Headaches – a tiresome burden

Headaches – also called cephalgia by experts – are one of the most common forms of pain besides back pain and occur at all ages. Occasional, slight pain is usually harmless and can be treated with simple home remedies. Migraine and severe, chronically occurring pain, on the other hand, require special therapy.

The International Headache Society (IHS) distinguishes over 200 different types of headache and divides them into two major groups, primary and secondary headaches.

Almost 90 percent of all complaints fall into the group of primary headaches. Primary means that the pain occurs independently and cannot be attributed to a specific cause. The most commonly observed primary headaches are tension headaches, cluster headaches and migraines.

The so-called secondary headaches occur much less frequently. They are a warning signal that occurs in connection with another disease. Secondary headaches are always caused by an illness or external influences. Examples are high blood pressure, tension in the neck muscles, side effects of medication, colds or very rarely serious illnesses such as tumours or strokes. It is important for these types of headache to have their causes clarified by a doctor, as they may indicate a very serious illness.

How do headaches develop?

Although intensive research is underway, physicians are still largely in the dark when it comes to the exact processes involved in the development of the various types of headache. Today, it is assumed that primary headache disorders are caused by irritation of the pain-sensitive head organs, which is accompanied by a disorder of pain inhibition. The pain is a temporary warning signal from the body.

An overview of the most common types of headache

The dull, oppressive tension headache felt throughout the head is by far the most common type. Tension headaches are mild to moderate, increase slowly, usually last only a few hours to a day and almost never have accompanying symptoms. This type of headache is usually harmless and does not require any special therapy as long as it does not recur repeatedly over weeks or months.

A migraine attack can occur once or several times a month and begins gradually, with the headache developing in a pulsating pattern and often only on one side of the head. The pain is moderate to very severe and is always accompanied by other symptoms such as nausea, sensitivity to light, vomiting or flickering eyes.

Caution vicious circle: Anyone who regularly takes painkillers can cause so-called drug-induced headaches if they are taken too frequently. These headaches occur on both sides, are moderate to severe and feel dull, similar to a helmet on your head that is too tight. Other medications taken regularly (for example, antihypertensive drugs) can also cause headaches.

The very severe but rare cluster headache usually lasts only a few minutes, but is particularly tormenting and intense. It usually occurs unilaterally or piercingly behind the eye.

When should you start treatment?

• For regularly recurring headaches.
• For pain after a concussion or other head injury.
• Headaches accompanied by nausea, vomiting, fever, disturbed perception or other symptoms
• When there is sudden, very severe pain.
• If children suffer from headaches, you should always consult your pediatrician immediately.

Headache therapy & preventive measures

Due to the countless forms of headache, there is no uniform therapy. Treatment depends on the cause of the pain, which is particularly true for all secondary headache disorders.

For primary headaches, the exact cause of which cannot be defined, conventional medical treatment focuses on eliminating the symptoms: Simple household remedies such as a cup of tea, peppermint oil on the temples, bed rest and/or cooling compresses on the forehead can be used.

The general lifestyle also has a great influence on the development of tension headaches and migraines: Relaxation exercises, regular endurance sports (jogging, swimming, cycling or brisk walks), a balanced, wholesome diet, regular sleep, abstention from alcohol and nicotine, autogenic training to reduce stress and ample drinking of water or herbal teas are helpful in prevention and treatment.

In the case of chronic headache disorders or migraines, it can be helpful to keep a pain diary in order to get to the bottom of the triggers (“triggers”) of the suffering. Possible triggers for pain can be, for example, certain foods, environmental toxins or other toxins, stress, weather and (in women) the stage of the cycle.

The View of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)

From the perspective of Traditional Chinese Medicine, the abdomen and internal organs are causally related to headaches. In TCM a distinction is made between fullness and empty headache.

If the pain is throbbing to bursting, swelling and declining, intense and accompanied by other symptoms (as in almost all forms of migraine), it is called fullness headache. Empty headache is characterised by dull, persistent pressure, dizziness and lack of concentration. The pain here is usually moderate, tends to take place in the background and is quite bearable. Mixed forms of fullness and void headache are also not uncommon.

The holistic view of TCM attributes chronically occurring headaches and migraines to a congestion of Qi (life energy). The pain is caused by a Qi blockage in the internal organs, whereby the disharmonies are usually localised in the liver or gall bladder. The Qi stagnates, then rises up through the meridians into the head and causes severe pain there.

Due to the stagnation, the Qi can also attack the stomach and lead to the typical migraine nausea and vomiting. Also a disharmony of the kidneys (possibly in combination with liver filling disorders) can lead to headaches.

One hundred percent pure nature: Vital mushrooms help with headaches

If you are tormented by chronic headaches or migraines, there are effective medicinal mushrooms that can be used prophylactically or on a long-term basis and provide significant relief from the symptoms: Due to their metabolism regulating, blood circulation stimulating, balancing and strengthening properties, combined with liver and bile stimulating ingredients, medically effective mushrooms are the ideal helpers in the treatment of numerous headache types.

For general headache therapy it is recommended to take a combination of Reishi and Shiitake. Both medicinal mushrooms have the property of improving blood circulation in the smallest blood vessels, including those in the brain. This is of particular importance in the prophylaxis of headache attacks. In addition, Reishi in particular improves the oxygen supply of the body, has a liver-strengthening, balancing and stress-regulating and hormonal balancing effect.

The combination of taking Reishi and Shiitake with regular coffee enemas – one of the best natural means to promote the flow of bile – has proven to be effective in quickly relieving or eliminating headaches and migraines.

If stress in particular is a trigger for headaches or migraines, the administration of the medicinal mushrooms Cordyceps and Auricularia has also proved to be effective. Cordyceps has strengthening properties on both the physical and psychological level. It also has a balancing effect on the hormone balance. Auricularia supports the therapy with its vasodilating and blood circulation-promoting properties. It also has a relaxing effect on the smooth musculature of the vessels.

All medicinal mushrooms have a holistic strengthening and balancing effect on imbalances in the organism, which TCM calls congestion or stagnation of Qi. They thus help to get back into a healthy balance.

Very important in the treatment of headache disorders is both in mycotherapy and according to TCM, the stimulation of the bile flow, which is crucial for our health. The bile fulfils many important tasks in our organism and transports, for example, fat-soluble toxins, which are detoxified in the liver, out of the body again. With a pH value of 8.5, it raises the acidic food pulp from the duodenum back to a basic pH value.

Why bitter substances are important for headaches

Bitter substances are very important for the liver and bile. They counteract hyperacidity in the body and support the liver in its detoxification work by stimulating the production of digestive juices and keeping the bile fluid. Among other things, acidosis is considered a strong trigger for headaches and migraines.

The effect of medicinal mushrooms is also shown by their high content of bitter constituents. These include for example the diterpenes, triterpenes and steroids, which belong to the largest class of bitter substances and are found in all medicinal mushrooms. Reishi has the highest concentration of triterpenes of all medicinal mushrooms, which underlines once again why it is the most effective medically effective mushroom for a healthy liver and thus also in the holistic treatment of headaches and migraines.