Migraines – the big sister of allergy
Migraines are one of the most common forms of pain in our society. It is a downright widespread disease. As a result, migraine patients are very common in doctors’ and naturopathic practices.
Migraines and Headaches:
In practice, it is important to first differentiate between these two. While migraine is a disease, the second is a general symptom. A headache has probably been experienced by pretty much every adult at some time or another and does not need to be described in detail. The most common form is tension headache. The migraine is very different from this one. It is characterized by appearing as an acute pain attack. Typically, it occurs on one side (the word migraine comes from the Greek hemicranion and means “half skull”). Usually it is accompanied by other symptoms such as:
Nausea, vomiting, high sensitivity to light and noise, circulatory problems, and impaired perception can also occur.
All forms of migraine have four phases, including:
- Harbinger phase
- Aura phase (occurs in one fifth of those affected. Perceptual disorders such as optical hallucinations)
- Headache phase
- Regression phase
We do not want to go into detail about each phase in this paper. Not even different forms of headache and migraine. The main focus should be on understanding the underlying processes and the therapeutic options.
According to conventional medicine, the cause is largely unknown. Neurovascular processes in the brain stem are discussed to be the triggering factor. A change from a strong vasoconstriction to a following strong vasodilatation has been observed. This is accompanied by strong painful inflammatory processes in the adjacent tissue. Stress hormones have been found to constrict or dilate the vessels. The naturopathy looks inquisitively what the scientific medicine has found out and is curious what still follows. From a therapeutic point of view, however, there is no reason to wait for new findings. The underlying processes are clear. Corrective action on them has been successfully practiced by the luminaries of the healing guild for centuries. It is incumbent upon today’s serious therapist, to whom such patients turn with confidence, to examine, analyze and learn from the knowledge of such experts of healing.
Why is it not necessary to use a specific therapy, as it is necessary in traditional medicine?
The simple and short answer is, because we do not deal with synthetic substances, but with complex ones, which occur in nature. There everything is present in complexes and these have been interacting for millions of years. Whereas there are no individual substances in nature and our organism has only known them for quite a short time. This is not meant to be a scathing criticism of the administration of individual substances. That would be foolish. It is just that they are handled differently when they are given. Also, both principles have their own strength.
Migraine – the big sister of allergy and the little one of epilepsy.
This sentence will probably surprise most of the honored readers. Especially the connection with epilepsy is surprising. That seems to be going a little too far. Indeed, one cannot read such in any technical literature and also not hear in exquisite lectures. This sentence comes from just such a luminary, which I brought into play before, to remind that enough knowledge is already available. Unfortunately, it is not so easy to turn to exceptional experts from the Middle Ages or ancient times. Compared to the medicine system Ayurveda, there are hardly any old writings left that give us a coherent concept. His name is Klaus Krämer. He did not write a book. He loved too much to practice on the patient and to formulate such connections again and again in the lessons with his students.
First of all, on the allergic component:
To put it simply, allergy is an excessive reaction of the immune system to normally harmless substances. The starting point of the allergy is an allergized intestinal mucosa. This is where the origin lies and this is where a therapeutic approach is needed. This connection surprised me when it was shown to me. I am certainly not the only one. And even more people interested in this topic might be surprised about this connection with migraine. It can be located on the “top floor”, while it is up to the bottom floor to begin therapeutically. In the event of an allergic reaction, the mucous membranes swell, resulting in edematization (fluid retention). This creates a jam (fullness) and thus a circulatory disorder (emptiness) behind the jam. This process can occur reflexively on all mucous membranes in the body. Which region reacts preferentially depends essentially on the disposition (inheritance) of the individual. In migraines, the mucous membranes of the cerebral vessels swell up. As described, traffic jams and emptiness occur. The mucous membranes of the brain become allergic.
Now for epilepsy:
Purely from a disease theory point of view, there is the clear parallel that neurological deficits occur in both cases. And this happens seizure by seizure. For Klaus Krämer, the connection has simply emerged during his 50 years of intensive practical work with patients.
“The healing process takes place in the reverse order of occurrence”. I.e. the diseases reappear in the reverse order of their origin.
