How to Stop Headaches Using Science-Based Approaches
Link to full podcast summary: How to Stop Headaches Using Science-Based Approaches
Podcast Summary
Dr. Huberman discusses the causes and treatments of different types of headaches, including tension headaches, migraines, sinus and cluster headaches, as well as menstrual and other hormone-based headaches. Dr. Huberman describes how to distinguish between the different headache types and how to select the right treatment, including prescription-based and non-prescription-based treatments, behavioral and nutrition-based approaches.
Dr. Huberman also explains the evidence and mechanisms supporting the use of omega-3 fatty acids, high dose creatine, peppermint oil, turmeric, acupuncture and more to treat headaches. He also discusses traumatic brain injury, the causes of photophobia, aura, and the link between spicy foods and thunderclap headaches.
Key Takeaways
If you want relief from a headache, you need to understand which tissue is mainly involved in creating that type of headache.
The immune system tries to limit the extent of inflammation by creating scar tissue
Even if you're running hundreds of miles in ultra marathons, your brain is still far more metabolically demanding than all the muscles of your body combined, no matter the conditions.
ALL pain is is neural in origin
Any time you have lack of sleep, you're going to have excessive stress. Anytime you have excessive stress, you're going to have to make sure you're offsetting that by getting proper sleep. Problem is, most people don't when they're under excessive stress.
When you have a migraine, you need to be cognizant of light exposure. If we can prevent photophobia, partially or completely, we can actually offset a lot of the ache of the migraine that would otherwise occur.
If you experience the kind of pain and symptoms that are consistent with cluster headaches, taking a standard anti-inflammatory medication is unlikely to relieve cluster headache
For somebody that weighs 100 kilograms or 220 pounds, they should take 40 grams of creatine per day. If someone weighs half that much, they should take 20 grams of creatine per day.
Increasing omega-3s and reducing omega-6s seems to be beneficial for reducing pain.
Getting above one gram per day of EPA omega-3 fatty acids, either through food or supplements, is the critical threshold for reductions in the frequency and intensity of headaches
If feel a migraine coming, shift to using patterns of light that are in the longer wavelength domain - use dim orange or red lights
Curcumin, when taken at dosages of about 80 milligrams (or 25-50 milligrams per day) in conjunction with omega-3 fatty acids at two and a half grams per day, led to significant improvements in migraine and other forms of headache.