Invisible Agony: The Hidden Toll of Migraines and Chronic Headaches on Your Mental Health
A Guide to Symptoms, Treatments and Facts for Those Suffering from Migraines and Headaches
By Brennan Seevers, DPT - Moore MyoWorx Denver
It’s very common for headaches to migrate or for pain to start in one area and then generalize to the whole head.
For those who suffer from chronic migraines or daily persistent headaches, they often cope with the pain in order to function in their lives.
The body cannot replicate physical pain, but over periods of weeks, months and years a person can get so used to being in pain that they forget that “normal” is no pain! When someone is suffering from chronic pain, the body will adapt to the pain levels. What began as an 8 out of 10 on the perceived pain scale may now feel more like 4 out of 10. It doesn’t go away, but it’s not nearly as pressing as it was when it first started because the person has had to learn how to ignore it or compensate for it to get through life.
But this is no way to enjoy life, and we are committed to helping people get their lives back!
Even more than the physical pain, the body can replicate emotional pain and recalling a memory can lead to the individual re-experiencing the same emotional pain as the incident. The body reacts just as it did during the situation. The combination of physical pain, distress and suffering coupled with the long-term emotional and mental toll it can have is a combination that can be dangerous.
MIGRAINES AND CHRONIC HEADACHES
Ranking just behind back pain, migraines and chronic headaches are the most common types of chronic pain that people experience. According to Cleveland Clinic, 12-15% of the population is affected by migraines with 1-2.2% of people worldwide experiencing chronic migraines. Someone who suffers from chronic migraines would consist of 15+ days in a month experiencing a headache or migraine for at least three months.
First, let’s define a migraine. A migraine is a primary headache disorder that usually lasts 4–72 hours. Migraines can be accompanied by nausea, vomiting, light and noise sensitivity. Getting headaches and migraines is not related to age as you can suffer from these at any age, however migraines most often begin at puberty and generally affects those aged between 35 and 45 years.
During a migraine, one might experience the following:
Pain on one side of your head, but often on both sides and/or behind your eye
Pain that throbs or pulses
Sensitivity to light, sound, and sometimes smell and touch
Nausea and vomiting
It’s very common for headaches to migrate or for pain to start in one area and then generalize to the whole head. One or two days before a migraine, you might notice subtle changes that warn of an upcoming migraine, including neck stiffness, constipation, mood changes, increased urination, frequent yawning and food cravings. The exact cause of migraine is currently unknown but it is thought to result from the release of pain producing inflammatory substances around the nerves and blood vessels of the head. It can also be triggered by alcohol and certain foods.
Other facts about migraines and chronic headaches:
They are more common in women, likely because of hormonal influences
Headaches and migraines are also very common after a concussion
Changes in barometric pressure can trigger headaches and make them worse
It may seem like different pains are totally unrelated, but headaches in the temples or sides of the head can also frequently be associated with TMD, increased anxiety, difficulty sleeping, and tinnitus
THE LONG-TERM AFFECTS OF CHRONIC PAIN
Migraines and chronic headaches can have profound long-term effects on mental health, significantly impacting a person's quality of life.
An estimated 35-45% of people with chronic pain experience depression.*
About 50% of migraine sufferers also have anxiety. For some, the anxiety comes first, followed by the onset of migraines, and for others, the anxiety develops after a period of chronic migraines. Migraine sufferers are between two and four times more likely than people without migraines to develop major depressive disorder.**
Migraines and chronic headaches can have profound long-term effects on mental health, significantly impacting a person's quality of life. The persistent and unpredictable nature of these conditions often leads to anxiety and depression, as sufferers constantly anticipate the onset of debilitating pain. In fact, anxiety, depression, and other mood disorders commonly occur at the same time as chronic pain from conditions like fibromyalgia, back problems, migraines and arthritis.
This chronic state of alertness and discomfort can disrupt daily activities, relationships, and professional life, fostering feelings of helplessness and isolation. Over time, the relentless cycle of pain and worry can erode self-esteem and overall mental well-being, making effective management and treatment not only a physical necessity but also a crucial component of mental health care.
