Pregnancy And Migraines – What’s The Link?

When you’ve got a little one on the way, the last thing you want is to wake up with the horrific pain that a migraine brings. Unfortunately, for lots of expectant mothers, this is a harsh reality.

Migraines during pregnancy, or even postpartum, can be incredibly debilitating, transforming what should be a beautiful journey into one that is overshadowed with discomfort.

But not many people know about the link between pregnancy and migraines – something we’ll dive into in this blog.

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What is a Migraine?

Migraines are severe headaches that cause intense throbbing or pulsing pain, usually on one side of the head.

They are often accompanied by other symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light and sound.

Migraines can vary in intensity and duration, lasting from a few hours to several days.

Understanding these symptoms is crucial for pregnant women to identify and differentiate between a regular headache and a migraine.

Common Symptoms of Migraines

  • Throbbing or Pulsing Pain: Typically felt on one side of the head.
  • Nausea and Vomiting: A frequent companion to the intense headache.
  • Sensitivity to Light and Sound: Many sufferers need to lie down in a dark, quiet room.
  • Aura: Some experience visual disturbances like flashes of light or blind spots before the onset of a migraine.

Why Are Pregnant Women More Susceptible to Migraines?

Pregnancy is a time of significant physical and emotional change.

These changes can make pregnant women more susceptible to migraines. Here are some of the key reasons:

Hormonal Changes

One of the primary triggers of migraines during pregnancy is hormonal fluctuation.

The surge in hormones, particularly oestrogen, can significantly impact the neurological system, leading to migraines.

These hormonal fluctuations are most pronounced during the first trimester.

As the body adjusts to the increasing levels of hormones, the frequency and intensity of migraines can increase.

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Increased Blood Volume

During pregnancy, a woman’s blood volume increases by 30-50% to support the growing baby.

While this is essential for providing nutrients and oxygen to the foetus, it can cause blood vessels to swell, leading to headaches and migraines.

The body’s circulatory system is under extra pressure, which can trigger migraine episodes.

Stress and Anxiety

The emotional changes and pressures of pregnancy can heighten stress levels, which are well-known migraine triggers.

The anticipation of becoming a parent, coupled with physical changes, can lead to increased anxiety.

This stress can exacerbate migraine symptoms, creating a vicious cycle of pain and worry.

Dietary Changes

Pregnancy cravings and dietary restrictions can sometimes lead to migraines, especially if essential nutrients are lacking.

Foods that are high in tyramine, such as aged cheeses, smoked fish, and certain processed meats, can trigger migraines.

Additionally, fluctuating blood sugar levels from irregular eating habits can contribute to headache onset.

Effects of Migraines on Pregnancy

Migraines can significantly affect your daily life and overall well-being during pregnancy.

They can cause severe pain, nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light and sound, making it challenging to perform everyday tasks and enjoy your pregnancy.

The impact of migraines can extend beyond physical discomfort, affecting emotional well-being and overall quality of life.

When Do Migraines Typically Occur?

Migraines are most common during the first trimester when hormonal changes are at their peak.

However, they can also occur throughout the pregnancy.

Many women find that migraines tend to subside during the second and third trimesters as hormone levels stabilise.

Understanding the timing and triggers can help in managing and potentially reducing the frequency of migraines.

At Focus Osteopathy, we are committed to providing compassionate, personalised care tailored to your specific needs.

If migraines are impacting your pregnancy, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us.

Our team is here to provide effective solutions, helping you enjoy a healthier, more comfortable pregnancy.

Your journey towards a pain-free pregnancy starts here.

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How Osteopathy Can Help Your Pregnancy Migraines

Woman draws a smiley face on her belly to symbolise a heathy pregnancy free from migraines.

Osteopathy offers a holistic approach to alleviating migraines during pregnancy, focusing on gentle, non-invasive techniques that can provide significant relief without medication.

