Did you know headaches can come from hormonal imbalances, food sensitivities or nutritional deficiencies? Our last newsletter talked about how neck and jaw issues are common triggers for headaches. What if you have had a series of precise chiropractic adjustments and stiff suffer from headaches?
The answer is to turn to functional medicine. The functional medicine process starts with a deep look into your health history via a detailed questionnaire. Dr. Kyle reviews this and has a one-on-one consultation with you. From this history and discussion during the consultation, he can determine what may likely be the cause of your headaches and what test(s) would be beneficial for you.
Here are the tests we most commonly use to identify the root cause of your headaches:
1. Food Safe 95 or 190: This tests 95 or 190 different foods to determine if you have a sensitivity to one or more foods. Food sensitivities have been linked in research to migraine-type headaches. This test takes the guesswork out of which food or foods might be the culprit(s). Many patients have reduced or eliminated headaches by making changes to their diets from the knowledge gained with this test. It is a simple blood test and the cost is $350 to test 95 foods or $450 to test 190 foods.
2. Comprehensive Profile: This is a saliva-based test that checks cortisol (stress hormone), DHEA, estrogen, progesterone and testosterone levels. The cost is $300. Hormone imbalances can and do cause headaches. This is especially common in women around their menstrual cycle when many report increased headache symptoms.
3. Micronutrient Test: This is a blood test that directly assesses all the major vitamins, minerals, fatty acids and several amino acids in your body. The cost is $450. Nutrient deficiencies have been linked to headaches symptoms. This test shows if you are sufficient or deficient in the micronutrient areas. With this information, we know which supplements may be of benefit to help reduce or eliminate headache issues.
Functional medicine and chiropractic are all about finding the root cause of your health problems. Reach out to us if you have headache symptoms – we are here to help.
Kyle J. Pankonin, D.C.