Many of our patients come to us after exhausting what they thought was every possible treatment option or medication, feeling hopeless about getting their normal daily life back again. If you or someone you love has experienced this, you know first-hand the struggle this can cause but we exist to restore hope. Our Denver clinic, our first in the United States, is helping our patients get back to a life that they love.
Take these success stories for example:
“So much gratitude for finding this amazing facility. The treatment program was intense but gave results that I never thought I would experience after 50+ years of pain, depression and severe panic disorder, I HAVE the control...my body HAS the control, thanks to the tools that I learned at Moore MyoWorx. Thank you all.” – Kelly
“Moore MyoWorx got me back to living a normal live again. They were the only ones who could figure out what was wrong. I owe them everything!” - Kit
"13 years post-head injury, I had given up on making further progress. And then I found MyoWorx! I’m so grateful." – Cait
“After 25 years, I finally found something that I can do that doesn’t require medication. I found MyoWorx and was excited to try it. After 7 weeks, I can honestly say I’ve been migraine free. It’s amazing. It’s been a journey. When I start to get a headache, there are things that I can do to alleviate that and get it to a place where I can make myself feel better which is wonderful.” – Jamie
“I had a headache for a whole year before going to MyoWorx.” - Natalie
TREATMENT OF MIGRAINES AND CHRONIC HEADACHES
Headache and migraine medicine will not cure headaches.
Daily persistent headaches and migraines are caused by neurological and vestibular impingements creating pain in different areas along with additional symptoms. For this reason, many common treatments for migraines and headaches treat the symptom, but not the cause and only provide short-term relief, rather than a long-term cure.
These common treatments include:
Sitting in a dark room
Taking prescription drugs
Drinking caffeine
Using a cold compress on the head/neck
Again these can provide some immediate relief, but are not to be confused with a longer-term answer to saying goodbye to these symptoms.
Pain is a messenger and can actually be a good thing as we explore the root cause. Pain can also come in the form of severe muscle tightness which causes a loss of sensation. Having tight muscles and not feeling pain is actually a symptom! Moving pain also tells us that the muscles involved are beginning to release. Throughout treatment, the intensity and frequency of pain will change as well as it will continue to lessen over time. The onset timing of the pain offer us clues to tell us more about your recovery.
The Moore MyoWorx approach focuses on several conditions and treats a variety of symptoms with no injections, medicine, or surgeries. We simply focus on your recovery and empowering you through the process.
Our mission at Moore MyoWorx is to stop putting band aids on the problem and see all of your migraine symptoms as a cluster. We will help explain the complexity of your symptoms and provide simple, proven treatments to launch you into your recovery. We would love to talk to you or anyone you know that is looking for a solution to their migraines that doesn't consist of more meds, injections or imaging.
The chart above indicates the typical “recovery” pattern of several of our patients.
• The first two weeks generally offers the highest percentage of symptom relief as your body starts to heal.
• Weeks 3 and 4, and depending if the patients choose to continue with in-clinic care vs. at-home care, continues with a similar reduction to symptoms. After Week 4, the patient normally has full autonomy with their exercises and continues the program for at least another 8 weeks.
• We discuss and emphasize a minimum of 12 weeks in order to achieve “muscle endurance.” This allows the muscles to hold their shape (length) and not contract back to the unhealthy position causing the symptoms. “In Clinic” treatment only represents 16-32% of your total treatment program. This saves you large sums of money by turning the care over to patients. You hold the key to how fast and how well you heal.
If you or someone you know suffers from migraines, headaches or chronic pain of any sort, please share this information with them and encourage them to reach out to us at Moore Myoworx! Contact our team today and we can begin your recovery together.
Learn about the conditions we specialize in and more about our history and 35+ years of patient successes. Schedule a free introductory session with our Denver clinic today by calling us at (970) 592-8306 or by contacting us here.
Sources:
Brennan Seevers is the Clinic Director at Moore MyoWorx Denver. He graduated from Bethel College with an undergraduate degree in Exercise Science and received his Doctorate in Physical Therapy from the University of Indianapolis. Brennan takes pride in his holistic approach to the human body and is passionate about understanding each patient's story.