What causes a headache?
The medical doctors at TrueNorth Health are experi-
Headache
Evaluation and TreatmentA Team Approach
10 H E A L T H S C I E N C E
etc.
by Alan Goldhamer, D.C.
The occasional headache
is a common problem expe-
rienced by many people in
the United States. According
to the National Institute of
Neurological Disorders and
Stroke (NINDS), as many as
45 million Americans have
chronic severe headaches
that result in more than 8
million visits to doctors
every year.
For 26 years, the doctors at
the TrueNorth Health Center
have successfully treated
headaches with a combina-
tion of medicine, physio-
therapy, diet and lifestyle
modification, and water-
only fasting. Our approach
accounts for the many trig-
gers and causes of headaches
when treating a patient.
SPRING 2010 NATIONAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION
When you get a headache, several areas can hurt, including
a network of nerves that extends over the scalp; certain
nerves in the face, mouth, and throat; the muscles of the
head; and blood vessels found along the surface and at the
base of the brain that contain delicate nerve fibers. Lacking
pain-sensitive nerve fibers, the brain itself does not hurt.
When nociceptors (the ends of the pain-sensitive nerves)
are stimulated by stress, muscular tension, dilated blood
vessels, and other headache triggers, they send a message
to the brain via chemicals that transmit pain-related infor-
mation, including endorphins natural painkilling pro-
teins. Research suggests that some people may be more
susceptible to severe headaches, or other chronic pain,
because they have lower levels of endorphins than people
who are generally pain-free.
Doctors classify headaches by their cause. Primary
headaches have no underlying illness, whereas secondary
headaches are caused by other illnesses, trauma, or brain
disorders.
Primary headaches account for more than 90 percent of
headaches, and their causes include: tension (muscular con-
traction), vascular (migraine), and cluster headaches not
caused by other underlying medical conditions.
Common headache triggers include certain foods, stress,
weather changes, and sometimes medication. The use of
and the withdrawal from drugs utilized to control high
blood pressure, treat ulcers, control seizures, relieve pain,
and birth control pills have been known to cause headaches.
Our Approach to Treatment
At the TrueNorth Health Center we take a team approach
to the assessment and treatment of patients who have
problems with chronic headaches.
The first step in our evaluation process involves a com-
prehensive review of medical history, current symptoms
and medication use, etc., followed by a phone consultation
with me. I assess your situation to determine if you are a
good candidate for the TrueNorth Health program.
Perhaps the most powerful tool in overcoming severe
headaches is the use of medically supervised water-only
fasting. Fasting helps the body and brain to recalibrate itself
and in the process eliminate many of the contributing caus-
es of chronic headache. As the director of our fasting pro-
gram, I have supervised the fasts of over 7,000 individuals
during the past 26 years. Fasting periods range from 5 to
40 days and the total duration of care ranges from one week
to two months.
Once at our center, one of our medical doctors will
review your medical history, perform a physical examina-
tion, order or review laboratory tests and imaging studies,
and evaluate any use of medications, herbs, supplements
NATIONAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION
enced in helping individuals safely withdraw from the
medications that are often a major part of the ongoing prob-
lem with chronic headache.
Additional evaluations with other members of our team
may also be scheduled, including a neurological examina-
tion with our functional neurologist, Tim Grund, D.C.,
D.A.C.N.B. In addition to a detailed neurological assess-
ment, Dr. Grund also pays particular attention to the mus-
culoskeletal issues that are often overlooked in conven-
tional assessments yet often contribute significantly to
chronic headaches including imbalances in brain balance
and function, disturbance in the proper joint function in
the cervical spine, etc. Dr. Grund utilizes numerous tech-
niques to restore normal brain balance and function includ-
ing the Interactive Metronome, a computer-assisted brain/
body training system.
Other members of our team who may be involved in-
clude Erwin Linzner, D.C., who utilizes numerous phys-
iotherapy techniques including the Graston Technique,
which is a form of instrument-assisted soft tissue therapy
designed to release adhesions in soft tissue that result from
neck injuries including car accidents, etc., which can con-
tribute to chronic headache. We also offer functional move-
ment assessments with Alec Isabeau, D.C., who looks at
the bodys overall integration and offers specific exercise
interventions designed to restore optimum function. We
may also recommend the use of various forms of body
work including massage.
The dietary approach recommended includes avoiding
the common triggers for headaches including alcohol, ani-
mal foods including dairy products, added oil, salt and
sugar and, if indicated, soy, wheat and corn products.
We have found this team approach integrating appro-
priate medical management, chiropractic intervention, soft-
tissue therapies, exercise, sleep and medically supervised
fasting followed by a health promoting vegan diet to be
successful in helping individuals overcome chronic
headache. To find out if our approach is right for you, visit
our website www.healthpromoting.com and complete our
admissions forms.
Alan Goldhamer, D.C., is the direc-
tor of TrueNorth Health Center in
California. He is a member of the
Board of Directors and a Life Mem-
ber of the National Health Associa-
tion. Dr. Goldhamer is the author of
the Health Promoting Cookbook and co-
author of The Pleasure Trap.
H E A LT H S C I E N C E SPRING 2010 11