Migraines can be particularly challenging during pregnancy due to hormonal changes, increased stress, and the body’s physical adaptations to support the growing baby. Osteopathic treatments aim to address these underlying issues by enhancing the body’s natural ability to heal and function optimally.

Through hands-on manipulation and specific osteopathic techniques, an osteopath can alleviate tension and improve circulation, which can reduce the frequency and intensity of migraines.

During pregnancy, the body undergoes various structural and hormonal changes that can contribute to migraines. Osteopaths use gentle manipulations to address these changes, improving alignment and relieving pressure on nerves and blood vessels.

Techniques such as cranial osteopathy can be particularly beneficial, as they focus on the subtle movements of the cranial bones and the release of tension in the head and neck.

This can lead to a significant reduction in migraine symptoms. Furthermore, osteopathy can help enhance overall well-being by promoting relaxation, reducing stress, and improving sleep, all of which are crucial for managing migraines during pregnancy.

By supporting the body’s natural balance and addressing the root causes of pain, osteopathy provides a safe and effective way to manage migraines and improve the quality of life for expectant mothers.

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Strained Muscles: What’s Really Causing Your Headaches

Got a headache? Struggling to figure out what’s causing it? It could be your muscles. And osteopathy is the answer – here’s why. 

We’ve all been there. Functioning perfectly well, at work or at home, and then suddenly – BOOM – you’ve felt those first signs of a developing headache. 

You’ve had plenty of fluid, you haven’t indulged in too much screen time, and you’ve enjoyed plenty of sleep. So what’s going on? 

Ask yourself: do you find that headaches occur regularly with no apparent root cause? 

Well – have you considered stress? Perhaps you have considered emotional or psychological stress, but how about physical stress? 

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Chances are, you’ve probably thought about every other possible cause. It’s human nature to instantly head for the scariest diagnosis, and then promptly stick our heads in the sand. Yet, that won’t solve anything. In fact, you’ll only make things worse! 

Ignorance isn’t always bliss; more often, it’s reckless self-abandonment. 

So, it therefore might put your mind at ease to learn that stress can put a strain on your muscles, and it’s most likely that the muscles in your neck and back are the culprit (or the victim) – rather than anything sinister developing in your head. 

Unless you’ve been watching The Real Housewives of Melbourne, as that’s enough to develop all kinds of alarming inner monologues… 

That being said, even though your muscles may need to be addressed (and that’s where osteopathy comes in), we are under no illusion about the severity of headaches. 

Not only can pains across the head take a significant toll on your mental and physical health, but they can ensure that everyday situations become all the more stressful; as you try to deal with the associated pain and discomfort alongside your regular tasks. 

It can become an endless loop of stress and consequent headaches, fueled by a constant reliance on painkillers and slow-burning anxiety. 

So, what can you do? Let’s take a deep dive into the symptoms of a ‘tension’ headache (also known as a ‘muscle-strain headache’) and pinpoint whether a muscle strain may be the cause of your problem. 

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What Causes A Tension Headache?

The most common kind of headache we see in our Murumbenna and Mount Waverley clinics is a tension headache, which can result from anxiety, emotional stress, tiredness, postural muscles becoming over-worked (strained), lack of physical activity as well as other environmental factors. Most often more than one of these causes will act at the same time!

But what kick starts the muscles into causing discomfort? 

Basically – when your body responds to pain and inflammation, or when a situation requires your ‘fight or flight’ stress response, your system becomes triggered. And, when triggered, your muscles tense up as a form of protection. 

As the condition’s title may imply, tension headaches are the result of chronically tense muscles located around your neck, upper back and shoulders. This condition can take time to build up for some, or it can occur quickly for others. Each person develops the condition differently. 

Tension headaches can undoubtedly bring about severe discomfort and chronic pain, but it’s important not to get them mixed up with  causes of other types of headaches – such as  dysfunction of neck joints, discs or nerves or dehydration. 

Unlike a dehydration-sponsored headache, or a migraine, tension headaches don’t cause sensitivity to light, nausea, or vomiting. 

