Recently a new client came in to see me – let’s call her Karri. Like a lot of people who come see us for help, Karri was suffering from chronic headaches and migraines…  Or what she called “the unrelenting monster in her head.”

When I asked Karri to describe her headache, this is how she put it:

“Have you ever seen those old-timey pictures of men working on the railroad? You know those big hammers they use to drive those long spikes into the track? My head feels like the track.”

Whether you can relate to Karri’s description or not, odds are you deal with some variation of the brain-throbbing, energy zapping condition known as ‘headache.’

More than 50% of us suffer from headaches at least once per month, while 9% of the Canadian adult population are diagnosed with the most debilitating form – migraine headaches. For anyone counting – that’s almost 3 million people…

Having suffered from a grand total of 3 migraines in my life (the time, place and experience firmly etched into my brain), I have no idea how people deal with monthly, let alone weekly or daily headaches…

However, the most disturbing trend I’ve seen in my career is how much we normalize headaches… I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve heard something like:

“…well I get headaches now and then, but that’s normal, right?”

In fact, a headache is considered by the world health organization to be the most common disorder of the nervous system and this is probably why people think of headaches as normal. BUT when it comes to your health, there’s a big difference between ‘common’ and ‘normal.’

If you’ve made this mistake in thinking, I totally get it. It’s easy to do. But – and this is a big BUT – Getting pain in your head is NOT a normal, natural part of the human experience.

Every single time you have a headache or migraine, it’s a signal that something’s not right in your body.

The Pain Is Not The Problem

I know this may come as a shock to you, but the truth is your headache is not THE problem. Sure, its A MAJOR problem that you want to go away… and although I understand the short term, ‘band-aid’ benefit of reaching for the Advil bottle, its fair to say your headache is not caused by a lack of ibuprofen in your body.

In fact, the best way to think of your headache is a secondary effect of a core problem in your body.

Take a hangover: I was at a wedding recently and apparently had too much to drink (I’m a total lightweight…). I woke up the next day feeling pretty terrible, including a throbbing headache.

In this case, It’s obvious what the core problem is – I ingested too much of a toxic substance (alcohol) that caused a change to my brain physiology (dehydration) and this change was serious enough to cause my nerve system to set off some alarm bells (headache) to let me know there’s a problem.

To deal with the headache I had 2 options: block the signals by introducing another chemical (advil) or address the underlying, core problem (drink lots of water, eat some nutrient dense food, have a nap etc.)

I realize that for a lot of you, the root problem is not so obvious… however, this doesn’t make the principle any less true. Imagine if, instead of simply searching for a solution to managing your headaches, you were able to resolve the core problem?

Primary Causes Of Headaches & Migraines You Probably Haven’t Thought About

If you suffer from regular headaches or migraines, you’ve probably already spent countless hours researching all the possible triggers and trying to figure out what drives your headaches. Is it due to muscle tension? Hormones out of whack? Stress? Environmental sensitivities? Sinus issues?

The confusing part is that some of these ‘triggers’ are not the primary problem but in fact secondary issues themselves…

To help you uncover the core problem(s) that are underlying your headaches we’ve created together “The Migraine Solution” – a FREE downloadable resource to help you understand the 7 most common core problems that cause headaches and migraines including 5 things you can do right now to find a solution once and for all.

Click below to download it now.

These are 5 strategies that I think a lot of people overlook, and unlike other methods of managing your headaches, addressing these core problems will dramatically improve your health overall.

Dr. John MacPhee is a Chiropractor, speaker and passionate health and wellness expert. He has inspired thousands of people to take control of their own health using the Life By Design method. Dr. John is co-owner of The Wellness Group, the largest Life By Design Certified Chiropractic office in Canada. Apart from full-time practice, John maintains a busy speaking schedule, with a particular emphasis on improving productivity and focus at work. Otherwise, you can find John training hard at CrossFit 613, exploring Gatineau Park, or holed away studying the latest research at various cafes across the west end.