Unlocking Relief: A Comprehensive Guide to Mixed Tension Migraine Causes, Symptoms, and Effective Management Strategies

Mixed tension migraines fall in the middle of the headache spectrum since they display symptoms of both migraine and tension headaches. Scientists believe that the migraine comes first, causing tension that then triggers a tension headache.

Fortunately, most people can manage this type of headache by medication and avoiding things that usually trigger headaches.

How do I know that I have mixed tension migraine?

Mixed tension migraines are headaches that have a mix of symptoms from tension headaches and migraines. These symptoms can differ from person to person, meaning you might experience more migraine-like symptoms or more tension headache-like symptoms.

The pain from a mixed tension migraine can range from a dull ache to a throbbing sensation, and it can be mild to severe. These migraines typically last anywhere from 4 to 72 hours.

Signs of a mixed tension migraine include:

• Head pain on one or both sides that may worsen with activity
• Feeling nauseous or vomiting
• Sensitivity to light, sound, or both
• Neck pain
• Fatigue
• Irritability
• Depression
• Numbness, tingling, or weakness in your arms or legs

Diagnosing a mixed tension migraine

There’s no specific test to diagnose mixed tension migraines. Your doctor will determine it by discussing your symptoms and ruling out other possible causes.

To understand what’s going on, your doctor will ask about your health history, questioning where you feel pain, what it feels like, and how often it happens. They might also ask about your family’s history with headaches, as there’s often a genetic connection.

Your doctor may do a simple neurological exam to ensure no nerve or brain-related issues. They’ll check your reflexes, muscle tone, and how you respond to sensations like touch, temperature, and vibration.

Sometimes, your doctor might suggest a CT or MRI scan to get a detailed image of your brain and rule out any problems there. Blood work could also be done to check for underlying conditions causing headaches.

If there’s concern about more serious issues like bacterial meningitis or hemorrhage, a lumbar puncture (spinal tap) might be recommended. This involves collecting fluid from your spine and analyzing it for any signs of problems.

Conventional treatment options for mixed tension migraine

Treating mixed tension migraines involves addressing both tension headaches and migraines. The choice of treatment depends on your specific symptoms.

1. Medications:

• Triptans: Narrow blood vessels and relieve migraine pain.
• Analgesics: Alleviate pain in less severe migraines and tension headaches, including drugs like acetaminophen (Tylenol).
• Combination analgesics: Include caffeine to ease pain from both migraines and tension headaches.
• Ergot derivative drugs: Reduce pain signals along nerves.
• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs): Reduce pain and inflammation, such as ibuprofen (Advil) and aspirin (Bufferin), which also act as analgesics.
• Anti-nausea drugs: Relieve nausea and vomiting associated with mixed tension migraines.

2. Preventive Medications:

• Beta-blockers: Originally designed for high blood pressure, can also prevent migraines.
• Calcium channel blockers: Maintain consistent blood vessel size and promote good blood flow.
• Antidepressants: Influence neurotransmitters in the brain and can prevent headaches.

3. Nutrition and Complementary Therapy:

• By increasing intake, address magnesium and vitamin B2 deficiencies, which are common in people with migraines.
• Maintain regular eating habits, stay hydrated, exercise regularly, and ensure sufficient sleep.
• Consider relaxation techniques, meditation, massage, physical therapy, and applying moist heat to the back of your neck for relief.

4. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Biofeedback:

• CBT helps identify stress-inducing thoughts and teaches ways to change them, reducing stress.
• Biofeedback employs special equipment to monitor and control responses to stress, especially muscle tension.

Does upper cervical chiropractic treat mixed tension migraine?

Upper cervical chiropractic care is a specialized branch of chiropractic that focuses on the upper part of the spine, particularly the atlas (C1) and axis (C2) vertebrae.

In upper cervical chiropractic, adjustments to the upper cervical spine can correct misalignments, known as subluxations, and restore proper nerve function. Such adjustments positively impact the nervous system, reducing interference and promoting overall health, including relief from migraines.

How to prevent mixed tension migraine

Even though we don’t fully understand why migraines happen, we do know that certain things can set them off. By avoiding these triggers, you can reduce the chances of getting mixed tension migraines.

One way to identify your triggers is to keep a headache log. Note down when you get headaches, what you ate or drank, and your surroundings before the headache started. This log can help you figure out what might be causing your headaches.

Common triggers for headaches include:

• Drinking alcohol, especially beer and red wine
• Being exposed to bright or flashing lights
• Skipping meals
• Smelling certain odors
• Eating certain foods or food additives like nitrates
• Not getting enough sleep or getting too much sleep
• Menstruation and other hormonal changes
• Using or stopping certain medications

Disclaimer:

Dr. Berner does not diagnose, treat, or prevent any medical diseases or conditions; instead, he analyzes and corrects the structure of his patients with Foundational Corrections to improve their overall quality of life. He works with their physicians, who regulate their medications. This blog post is not designed to provide medical advice, professional diagnosis, opinion, treatment, or services to you or any other individual. The information provided in this post or through linkages to other sites is not a substitute for medical or professional care. You should not use the information in place of a visit, consultation, or the advice of your physician or another healthcare provider. Foundation Chiropractic and Dr. Brett Berner are not liable or responsible for any advice, the course of treatment, diagnosis, or any other information, services, or products you obtain through this article or others.