The Headache Map

Do you suffer with frequent headaches?
Read more to see my headache map, find the root cause, and learn how to relieve your pain.

If you do get headaches on a regular basis, they can tell a lot about what is going on with your health. There are simple reasons for getting that pesky headache, such as the pressure of congestion that comes with a cold or flu, or persistent pain associated with dental caries. There is also the headache that comes after an injury. Sometimes there are serious health issues that are behind them. There are any number of reasons for a hurting head, but more often than not a headache is a result of something throwing the body out of balance, or trying to bring it back into balance.

Headaches can be a common temporary side effect of the work that I do with people. After a session with me your body may go into a 'healing process' as it now has the treatment(s) and information it needs to initiate healing. That healing process requires that the body regain and find a new and healthier balance. Sometimes clients are fearful of getting a headache and ask what it (the headache) means.

To simplify things, I have created a map, so that you can find, based on location, the probably cause of your pain.

If you are getting headaches, and you know that they are not caused by any major injury, or a chronic or acute health concern, see to the HEADACHE MAP above.

How can you relieve headaches yourself?

Top Back of Head: This headache is often relieved by ensuring adequate hydration with fresh clean water, herbal teas, green juices, chlorophyll rich foods (greens), cruciferous veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, kale, book chop, Brussels sprouts, etc), and vitamin C (via fresh fruit and/or a quality Ester C supplement). It is best to avoid caffeine, alcohol, perfumes and scented body products, toxic cleaners, chicken, eggs, and soy, if this is the headache you have.

Top of the Head: While you can not control the weather, you can control your inflammation response. This headache is usually worse in people who have chronic inflammation, atherosclerosis, heart disease, reduced lung capacity, chronic dehydration, and those who suffer with excess mucus and blocked air passages due to inflamed airways (stuffy and/or drippy nose, seasonal and/or year round allergies). Finding out what your food and environmental sensitivities and/or inflammatory triggers are will help to lessen the pain and reaction to weather system changes. You will enjoy the freedom of not waiting for the storm clouds to pass!

Side of Head / Behind the Eyes: This headache is usually an indication of fluctuations in blood glucose and/or insulin resistance. If diabetes (type 1, 1.5, 2, gestational, or pre-diabetes) and Candida have already been ruled out as suspects, you will want to shift away from refined foods (especially refined grains, sugars, and oils), and focus on more whole natural foods. If you are very sensitive to changes in your blood sugars, you may wish to also avoid healthy blended foods and juices, as your blood sugar will be more stable with fresh fruits that are eaten whole instead of pureed or liquified.

Bottom Back of Head: An imbalance of sodium and potassium is often to blame here. Think about reducing your total sodium content, and use minimal amounts of natural sea salt when seasoning. Then, make sure to add some potassium rich foods and beverages into your diet. You can find some of these foods on my blog post here.

Temple/ Forehead/ Behind the Eyes: The triple whammy. This is the most common headache, and is rarely debilitating. Unfortunately, it is often the headache that occurs most frequently. Giving yourself some well deserved rest, deep breathing, yoga, exercise, fresh air, meditation, adaptogenic herbs, and utilizing other stress reduction techniques usually work well here. If not, you will probably need to consider making some dietary and lifestyle changes, which may temporarily trigger the next headache below.

Overall Headache: The detox headache. This is the headache that can get you even if you are making healthy changes. It is not always a bad thing. When your body is releasing a lot of toxins it can stir up the pot, and this headache can simply be a side effect. Once again, the key is fresh whole foods (big emphasis on liver supporting foods and tons of greens/chlorophyll), and hydration to ensure that these toxins are getting flushed. Exercise to move the lymph and blood, and far infrared saunas, are also easy approaches to deal with this issue. Continued avoidance of the offending foods, drugs, alcohol, or other substance, is needed. You may temporarily relieve the symptom by giving in (ie: just having that glass of wine, muffin, or cup of coffee), but it is like pouring gas on the flames. Just let it go and nourish yourself, body, mind, and soul, during this detox period. You will come out of it the other side feeling much lighter, fresher, and free.
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If you are not going through a detox process and you are getting this kind of headache all of the time, it is a really good indication that your body is having difficulty with it’s natural detox process and liver pathways. This means that doing some kind of cleansing process is EXACTLY what you need right now!

Contact me if you want to get to the root of your headaches and experience some relief.