I have a client who was severely affected by headaches that seemed to arrive just before Calgary’s Chinook winds. Regular weekly craniosacral treatments have reduced the intensity and frequency of the headaches. She still gets them from time to time, but they don’t usually put her out of commission for a day or two anymore.

Migraines are a Symptom

Researchers have not settled on the cause of migraines. A meta-analysis of a number of studies found numerous triggers for migraines. Dr. Thomas Hain at the Chicago Dizziness and Hearing Clinic believes this diversity of triggers is because a migraine is a symptom, not a disease in itself. Migraines can be caused by many different issues.

Low Pressure as a Cause

Dr. Hain has observed in his thousands of patients with migraines that about 20% of them have a strong sensitivity to low pressure. Dr. Becker at the University of Calgary talks about the results of a study here in Calgary of the connection between Chinooks and migraines, finding that some arrive before and some during the drop in low pressure. Dr. Raj Bhardwaj spoke to CBC recently, saying that it’s not clear whether the sudden change in temperature, pressure, humidity, ions in the air or a combination that triggers a migraine.

Multiple causes

A drop in barometric pressure may be the trigger for your migraines, and/or other triggers may set them off for you.  Tracking the frequency and effects of your headaches is a good practice to better understand what might be affecting you (what helps, what makes it worse). It will also help you describe to others how you are affected. The Migraine Resource Network website has some questionnaires.

Half a Head!

BTW, did you know that the word migraine originates from a Latin word meaning ‘half’ and ‘cranium or skull’ – so technically, it is a headache that affects only one side of the head. Is that how it affects you?

Muscle Tension and Migraines

How revved up is your nervous system? In health, our nervous system gears up when it feels threatened and then is resilient enough to gear down again when the threat is over. An over-activated nervous system leads to muscle tension. If you are inclined hold your stress in your neck muscles, this contributes to headaches. Over time, we can come to believe that our stressed-out body is okay, a normal condition. Try allowing craniosacral therapy to facilitate the “gearing down” of your nervous system.

How Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy Helps

Craniosacral therapy invites you to really pay attention to what messages your body is trying to send you. With regular sessions, your body learns to respond less aggressively to stressors – there’s no tiger trying to eat you! – and to return to a calm state after the stress is over. Craniosacral therapy brings focused attention to parts of the body that are holding tension, for example the head, neck, shoulders and jaw. The gentle placement of hands on the areas of holding promotes circulation, and releases tense constricted tissues. At home, gentle stretching or yin yoga as well as breathing exercises can complement the craniosacral treatments in retraining your nervous system.

Not a Find and Fix Approach

Craniosacral therapy is holistic. This makes it well suited to treating migraines, with their variety of causes. Unlike other kinds of bodywork, it does not take a “find and fix” approach. In the same way that your body knows how to heal a cut on your finger, your body knows how to return to a state of health. It recognizes the locations of strain, restriction or imbalance (including neurochemical) that are contributing to the pain in your head and knows how to relieve them. The trained touch of a biodynamic craniosacral therapist takes a listening, reflective approach that notices what your body sees as the priority and follows that wisdom.