Excruciating Headaches - Muscles Really Can Be The Cause!

It seems amazing that a small muscle in your neck and shoulder, called levator scapulae, causes severe headaches that can totally debilitate a person and continue for hours or days. Pain-killers may mask the pain but the pressure is just too extreme to go away totally even with the strongest of drugs. Yet holding concentrated pressure directly onto the muscle will gradually eliminate the pain totally.

It is common for a person to raise their shoulders when they are under tension, and this is exactly the reason the muscle causes headaches. The levator scapulae muscle originates on your first three cervical vertebrae and inserts onto the top/outer edge of your shoulder blade. When it contracts normally you lift your shoulders, hence it's nickname "the shrug muscle."

However, when the levator scapulae is held in the contracted position for an extended period of time (i.e., under stress, or sleeping on a pillow that is either too thick or too thin) it shortens and pulls on the cervical vertebrae, drawing them out to the side and down. Imagine the bone sliding to the right side, causing the LEFT side of the bone to press directly into the spinal cord. Space prohibits describing all the other complications that happen when the levator scapulae gets tight, but consider what is happening to the disk between the vertebrae, and what will happen if several vertebrae are being pulled at the same time, or being pulled on both sides of the neck.

As the bone is pulled down it also presses onto the nerve that comes out of that vertebra, causing pain along the base of your skull, around the eyes and temple area, and also putting pressure on the nerve that goes to your sinuses. I've even seen people get sinus relief when tension is released from this muscle.

Using your three middle fingers, place them where your neck meets your shoulder. You'll find a round bump about the size of an olive. Press down on that bump with as much pressure as you can tolerate. Hold it for 60 seconds and then "walk" you fingers up the back-side of your neck, repeating the treatment each time you find a painful bump.

Just keep pressing into your posterior neck all the way from the base of your skull to the top of your shoulders. If it hurts, you've found a spasm that is causing pain. This treatment takes a little practice to get right, but the relief you will receive is worth the effort.

© 2006 Julie Donnelly

Do You Recognize The 8 Symptoms of Migraine Headaches?

Migraine headaches are usually very intense pounding headaches that often involve only one side of the head. Migraine pain is so intense that you know it is no ordinary headache. Even slight movement can worsen the pain. Migraine headache sufferers tend to experience repeated bouts of migraine attacks and can be debilitating.

A migraine headache has many symptoms and they can vary from person to person and from episode to episode. Here are the 8 most commonly reported migraine headache symptoms.

Light sensitivity

Many sufferers experience a high degree of sensitivity to light. This often occurs just prior to the onset of a migraine and may last for the duration of it. The sensitivity may be to regular indoor lighting or natural light that doesn't normally bother you. Light sensitivity may occur an hour or two prior to any headache pain.

Flashing lights

Many migraine sufferers report seeing flashing lights, zigzag lines of light or bright spots prior to the onset of a migraine headache. This may or may not be accompanied by light sensitivity. Most sufferers will feel slightly better if they lay down in a dark, quiet room.

Sensitivity to sound

Just like sensitivity to light, sensitivity to sound is a common migraine headache symptom. Suddenly you may become acutely aware of minor noises. They may bother you to the point of complete distraction.

Unilateral headache

The intense throbbing pain of a migraine headache is unlike the pain associated with a regular headache. The pain is most often associated with one side of the head and will regularly change to the other side with the next migraine. If the pain is always concentrated in the same place each time you should alert your doctor as this may signal a more serious problem.

Nausea or vomiting

Often combined with light sensitivity, nausea or vomiting may occur as a result of over stimulation. You may begin to feel hot and woozy. You may have trouble driving or riding in a car. The nausea may also be brought on by the intense pain of the migraine headache itself.

Duration of migraine

The typical migraine episode can last from 4 to 24 hours with residual effects lasting another full day. A regular headache will not last that long and is not accompanied by other symptoms.

No response to pain relief medication

The migraine headache typically doesn't respond to regular over the counter pain medication. While there are several prescription medications that are given for migraine headaches, they often have little effect as well.

Cold hands or feet

You may feel your hands or feet become cold right before or during the onset of a migraine. This may be due to circulation changes that occur because of restricted blood vessels in the head.

If your headache is severe and is accompanied by other symptoms you should see a doctor. Only a physician can determine the cause of your headache and rule out any potential underlying problem.

Most migraine sufferers learn to recognize the symptoms of a migraine starting and are able to take relevant steps to manage it.

Understanding Migraine Headaches In An Effort Prevent Them

In the world of migraine headache sufferers, every moment can be filled with an anxiety over the possibility of another episode. A migraine headache can easily incapacitate its sufferers and put them out of commission for hours or even days. While the causes of a migraine differ from person to person, the suffering is often the same.

Migraine headaches are pervasive in this culture as more and more people experience its repercussions at some time during their life. But the ongoing sufferers – those who experience migraine headaches many times a year – have spurred continued research regarding the causes of migraines. The causes of the migraine may be varied and complex depending on the person experiencing it, but the process is the same. Research has shown that the symptoms of a migraine headache occur when the blood vessels of the brain become enlarged in response to particular irritants. This inflammation of blood vessels affects the central nervous system and, in many cases, the digestive system.

The result of this irritation can mean a variety of symptoms for the migraine sufferer including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, blurred vision, sensitivity to light, smell, and noise, and, in some severe cases, complete incapacitation for the length of the migraine. Clearly, those who suffer severe migraines on a frequent basis are subject to the interruption of their daily routine and sufferers often report difficulty in their jobs and family life. It is no wonder that the prime concern of those who suffer from migraine headaches is not only the treatment of migraines but the prevention of them as well.

Some common causes of migraines include exposure to smoke, excessive caffeine intake, red wine consumption, lack of sleep, high levels of stress, and particular foods such as those that contain certain additives. Research has also shown a correlation between migraine headaches and hormone fluctuations which may explain the propensity of women to migraines; women are much more likely to suffer migraines than men.
Because the irritants that can spark a migraine differ from person to person, it is essential that each migraine sufferer keep careful track of the frequency and circumstances surrounding their migraines. For this reason, experts agree that there is merit to keeping a migraine journal that documents all details of the episode. With careful tracking over the course of several weeks to months, sufferers may be able to see a very clear pattern of migraine triggers that they will be wise to avoid in the future.

In some cases, simply avoiding personal triggers will help to eliminate migraines. But when migraines continue, it may be necessary to consult a doctor. There are advanced methods of drug therapy that have had quite a bit of success with severe migraines.