Also, a tension headache doesn’t throb. Instead, it typically presents itself as a constant and steady pain across both sides of the temple. 

It’s not uncommon for the condition to occur occasionally out of the blue for no apparent reason. And this can be caused by a build-up of strain and tightness on the surrounding and associated muscles. 

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Why Does Muscle Strain Cause Headaches?

Doctors and medical researchers can’t generalize an exact cause that’s similar for everyone. In essence, the exact cause of this type of headache is still relatively unknown. 

What we do know is that leading industry experts believe your surrounding environment could be playing a role in your tension-type headaches. As could your genetics. 

Muscular contractions in the neck/head/shoulder/upper back areas can also contribute to tension headaches. A tension headache can come about when a person is spending long periods at a desk whilst undergoing a stressful workload.

However, mental stress does not always have to accompany physical stress, and physical stress can alone lead to tension headaches (such as when we are binge-watching TV on the couch). What’s pertinent is that being sedentary for a long time means that we are of course involved in long periods without some sort of physical movement.

These causes often go hand-in-hand and will lead to fatigue of our postural muscles, eventual tightening or tension and a resultant headache.  It is important to note that the muscular strain we refer to in the instance of tension headaches, refers to the strain that is placed on the postural muscles of the neck shoulders and upper back when assuming a poor posture for a long time or over repeated times. 

Some of us suffer from these kinds of headaches after experiencing a turn of stressful events, or an extremely busy day. 

Regardless of what happens during your stressful day (or prolonged week/month), the underlying root cause is most likely to be tense or overused, muscles that you’re not consciously aware of. 

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Tension Headache: Symptoms To Watch For

The most commonly found symptoms that dictate a tension headache include blanket pain across both sides of your head, although that pain will have come on gradually, and the pain will sometimes have started in the back of your head. 

It’ll feel as though you’ve got an ever-tightening vice or band around your head, exerting an increasing amount of pressure across your skull. 

Sounds vague, right? That’s because the symptoms are vague, and that’s why it remains essential to seek professional medical advice to gain a diagnosis. 

The specific symptoms can often mimic other medical problems, and rather than allowing Dr Google to scare the fear of God into you, an osteopath (or doctor) will keep you on the right side of anxiety. 

We wouldn’t advise trying to go it alone at home, either. We’d recommend that you contact us, and we can work through things together. 

Other causes that can lead to headaches include bad cases of toothache, strained eyesight, and an infection in your sinuses – such as your inner ear. All of these other underlying issues are important to identify but difficult to distinguish without the help of a professional.  

Dehydration is a big one, as many of us simply aren’t getting enough fluid. Your body cries out for water when things get really bad, and an intense headache is one of the results. 

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How We Can Help With Your Headaches

At Focus Osteopathy, we diagnose the cause of your headache not only based on your symptoms, but on a detailed medical history and thorough physical evaluation.  

You see, we never generalize treatment for any condition – and that includes tension headaches. What works for some patients won’t necessarily work for everyone. It’s why we take the time to get to know you, and understand your situation and circumstances and most importantly what outcomes you would like to achieve. 

Before visiting one of our clinics, think about how you would answer the following questions:

  • Where does it hurt? 
  • Where is the location of your headache? 
  • Is there a dull ache, or is it a throbbing pain?
  • Is the pain constant, or intermittent?
  • When do the headaches start, and does anything seem to trigger them?
  • How long do these headaches last?
    Does sitting upright too quickly, or changing positions, cause a headache? 
  • Have there been any noticeable changes in your personality or behaviour?
  • Have you suffered head, neck, or spinal injuries in the last few years?
  • Do you suffer from stress or high blood pressure?
  • How well do you sleep on average? 

Depending on what our evaluation tells us, we might then recommend some additional tests. There is nothing to panic about should we suggest testing. It’s purely an extra cautionary step to ensure that no other medical issues are at play that could be causing or mimicking symptoms. 

It all allows us to safely move forward and treat your tension headaches. 

