This article is one of a series covering headaches — causes, symptoms, and the treatments we use at Back and Body Medical in Midtown Manhattan. For the complete overview, see the full guide:
→ Headache & Migraine Treatment in New York City — The Complete Guide
Did you know that migraine headaches are the main cause of disability for people under the age of 50? Today, we will be talking about the underlying causes of migraines. A major cause is inflammation. Let’s look at some healthier choices we can make to avoid these headaches.
Let’s start with some background on inflammation. Inflammation occurs when the immune system is always under stress. This can be from many things including obesity, smoking, excessive drinking, a poor diet, lingering injury, stress, or a combination. Systemic inflammation it’s also connected to having an elevated risk for certain diseases such as diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular disease.
Diets like Paleo, DASH, and a Mediterranean diet all include foods which are anti-inflammatory. In these diets, there are a lot of fruits and vegetables. They also avoid highly processed foods with added sugars. Research also suggests that the Ketogenic, low-glycemic, and even a modified Atkins diet can also be beneficial. The Western diet which we are all used to includes many processed and sugary foods, which ultimately cause inflammation.
Gut microbiota is something which also plays a role in the inflammatory process. Try to consume more foods that produce healthy bacteria for the gut, which leads to less inflammation that can reduce your chances of migraine headaches. Eating more foods with omega-3 fatty acids can also aid with this.
The above diets which lower inflammation, will also help for weight loss. Carrying excess weight also stimulates inflammation in the body. A study on weight loss and migraines found that it can reduce the headache and its intensity, frequency, duration, and disability. Weight loss also reduces stress, which is a major cause of inflammation.
Switching to a healthy lifestyle can be challenging, but we are here to help you with nutrition or exercise related questions. If you are experiencing any pain which prevents you from exercising, we can also help treat that to get you started on your healthy lifestyle. And of course, we will give you treatment for the migraine pain.
Dr Shan Sivendra MD is the founder and medical director of Back and Body Medical in Midtown Manhattan. A board-certified medical doctor, certified acupuncturist, and Director of House Physicians at St. Barnabas Medical Center, Dr Sivendra has been practicing in New York since 1995.
He completed his residency in Internal Medicine at Saint Barnabas Medical Center (affiliated with Mount Sinai School of Medicine) and received the Resident Research Award for three consecutive years.
Dr Sivendra has a background spanning internal medicine, pain management, and conservative spine rehabilitation, and was licensed in both the US and the UK.
At Back and Body Medical, he leads a multidisciplinary team of chiropractors, physical therapists, and acupuncturists dedicated to helping patients recover from pain without surgery or unnecessary medication.