The resolution of chronic headaches (x 20 years) with mindful movement

The resolution of chronic headaches (x 20 yrs).

*Patient: A 45-year-old woman with a history of headaches since childhood, experiencing migraines with one-sided, throbbing headaches, particularly on her forehead, since age 22.

* History: Migraines became frequent after age 34, with headaches lasting 48-72 hours, often accompanied by nausea.

* Symptoms: The patient experiences throbbing headaches, often on one side, with sensitivity to light and sound, and nausea.

* Triggers: The patient identifies stress, hunger, and cold environments as triggers, while light, noise, smells, and certain sounds aggravate her symptoms.

* Treatment History: The patient has tried various treatments, including propranolol, duloxetine, and sumatriptan, with mixed results and side effects.

* Current Status: Despite various treatments, the patient continues to experience frequent and debilitating migraines, significantly impacting her daily life.

* Additional Symptoms: The patient also struggles with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and has associated neck pain, with tenderness in her neck and shoulder muscles.

* Medication Use: The patient consumes four Extra Strength Excedrin daily and uses hydrocodone for her migraines, but these measures provide only minimal pain relief.

* Treatment Options: The patient is currently exploring botulinum toxin injections (botox) as a potential treatment option.

When this patient, who we will call Cara, came to see me,

she is looking for effective long-term solutions to her condition.

*She experiences tension headaches 4 days/week; and approximately once/month has a 2-3 day migraine which leaves her out of commission and low energy for it’s duration.

*She is worried about taking time off work to deal with this condition, and wants a permanent fix. She works in Human Resources for a large technology firm, and often feels some stress as a result of carrying through hiring/firing decisions (ones that she doesn’t always agree with). She nonetheless enjoys the work, and has no desire to change role.

*Cara has tried acupuncture, chiropractic, and massage for her condition; which have helped in the short term. However, she has not found a practitioner she got along with, and has not stuck to any consistent treatment regimen (nor has it been suggested to her).

*I share with her the principle that chronic issues often take longer to treat as the patterns that support the issues take time to shift, and to be replaced with ones more supportive to health.

Generally - the number of years something has been around (divided by two) = the number of months of consistent (2-4x/month) treatment a condition needs to resolve.

* Given Cara’s frustration with her recurrent headaches - She is willing to do whatever it takes to heal and get her life back -

even if that means coming in for the rest of the year!

* Our first visit involves taking a detailed intake assessment.

In this assessment we take stock of all the potential causes of both good health, and poor health, including the common and potential causes of migraines. (The patient has already seen a team of neurologists, who have ruled out neurological causes).

* We gain a detailed understanding of the Cara's daily eating,

and moving habits; and the status of her health systems (from respiration/allergies, to sleep, to mood/mental/health, stress and stress-management, digestion/elimination, to name a few.

* We develop a lifestyle and treatment plan that includes gently increasing self-care activities, including: eating breakfast in the mornings and taking more time for gentle physical activity.

* We meet every 1-2 weeks, gradually increasing time between sessions.

* Within a few sessions already, her headaches go from 4 days/week of high intensity (rated 6/10 discomfort) to tension of much lower intensity (2/10, not associated with other symptoms, mostly mild).

* Cara notices that the tension creeps in later in the work week; but that it can be managed by taking time to stretch and move.

* Over time, the Cara's other aches lose their intensity as well. . . and conversations shift from healing (pain) to optimizing health!

* When the patient notices tension coming on, she is able to focus on her body, and to stop it before it appears!

* The tension never becomes a migraine anymore - she notices it early on, and applies the strategies we worked on to stop it at it’s root.

*She continues to grow in health through our regular conversations, though needs them less and less as she has developed the habits the service was designed to teach.

Cara is one of countless examples of those who have healed through our step-by-step approach!

*If you are suffering with a chronic condition, and/or feel stuck, consider working with a practitioner who can help you reconnect, to the information and habits that will help you to thrive!

If you experience any sort of chronic pain or discomfort, (whether physical, auto-immune, emotional, or other), or generally feel unable to thrive, we can help.

While Cara is a fictional name, her story is based on near-identical patient recoveries! (whose identities are protected by changing minor details of their history)

About me:

I have over 12+ years experience helping patients lead happier and healthier lives!

I spent over 10,000 hours designing and teaching nutrition, movement, and stress-reduction courses to adults and youth at non-profits and public institutions in phoenix, AZ.

I am a Washington and Oregon Medical-Board-Licensed Massage Therapist with a private practice in White Salmon.

I am completing my 8th (and last) year of training to become a Washington and Oregon Medical Board-Licensed Doctor of Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine (DACHM).

I specialize in mobility restoration, chronic pain resolution, and longevity, mostly for semi-retired to retired individuals. However, I have a wide array of experience treating all age groups, with a variety of life situations.

I have 12 years of experience learning and teaching Chinese longevity arts: Taichi and medical chigong. I share these exercises with patients as appropriate to help them become stronger, calmer, and more in tune with wisdom, and nature.

To request an appointment, go https://wushingwellness.com/healthcoaching

Or, call  (503)-243-1291.