that's actually causing you allergies. You know, some people are allergic to eggs and they don't realize it. Some people are allergic to certain nuts and seeds. You may not know the food, but that's why you got to keep a journal.

And if you can't figure out with a journal, then get some of that testing done to see what that sensitivity is. And hey, if you've enjoyed this live training video, make sure to subscribe here to the page. I've got a lot more content and videos coming out on essential oils, herbal remedies, and natural treatments.

And hey, if you want to learn more of my in-depth treatments for migraines and tension headaches, just look up online, just Google search Dr. Axe migraine headaches. I've actually got a lot more supplements and videos. Thanks, Jordan. And essential oils recommended on that page there as well if you do a Google search for Dr. Axe migraines or Dr. Axe headaches there online.

I want to say thanks for watching. I know this information is going to help you overcome your headaches. Hi, Dr. Axe here. I want to say thanks so much for checking out this YouTube video and also don't forget to subscribe if you want to get more great content on things like herbs, essential oils, natural remedies, and how to use food as medicine.

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