MHC Blog

What type of headache do you have? The answer should be simple. The diagnostic criteria set out for each disorder are clear and distinct, however there are many sufferers who’s symptoms blur the boundary between headache types, and will shift from one definition to another as the headache progresses, and they just don’t fit the…

Folic acid has gained a lot of attention in the past 20 years due to the impact vitamin B9 supplementation during pregnancy has on neural tube defects. However, folic acid is playing an increasingly important role for a particular group of people with migraine. What is Folic Acid? Folic Acid is the synthetic form of…

Migraine aura is a fully reversible condition that either precedes or commences with the onset of head pain. It affects up to 20% of migraineurs, and in some rarer cases my appear without headache. It is now understood to be related to a phenomenon called “cortical spreading depression”. This tsunami of decreased blood flow causes…

This isn’t yet another blog (a seemingly endless procession of the same content) telling you what you already know……..about a severe headache affecting one side of the head lasting 4-72 hours, associated with nausea/ vomiting and a sensitivity to light or sound. If you are new to the migraine space and don’t ‘already know’ how…

Dr Elliot Shevel, founder of the Headache Clinic in Johannesburg, South Africa has been a strong opponent to the current way we classify, and therefore diagnose and treat common headache disorders including migraines and tension-type headaches. Interviewed in 2011, his theory (controversial at the time) was that diagnosing different headaches baswed on their presenting symptoms,…

The upper cervical spine is in the box seat to, at the very least be a major contributor to the over activity in the brainstem, if not to be the underlying cause, but is largely ignored by mainstream medicine. Through the first 3 parts of this anatomy series we have shown the symptoms of headache…

The brainstem of chronic headache and migraine sufferers is overactive. Insights 1 and 2 examined the anatomy of headaches – the trigeminal nerve intermingling with the upper cervical nerves in the brainstem. The scientific evidence for the abnormal physiology (overactivity) involved in all major headache types is clear. With an unknown aetiology (cause), headaches were…

In part 1 we looked at the trigeminal nerve (cranial nerve V) as being the key nerve relating to headaches and migraine. This week we will look at where this information goes and how it is controlled. Walking along a path you misjudge ducking under a tree and a low hanging branch scratches you on…

Apologies for the many of you who have already read this – just skip past it. I’ve had some issues with Facebook, who turned my original post into a photo, which are now rectified. Please – like and share as you never know who you may be helping. Part 2 coming this weekend. Headache and…

Chronic and difficult to treat headaches or migraines may have had a key factor overlooked or poorly treated. We speak of course of the neck. The neck remains the most logical place to investigate, due to three main factors: Upwards of 75% of migraine sufferers (and these figures are consistent in TTH) report neck symptoms…

Why is that that the same thing can be a trigger and a treatment? Headache sufferers have had a love-hate relationship with caffeine, going from complete avoidance due to its triggering potential, to relying on a cup a day to keep pain at bay! Hidden amongst our morning tea and coffee, soft drinks and chocolate…