And that is exactly what Klaus Krämer observed in the treatment of epilepsy. Here, too, it will cause some astonishment that epilepsy can be successfully treated naturopathically. It is considered a serious illness and not curable. Yes, it is a very difficult disease to treat. However, if one recognizes the connections, one will slowly change the mind of the organism and wean it from undertaking such “faxing”. In about 3 to 4 years of therapy, the attacks can completely disappear. And now again about Klaus Krämer’s observation:
In the epilepsy patients he has treated for years, during his 50 years of practice he has observed how the seizures have decreased over time and finally a previously unprecedented migraine came up. The seizures did not occur and were followed by the migraines. This, in turn, was slowly calmed down, and in the end the allergic diathesis remained (Hering’s rule). In the end, epilepsy loses both siblings. A new covenant is entered into for this. The medicinal herbs should now become loyal companions of the “lost one”. These should be taken for the rest of your life so that the siblings (migraines and epilepsy) do not resurrect.
Therapy for migraines:
conventional medicine is limited to synthetic drugs. So-called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have an analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect by suppressing certain inflammatory mediators (ibuprofen, diclofenac, ..). The following are known side effects: gastrointestinal complaints, blood coagulation disorders and analgesic asthma. Paracetamol is also often given. It does not belong to the NSAID group. Studies have confirmed a not insignificant liver-toxic side effect after prolonged use. In more severe cases, so-called triptans are prescribed. I do not need to point out here what vicious circle one can get into if one decides to take this route.
Again, the note: for the use of such pain relieving synthesizers in an emergency, nothing at all can be said. On the contrary, it is a “blessing” for us humans that we have them. If you have any doubts about this, you should try the nice dentist next door and thankfully refuse the synthetic anesthesia for a root secretion.
The most important things have actually been said about therapy. We proceed primarily with antiallergic plants. Here it means less is more. Small stimuli heal, stronger ones paralyze, … We are fortunate enough to be able to deal with a wide variety of medicinal plants. These are tailored to the respective constitution and more precise problems. In one case, the stress component stands out as the strongest, in the other a strongly tense cervical spine stands out. The herbal composition and complementary various minerals are selected accordingly. To emphasize again: we treat with a composition of herbs and not with individual doses of herbs. We need a complex approach to retune this complex process to recovery. Nevertheless, I do not want to end this short treatise without introducing at least two faithful helpers who are to be found in many of the herbal recipes given.
When the neural aspect (nerves) is in the foreground. It stands in nature in the dry (Brandenburg sandy soil) unprotected from the blazing sun. One of their strengths is to have a regulating effect on the heat balance.
When the allergic aspect is in the foreground. It grows in water (on streams and on the spongy land) and has the strength to structure and survive in these wetlands. We find these conditions in the allergized mucous membranes.
Ayurvedic view and treatment:
With the help of Ayurveda, all the elements required for the therapy of migraines can be put together to form a holistic picture. We will not be able to avoid talking about the right diet. Changes in the “lifestyle” can also play a role. From an Ayurvedic point of view, there is a clear idea of all of this that has been tried out long enough. Ayurvedic pulse diagnosis helps us to recognize the process behind the disease. All three doshas (Vata, Pitta, Kapha) can be the cause of a migraine disease. A too weak Agni (fire) is fundamental for the imbalance of the elements. There is a multitude of different Agni, but the central one is found in the stomach. And here we go hand in hand with naturopathy again. If the Agni is too low, in medical terms, a lack of enzymes (especially the hydrochloric acid formed in the stomach), the nutrients are not properly metabolized and they remain foreign to the body. Harmless substances are considered dangerous. There is an overreaction of the immune system and the whole blues of an allergic reaction begins. So we need to increase the digestive fire. Allergization decreases accordingly. Depending on the increased dosha, the entire therapy plan is drawn up. With the help of external applications, we achieve faster success. If too much Kapha (phlegm) is the cause, Nasya, the Ayurvedic nasal sinus cleansing, is often administered. If there is too much Vata (wind), the administration of special enemas may be indicated.
To regulate stress, fears and worries, the forehead shower is the method of choice. I could easily fill many more pages and describe the varied Ayurvedic and naturopathic therapy. We have enough wisdom and an army of willing helpers to bring the migraines to their senses. To give you an idea of how long a therapy can take, I would like to quote my dear teacher Klaus Krämer:
“If you have had migraines for 14 years, the therapy lasts 4 years and not 4 months.”
Do not forget that as the person concerned, you take every step yourself. It is not therapy that gags and subjugates them. They get helpers by the hand, take responsibility and become their own doctor. That brings a completely different feeling than the usual therapy, which I mentioned above under therapy.