Metabolic Migraine Triggers

Like an Overflowing cup, when your triggers exceed your neurological threshold, you will have a migraine

Overflowing Cup

Our approach to helping you overcome your chronic migraine headaches is to normalize your metabolic health and reduce nutritional migraine triggers while raising your neurological threshold to migraines via specific and individualized Functional Neurologic Care.

There are many triggers to migraine. Some are somewhat out of your control such as stress at work or changes in weather or barometric pressure.

We address those factors that can be controlled to reduce your overall migraine trigger load. We improve your state of metabolic health and reduce your migraine triggers by using the latest advances in drug free Functional Medicine to support healthy brain function.

We analyze the following to determine what may be triggering your migraines:

  • Your Adrenal Stress Hormones (cortisol)
  • Your Levels of Immune Based Brain and Body Inflammation
  • Food Sensitivities that Cause Inflammation
  • Specific foods that affect your blood vessel function and trigger migraine
  • Abnormal or autoimmune thyroid patterns
  • Intestinal permeability or leaky gut that may be causing systemic inflammation
  • Gut infections such as yeast or parasites
  • Abnormal Balance of Female Hormones such as Estrogen and Progesterone



Functional Medicine For Healthy Brain DevelopmentThere are specific dietary recommendations and nutritional compounds that can reduce brain inflammation and make a better environment for brain function. We combine these evidence-based, drug-free dietary recommendations and nutritional supplements with our specific brain therapies to achieve maximal benefit for our migraine patients.

We base a patient’s specific nutritional needs on their preliminary lab results. The following are some of the lab tests we may run to determine the best nutritional approach each individual patient will need:


Preliminary Lab Testing

The effects migraine can be compounded by the person's metabolic health.

  • A Complete Metabolic Panel (CMP)
  • A Lipid and Thyroid Panel
  • A CBC (Complete Blood Chemistry with Auto Differential)
  • Vitamin and Mineral Testing (Vit D, B12, Calcium, phosphorus etc)
  • Inflammation Testing: We test for Inflammation in your system by testing Homocysteine Levels and C - reactive protein (CRP).
  • Iron and Ferritin Testing For Anemia

We can assess your thyroid, adrenal, immune, blood and gut function. All can be affecting your brain health. By addressing any problems with your thyroid, adrenal glands, immune system, blood chemistry or gut function, we can help your nervous system to function more properly. The complete metabolic panel allows us to check your blood glucose levels since glucose and oxygen are needed by the brain to function properly.


Special Lab Panels and Testing

Intestinal Wall Micro CloseupYour preliminary blood testing will let us know if any of the special testing listed below will be necessary in helping you recover from your migraines.

  • Cyrex array 2-Intestinal permeability (Leaky gut testing)
    Many migraine patients, especially those with an auto-immune issues have a microscopic breakdown of their intestinal wall known as intestinal permeability. This breakdown, called leaky gut, will cause the small intestines and colon to become inflamed as well as allow the brain to maintain its inflamed state. An inflamed gut will cause an inflamed brain. A leaky gut is also associated with driving a hypersensitive immune system that can create brain inflammation triggering migraine. The Cyrex labs specialized immune testing for intestinal permeability will determine if you have leaky gut and if so, what specific type. There are 3 types of leaky gut, each have a specific treatment approach.


The Gut-Brain Connection

The Gut-Brain Connection:
The gastrointestinal system is known as the "Second Brain" and has just as many neurons as the brain itself. Our 2 brains- the one in our head and the one in our bowel- must cooperate. When they do not, then there is chaos in the gut and misery in the head-everything from "butterflies' to cramps, from diarrhea to constipation.

Michael D. Gershon, MD author of "The Second Brain"

  • Cyrex array 3- Advanced gluten sensitivity testing
    Migraine sufferers that are also gluten sensitive may have excess gut and brain inflammation from gluten sensitivity. Food sensitivities can drive inflammation triggering migraine.
  • Cyrex array 4-Food sensitivity and cross reactive food testing:
    Migraine sufferers may also be sensitive to multiple foods beyond gluten. This test will pinpoint what foods are causing excess gut and brain inflammation. (See CYREX Gut Brain Immune video tab on website)
  • Stool Microbial Ecology testing
    for intestinal bacteria, yeast, parasites and dysbiosis. Eliminating intestinal inflammation will help to reduce overall body and brain inflammation.
  • Adrenal Stress Index (ASI)
    We can further test your adrenal glands with a test called an Adrenal Stress Index. Your adrenal glands are your “stress” organs, meaning that they react to stress. If you have been or are currently under stress, this test is a must! When your body’s cortisol levels are abnormal, it is a sign that your body’s sympathetic nervous system is over-firing. Abnormal cortisol levels can be corrected via specific neurologic and nutritional protocols.

Note: Not all of the special tests are necessary for every vertigo patient. Each patient will have specific recommendations for special tests based on their initial exam findings, preliminary blood work findings and their unique set of health complaints. Preliminary blood testing will help determine if any of the special lab panels explained above will be necessary for you.


Specific Nutritional Protocols

These specific nutritional protocols are based on your neurological testing, your blood work findings and your special lab panels. Our goal is to provide the brain with the best metabolic environment to support and obtain the best results from our neurological care. These protocols are designed specifically for you and may include any of the following:

  • Anti-inflammatory diet
  • Specific diet and supplement protocols to decrease brain and gut inflammation.
  • Liver detoxification
  • Specific diet and supplement protocols to decrease brain and gut inflammation and decrease chronic pain
  • Non-drug protocols for high blood sugars, diabetes, hypoglycemia and high cholesterol
  • Natural protocols for hypothyroidism
  • Nutritional protocols for abnormal adrenal (stress gland) function
  • Specific diet and supplement protocols for autoimmunity
  • Food sensitivity diet recommendations

Migraine trigger elimination diets: Many foods have been identified as migraine triggers. These foods seem to have a negative effect on the brain and its vessels. We will guide you through identifying which foods you should avoid.

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797 East Lancaster Ave., Suite 7 Downingtown, Pa. 19335 | 610-518-3370