Migraine is the great masquerader. Many of the headaches people experience such as sinus, tension, or cluster are actually migraine. Recent research has suggested that instead of people suffering from many different types of headache, there may be a common biological mechanism by which all headaches occur. When migraine is not well controlled it can disturb nervous system function in many ways, affecting mood, muscle tension, and sleep. The philosophy of Headache Care Center is to go beyond teaching headache sufferers how to control headache attacks by also teaching them how to live more successfully between episodes of headache.
Click the play button below to watch "Knowledge is Freedom", a video that explains the pathophysiology of the headache process.
Understanding the process of headache and its many unique presentations allows for proper diagnosis and treatment. Most headaches arise from a neurovascular mechanisms originating in the brain. This system can be activated by a variety of risk factorsfollowed by a cascade of events that can produce a wide array of headaches and neurologic symptoms. Examples of these risk factors are hormones, especially changes in hormone levels during the menstrual cycle, chemicals such as from foods and beverages, emotional distress, disturbance of the sleep-wake cycle, and sensory stimulation such as bright light and strong odors. Most headache sufferers describe more than one type of headache based on their different symptoms, such as location of the pain, nasal congestion, etc.
