Migraines are a chronic state of pain that produces a high level of sensitivity from light, sounds or smell. In some instances even thoughts can inflict pain as can be manifested through headaches that are associated with only one side of the brain, typically the side that holds many autonomic nerves. Many times nausea and irritability are also present when migraines exist. Most times a description of the pain comes in the form of pulsing sensations or throbbing.
The cause of migraines and headaches is due to impairment of blood circulation in the brain. This is due to chronic stress as arteries that feed nutrients and oxygen to the brain become dilated. This change ultimately provides less nutrients and oxygen to the neurons. This creates an imbalance in the production of neurotransmitter inhibitors in the regions of the brain that process light, sound, smell and learning. That region is known as the temporal lobe.
The brain is made of six main lobes which are all responsible for different functions and processing information. At the very base of the brain is the temporal lobe, which is located laterally and below the frontal and occipital lobes. The temporal lobe contains nerve centers for sight, hearing, smelling and learning. Under chronic stress, circuitry in this area is altered – affecting neuropeptides actions and signals in a neuron’s synapse’s point. Neuropeptides are small molecules that neurons use to communicate with each other. They provide signals and influence mechanisms and activities in the brain.
Neurotransmitter imbalance also affects inhibitors. Under these conditions the ability to connect nerve fibers (known as axons) and neuron branches (known as dendrites) is impaired, resulting in abnormal control of the pain neuron in the brain stem.
Migraines tend to come in phases, where the person receives signals hours before the pain. This can come in the form of irritability right before the onset of pain. Partial vision alteration can also be a sign that a migraine is lurking around the corner. Once the pain begins it is gradual until it increases. If someone was in the middle of physical activity, a feeling of spinning is also common. In extreme cases migraines can last 48 hours; typical migraines last for approximately 4 hours. After the pain wears off, the damage a migraine causes still linger as the body looks to repair itself. This can include impaired thinking, gastrointestinal problems, lightheadedness or weakness. Depression, anxiety and chronic stress are all recognized as the cause of migraines. For women, if these feelings are present around the time of menstruation, hormone activities commonly trigger migraines. Lack of sleep and the use of oral contraceptives also have been known to initiate migraines as well.
Of all the factors however, chronic stress is the most culpable. This is due to the inflammation that takes place in the neck’s muscles whenever we are stressed. The inflammation applies pressure and compression in the spine – specifically the cervical vertebrae c1, c2. This constricts the flow of spinal fluid, affecting normal levels of serotonin. Serotonin helps regulate mood, sexual desire, appetite, sleep, memory and learning and body temperature. Misbalances of serotonin can lead to cardiovascular issues, muscle problems and hormonal dysfunction.
Migraines are a neural vascular disease that originates in neuron disturbance. This disturbance is initiated by chronic stress. As chronic stress occurs, the limbic region of the brain bombards the cortex with anxiety filled messages/signals that overwhelm the cortex. This causes the cortex to lose control and alters the vascular arteries in the brain. As a result, the nerves around the blood vessel become extra sensitive and the delivery of blood to the cortex is reduced. Nutrients and oxygen that typically take 2 hours to reach the cerebral cortex now takes up to 4 hours. High levels of serotonin can ensue, misbalancing the amount of neurotransmitters available.
We need to keep in mind that unreal thoughts can be encoded in memory as extreme fear. These continuous thoughts increases the number of neurons engaged in a network that can extend to regions of the brain like the basal ganglia and amygdala. This creates a misbalance of neurotransmitters as the brain’s ability to inhibit and regulate emotional moments depletes. This in turn, alters the pain regulation mechanism.
Dr. Jorge Ortega of Agua Calientes, Mexico suffered from daily migraines, ranging from mild to severe during certain times of the year. After attending one of our seminars we treated him with Phytotherapi Migraine and Phytotherapi Stress. That night his migraine didn’t return. Due to what he experienced, he decided to follow some additional protocols to help alleviate other ailments he was experiencing. With the right nutrition, all of the maladies from his illness disappeared after 30 days. After 8 months Dr. Ortega reported that his symptoms and ailments had not returned.
To understand brain neurological illness, it’s important to understand how information is stored in different regions of the brain, as well as the mechanisms of each of these regions. This includes how they are activated, the formation and action of neurotransmitters, mapping of thoughts, how thoughts and learning are continually adjusting our brain, the formation of calculations, the synopsis point of contact and steps to information learning. It is also important to understand how we receive information – be it through cells in the body or through our senses. It’s important to know that any one thought involves hundreds, if not thousands, of neurons. Thus thoughts that stimulate the amygdala and produce strong emotions (such as anger, resentment, anxiety, fear, or uncontrolled sadness) modify brain activity. If this neuron circuitry continues, any negative thought will affect blood vessel activity, affecting blood circulation to the brain, resulting in the development of constant migraines.
The physical impact and stress that chronic migraines have on the body create a perpetual cycle of illness. One in which the physical pain creates stress from a lack of being able to complete certain functions or even activities as simple as watching television, using a computer or in some cases even stepping outside during the day. As the mental stress accumulates, the additional rush of energy that is sent to the mind due to the physiological changes that occur when under duress creates an environment where migraines worsen over time and the person suffering has little hope or encouragement of things improving.
As mentioned before, Phytotherapi has worked with cases of migraines and helped many people alleviate their ailments through protocols and solutions to help the body and mind overcome the issues that create migraines. As migraines can also be caused by other chronic issues, Phytotherapi also provides additional solutions to help with other chronic issues as well if they exist.