My 18-year-old daughter has suffered from severe headaches for several years. Extensive tests (at Guys Hospital in London) have revealed no physiological problem. She has a clean bill of mental health with no psychological difficulties (checked at the same place). A herbalist in the Middle East, where we now live, indicated that there was a hormone imbalance and zinc and magnesium deficiency. Does this sound logical? Can this be reversed by any known herbal remedies? Conventional medicine has said it cannot help us -- is there an alternative?

A.

Chronic daily headaches can be very debilitating. It's good to know that your daughter isn't suffering from any serious problem such as a brain tumors. However, just because the tests were all normal doesn't mean there is no problem. There are a number of things that can contribute to headaches. Food or environmental allergies, stress, muscle tension, poor vision, sinus or teeth infections, temporomandibular joint problems, cervical vertebrae misalignment, teeth grinding at night and hormonal imbalances may be reasons for chronic headaches.

Identifying and removing allergies is often very helpful especially for migraine type headaches. Chiropractic or osteopathic manipulation, massage therapy and stress reduction techniques are all very helpful for headaches due to musculoskeletal problems. One interesting study in kids age 10-15 showed that 69% had significant improvement in their headaches after only 6 weeks of relaxation training. A dentist can evaluate and treat dental problems, teeth grinding and temporomandibular joint dysfunction. There is some recent work on the use of injected magnesium in the treatment of chronic headaches. Another supplement found to be helpful in chronic headache is 5-hydroxy-tryptophan. For migraine headaches, the herbs feverfew or ginger are effective for many people to reduce the number and frequency of headaches. Acupuncture, biofeedback and guided imagery are helpful for some people. Hormonal imbalance can be treated with diet and herbal and nutritional supplements.

Interestingly, several studies have shown that up to 70% of people with chronic daily headaches actually had headaches caused by the pain-killers they were taking. Discontinuing the aspirin or acetominophen resulted in improvement in 81% after 2 months.

I would suggest that you consult with a chiropractor, an osteopathic physician who does manipulation, a naturopathic physician or a medical doctor trained in alternative therapies to help you determine the cause of your daughter's headaches and guide you in the proper treatment.

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