Growing up, my older sister suffered from Migraine headaches. Every month, or sometimes more often, her mood got really nasty, she got sick, and had horrible head pain. Aside from the occasion missed day of school, these episodes often kept us from doing fun things together. I will never forget the trip to Arizona to see the Cubs in spring training, which ended during the third inning of the first game, or the Elton John concert, during which she sat hunched in a ball, wanting nothing more than to be in a dark, quiet room. As time went by, she was put on various drugs (this was well before my doctor days), tried in vain to figure out what triggered her migraines, and learned to cope with this pesky disease.

My sister is not alone. Millions suffer from migraine headaches and this debilitating disease remains a mystery to the medical community. The main to date is that migraines occur due to changes in the blood vessels in the area of the brain. Research and drug development focuses on controlling those changes in order to arrest the migraine once it has started. There are even natural supplements and herbs such as Feverfew, Butterbur, and Riboflavin which I have used for years to have the same effect of controlling those blood vessels. All of these medicines at as quick fixes. They temporarily suppress the symptoms of disease. They don't change the disease, they don't cure disease.

I have never been satisfied with this route. I want to prevent the migraine from happening again. Ever.

In my field of medicine, we believe that most disease states begin with or are complicated by some level of digestive dysfunction. If the body is not properly digesting and absorbing the nutrients it needs, and subsequently does not have all the essential building blocks at its disposal than some level of dysfunction will occur. This dysfunction may affect any system or organ within the body.

Digestive dysfunction can occur over time in nearly every one. Poor nutrition, injury, infection, and drugs can cause a breakdown of the intestinal lining, which is designed to absorb into the blood stream those nutrients which the body needs and just as importantly keep out those things the body cannot use. Because this function is absolutely critical within the body, even minimal digestive dysfunction may cause problems. When this lining is not in tact, your body is exposed to things it should not be. This can lead to a myriad of health effects, including the dilation or constriction of blood vessels in the brain.

Even conventional medicine recognizes that for some people certain foods can trigger a migraine. Trying to find and eliminate that food can be very difficult. And what about those of you who get migraines when the barometric pressure changes, or before your period, or any time your left toe bends backwards? How on earth do you avoid those things?

My answer is this: if you want to be migraine-free, and I mean try to eliminate them all together, not just stop them once they have started, you must address your digestive system. You must heal your intestinal lining and perfect your detoxification and elimination. When this occurs, your body will stop reacting to whatever stimulus it is that causes your migraine.

This sounds harder than it is to accomplish. Yes, it is best to change your diet, which in and of itself is hard. But there are some key nutrients needed to help the digestive tract heal. I use a product that is a hydrolyzed fish protein (sounds yummy, huh?) in combination with herbs to strengthen the functioning of the liver and kidney. Together, and with regular acupuncture, you can bring the functioning of your digestive system back in order and prevent the recurrence of migraines.

Dr. Eliza Klearman is a Naturopathic Doctor and Acupuncturist practicing in Eagle. For more information call 970-328-5678 or email Liza@DrKlearman.com.