Tests can include an X-ray of the sinus region (looking for infections, congestion, or anything else needing treatment), a CT scan, an MRI test, or a blood test (to rule out anemia, thyroid issues, infection, or hormonal imbalance). 

Osteopathy focuses on the treatment of muscles, joint and nerves, and by addressing the muscles that instigate a tension-type headache, we can help to prevent them from reoccurring. 

By reducing the stress and tension as much as possible, which we understand is easier said than done (!), you’ll be helping yourself regain control.

What Can I Do To Help Myself?

Let’s cover the basics. 

Make sure you get enough sleep! A lack of proper rest can trigger tension headaches, and you should always aim to set a routine for going to sleep. There are other benefits to getting enough sleep that will aid your health, too. 

If you start to feel the pain building up, try to find yourself a dark and quiet area in which to rest. Should you have been prescribed pain medication by your doctor or physician, use your pills only as appropriate. 

How’s your diet? Ensure you eat three meals daily, with regular healthy snacking, to maintain a healthy blood sugar table. Try not to skip meals, as this has also been proven to cause headaches. 

If you are struggling with your diet, or if certain foods seem to trigger a tension headache, try keeping a food diary(However we do understand that dealing with nutrition can be a very challenging task to do alone, so if you need help please reach out and we can organise for you to chat to our resident Functional Nutritionist). 

Try to do some exercise during your day. This can be as short as 30 minutes – such as a gentle jog or a brisk walk – and will help to reduce your stress levels. Furthermore, try to incorporate either yoga or meditation into your weekly schedule.   

If you’d like more advice on dealing with tension headaches, or wish to book some osteopathy sessions,. Click here for availability or her to talk to one of our friendly team.  

Don’t suffer in silence with your headaches. Reach out for some help! 

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Do you suffer from annoying afternoon headaches?

Headaches are a common complaint that patients at Focus Osteopathy report. These are often reoccurring afternoon headaches either at work, in the car or at home with the kids.

There are many causes of headaches from simple dietary causes through to more sinister causes. You should always have headaches checked by a health professional, be it an Osteopath, general practitioner, physiotherapist etc. The Osteopath’s at Focus Osteopathy are more than happy to discuss these with you.

Commonly, some headaches are thought to be a result of muscular tension, stress or fatigue. With some Osteopathic treatment it is possible to feel better and more in control.

So what can you do to avoid or reduce the occurrence of afternoon headaches?

For those niggly, annoying headaches that just seem to pop up in the afternoon there are some simple measures you can take to avoid, reduce or manage their occurrence:

  1. Drink plenty of water – Don’t forget to drink fluids, especially water, throughout the day to avoid dehydration. Dehydration can contribute to headaches and it can be very easy to go through the motions of a day, without stopping to sip any water.
  2. Take a break – Taking a couple of minutes every hour to close your eyes, move your head and neck and check your posture is very important, especially if you sit at a desk. The body likes to move so without regular breaks the muscles begin to tense up and can result in a headache. Correct, upright, seated posture with your knees below the height of your hips is also recommended. It is particularly important to give your eyes a rest when using a computer. Eye strain can result from long periods looking at a computer or reading due to the increased sensory input, also resulting in headaches.
  3. Eat something – Make sure you eat regular nutritious food. Low blood sugar due to skipping meals or reducing calorie intake commonly causes headaches
  4. Watch your caffeine intake – Headaches can be a result of drinking too much coffee then suddenly decreasing the amount of coffee consumed. Try and keep your caffeine intake to a maximum of 200mg a day – approximately 1-2 cups of brewed coffee per day. If you are trying to cut back do so over several days or weeks.
  5. Stretching – specific stretches, strengthening exercises and relaxation exercises such as lying on a rolled up towel, can assist to strengthen and release muscles. Have a chat with your Osteopath to find out what exercises might be suitable for you.

As there are many causes of headaches not all measures will work for everyone and is dependent on individual circumstances. A new pillow, some stretching advice or perhaps altering your working posture can all make a big difference to how you feel!