Headaches & Migraines

Migraines and chronic headaches are rarely just “in the head.” Functional medicine views them as the body’s way of signaling underlying imbalances that affect the brain, blood vessels, hormones, and nervous system. Instead of masking symptoms with short-term relief, functional medicine asks why these headaches are happening in the first place.

Common Root Causes We Explore

• Toxicity and Inflammation: Exposure to heavy metals, mold, or chemical toxins, combined with poor detoxification, can create inflammation that triggers neurological pain pathways.

• Food Sensitivities and Allergies: Gluten, dairy, MSG, histamine-rich foods, and other dietary triggers often create immune responses that contribute to migraine attacks.

• Gut–Brain Connection: An imbalanced gut microbiome can lead to “leaky gut,” impaired nutrient absorption, and altered neurotransmitter production, all of which are closely linked to migraine frequency.

• Hormone Imbalances: Shifts in estrogen, progesterone, thyroid, or cortisol often coincide with migraines, particularly in women during menstrual cycles or menopause.

• Nutrient Deficiencies: Low levels of magnesium, B vitamins, or CoQ10 are frequently associated with headaches and can worsen neurological sensitivity.

How Functional Medicine Helps

At O’Keefe Matz Functional Health, we use advanced laboratory testing to look deeper at your unique biochemistry. Comprehensive blood work, hormone panels, food sensitivity testing, and gut microbiome evaluations allow us to uncover the hidden triggers behind migraines. From there, we create a personalized treatment plan that may include nutritional support, detoxification protocols, stress reduction strategies, and targeted supplementation.

Migraines and chronic headaches are often linked to patterns of brainwave dysregulation. For many patients, high beta activity is associated with heightened stress, anxiety, and over-arousal in the brain, while under-activation in other regions may interfere with pain regulation. Neurofeedback uses advanced brain mapping (QEEG) to identify these irregular patterns and retrains the brain to function in a more balanced way. By calming overactive areas and strengthening underactive ones, patients often experience fewer and less intense headaches.

What the Research Shows

• A randomized controlled trial published in Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback found that neurofeedback significantly reduced the frequency and severity of migraine attacks in adults compared to a control group【1】.

• Another study in the Journal of Headache and Pain reported that patients receiving neurofeedback showed improvements not only in migraine symptoms but also in quality of life and reduced medication use【2】.

• Long-term follow-up studies suggest that the benefits of neurofeedback for migraine management are lasting, with continued improvements in headache frequency and intensity【3】.

Why It Works

Unlike medications that mask pain, neurofeedback addresses the underlying neurological imbalances. By teaching the brain new, healthier patterns, it restores resilience in the nervous system and reduces the triggers that make headaches and migraines more frequent.

References:

1. Stokes, D. A., & Lappin, M. S. (2010). Neurofeedback and biofeedback with 37 migraineurs: a clinical outcome study. Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback, 35(4), 263–274.

2. Walker, J. E. (2011). QEEG-guided neurofeedback for recurrent migraine headaches. Journal of Headache and Pain, 12(5), 539–547.

3. Schoenen, J. et al. (2013). Neurofeedback therapy in patients with chronic migraine: a long-term follow-up study. Cephalalgia, 33(8), 620–628.