One thing we can all agree on is that migraines are extremely painful and debilitating. Perhaps another thing that at least healthcare providers can agree on is that migraines involve the excessive firing of neurons, vasodilitation and inflammation in the brain. Because so many "triggers" cause neurons to fire excessively, pinpointing an "exact cause" has eluded the scientific and medical profession for years and continues to do so.

The most popular migraine medications, the "triptans" work by constricting distended blood vessels in the brain but also to the heart - a potentially dangerous side-effect. Other devastating side effects of these powerful triptans may yet to be fully appreciated or disclosed.

The most likely scenario for the etiology of a migraine is this: A migraneur's protective barriers (intestinal and blood-brain in particular) are compromised by years of abuse to these barriers from such things as oxidized fats and fiberless sugars in the diet; bacterial, viral and fungal overgrowth; and heavy metal and pesticide toxicity. Unable to do their job of protecting the migraneur's body and brain from "foreign proteins" (monosodium glutamate, undigested proteins, hormones not broken down properly [like adrenaline or estrogen], bacteria, viruses and fungi and more) these "foreign proteins" become the "triggers" so painfully known by migraneurs. When the excessive foreign proteins bombard the brain they act as "excitotoxins", acting as neurotransmitters to open calcium channels on the cells of the brain, causing them to become "stuck open". Calcium pours into the cell in large quantity, and arachidonic acid (an inflammatory fatty acid) pours out. Migraines are a neurological condition , not just a "headache".

Some migraneurs get a migraine from inhaling strong smells, like perfume. 95% of the chemicals used in fragrances are petroleum-based synthetic compounds like acetone, which, when inhaled can cause central nervous system disturbances. and a migraine.

At Dr. Steenblock's Clinic we counsel a migraineur to consume a pure, whole (no fiberless sugars) diet, untainted by the some 40+ sources of MSG commonly put in all prepared and packaged foods - including those that say "no MSG" on the label because the FDA will allow sources of MSG to be put into a food without the manufacturer needing to list it! In addition, the goal is to heal the gastrointestinal tract, heal the blood brain barrier and the brain itself from damage caused by inflammation and neurons behaving badly. We do this with proper diet, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, heavy metal chelation, nutritional supplements, nutritional intravenous therapies as well as other therapies and recommendations tailored to your specific needs.