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Mornington VIC 3931

03 5973 9500

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Menstrual Migraine Treatment

Treatment of Menstrual Migraine at the Melbourne Headache Centre targets the underlying cause, which is an overactive part of the central nervous system, not hormone imbalance. The number one cause of this overactivity is a previously misunderstood fault in the top of the neck.

Find out today whether your problem can be treated by correcting this fault in the neck.

While changes in oestrogen level can often effect the timing of onset of symptoms, world leading experts have made it very clear that the hormone fluctuation is no different to normal. Elizabeth Loder explained:

“Abnormal central nervous system response to normal fluctuations in hormones is the likely cause of menstrual migraine. Patients with menstrual migraine do not generally have hormonal abnormalities.”

Elizabeth Loder MD
Menstrual Migraine – Opinion Statement
Current Treatment Options in Neurology, 2001, Vol 3 (2)

How do we succeed where everyone else has failed you in the past? What makes our menstrual migraine treatment a more effective remedy than the best medical interventions?

The answer lies in correctly identifying the underlying cause of the abnormal central nervous system activity, and treating the cause of migraines rather than just the symptoms. In an overwhelming majority of cases the cause of this overactivity is in a small fault in the top of the neck. This fault creates a muscle spasm, which in results in stress being placed onto structures in the top of the neck.

Identifying this spasm does not make us unique. In fact if you have ever had anyone examine the top of your neck most will have found and commented on it.

Understanding why the fault is there, and therefore, knowing what to target to successfully treat you is what makes our remedy for your menstrual migraine unique.

Identifying this fault and demonstrating its ability to be reversed, and most importantly, its significance and relevance to your symptoms forms the core of the assessment.

 The cause of Menstrual Migraine

As indicated by world leading experts, the underlying issue in menstrual migraine is typically not abnormal hormones, but the same issue that is the common underlying problem in other primary headache (migraine, tension-type headache, cluster headache). The “abnormal central nervous system” that Elizabeth Loader is referring to is an overstimulated area in the brainstem that houses all the nerves for the head and face – the trigeminal nucleus.

As 30% of people we treat report no neck symptoms, and a further 30% only report tightness under the base of the skull, the neck is not often considered relevant. However, the nerves from the upper three segments of the neck (C1-C3) feed directly into the trigeminal nucleus, and are the only anatomical structure identified as being a potential cause of the overstimulation of the trigeminal nucleus.

The pioneering work of Australian physiotherapist Dean Watson has not only identified a previously ignored fault in the top of the neck responsible for overstimulating the brainstem, but discovered how to treat it leading to an approach that leads to the ability of the menstrual migraine sufferer to eventually self manage their own treatment.

Research has proven the techniques known as the Watson Headache ® Approach decrease overstimulation of the brainstem, effectively normalising the central nervous system activity referred to above, so that the fluctuation of hormones is no longer able to act as a trigger.

This is the only ‘hands on’ approach to do this.

Fast, natural, effective, safe Menstrual Migraine Treatment

Fast:

Your initial treatment block lasts for only two weeks. The aim of this block is to alter the underlying dysfunction to such a point that successful self-management becomes possible.

Self-management is what we aim for – not endless ongoing treatments!

At the end of this initial block there should be a significant improvement in symptoms, which will indicate that further treatment will be beneficial. Should significant improvement not be achieved in this time treatment will cease.

For those for whom  the initial treatment has shown to be beneficial, the ongoing treatment is rarely more than 2 or 3 more sessions.  This is because:

• you are effectively self managing and you don’t need further treatment, or

• the progression to self management has not been successful, in which case further treatment will rarely change that outcome.

Either way, our hands-on treatment ceases at this time, in all but the rarest of circumstances.

Natural:

No manipulation of hormones having major impact on other body systems, no toxic medications risking side effects and rebound headaches. Appropriately applied pressures re-align the top of the neck and is able to be self-maintained with education about the ongoing stressors that will aggravate the issue, and stretches that help assist the neck to stay in alignment

Safe:

All techniques involve slow and sustained pressure. There is NO manipulation of the spine.

Further enquiries are welcome – contact us to arrange your complimentary phone consultation.

Effective:

80% of people we assess have the neck causing overstimulation of the brainstem. We don’t waste the time and resources of the other 20% by treating when we know it will not work.

Over 90% of those taken into active treatment can expect to see significant changes in their condition after the initial two week treatment block. No other approach offers such clarity on expectations. We do this because we know we can help and set high expectations of ourselves to do so.