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Ever felt that nagging neck tension morph into a full-blown migraine?
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You're not imagining this.
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Your neck might be the missing piece in your migraine puzzle.
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Migraine Heroes is a podcast for chronic migraine sufferers
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who've seen countless doctors with no results.
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Learn how to reduce your migraine attacks without endless medications or constant sacrifices.
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Hello, I'm Diane Ducarme.
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I've helped over 500 people break free from migraine,
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even after suffering for up to 60 years.
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My mission in life?
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To bring this relief to a million people
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using a unique blend of Eastern medicine and Western science.
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In this episode, you will learn how neck dysfunction can trigger migraines,
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why posture, stress, and nerve pathways
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might be the hidden culprits accentuating your migraines,
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and how to spot and attend the early warning signs of neck pain before the migraine hits.
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At the end of this podcast, I'll make you a gift.
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An unexpected and very, very special gift.
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So stay tuned till the end.
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Did you know that neck pain is actually more common during a migraine
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Research shows the relationship is a two-way relationship.
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Neck tension can trigger migraines and migraines can cause neck tension.
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It creates a vicious cycle that is hard to break.
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Now, let's take a moment to think about your neck from a Western anatomical point of view.
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It's not just there to hold up your head.
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It's actually a super busy part of your body.
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You've got bones, muscles, nerves, and blood vessels all working together.
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And here's the kicker.
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Your neck carries the main highways of blood and nerve signals going straight to your brain.
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When things get stuck or tight, it's no surprise your head feels it.
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And that's when migraines can sneak in.
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If we go even deeper on this topic, your vagus nerve also runs right through your neck.
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Imagine a big tree planting its roots around your heart, around your liver,
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around your stomach, around your small and large intestine.
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And those nerves and ramifications collect the hundred billion nerve cells of your body.
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They form larger roots along your spine, a trunk in your neck, and foliage, leaves in your brain.
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Your vagus nerve controls things like your heart rate.
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It's going to regulate your pain, regulate your mood, regulate your inflammation.
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And that is how sometimes a migraine can be felt like a full body experience.
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You might experience trembling sensations, cramps, spasms, numbness in the legs,
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numbness in the arms, all of that accompanying your actual head pain.
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And so that same vagus nerve goes through your neck.
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And that same vagus nerve is hidden inside all of your thorax and your brain,
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but it is exposed to the outside world in your neck.
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And therefore, that makes your neck very vulnerable.
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Now, I want you to think of your head for a moment like a bowling ball.
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That bowling ball weighs around 11 to 13 pounds or 5 to 6 kilos.
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When your posture is upright, it feels light and it feels right.
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But when you're going to lean forward over your phone
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to scroll through your Instagram feed or reply to emails,
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the bowling ball is going to start to feel like double or even triple its normal weight.
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Your neck muscles go into overdrive, setting the stage for tension, stiffness, and yes, migraines.
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If you've ever heard of cervicogenic headache,
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it's a secondary headache caused by problems directly in your neck.
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And that's what you might be having.
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And it's caused by things like joint dysfunction, disc issues, or muscle tightness.
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All of which we, in our work, we help correct.
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And a study in the journal Cephalgia in 2019 explains that degenerative changes
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like disc thinning or osteoarthritis, especially in women aged 40 to 60,
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can trigger chronic neck pain, which in turn can worsen migraines.
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And so that is the view from Western science.
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Now let's switch to the Eastern world.
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In traditional Chinese medicine, your neck is seen as a superhighway for Qi.
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Qi is your body's vital energy.
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And you have several meridians that are known to run through your neck,
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including the Dumai, which is called the governing vessel,
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which is going to influence the spine and the brain.
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The bladder meridian.
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Now the bladder is part of the kidney system.
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So think stress more, which is going to connect to your nervous system.
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And the gallbladder meridian.
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Now the gallbladder is part of the liver system.
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So think more detox and medication and overload of toxins leading to migraines.
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And so the gallbladder meridian is associated with the decision making and courage.
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And so when the Qi gets stuck, the pain is going to show up.
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So there's a saying in traditional Chinese medicine that when there is flow,
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And when there is pain, there is no flow.
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And traditional Chinese medicine is going to recognize several patterns of imbalance
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that are going to interrupt that flow.
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The first one really easy to understand is Qi and blood stagnation.
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If there's blocked energy, it's going to call dull, persistent pain,
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or sometimes, honestly, very, very sharp.
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Or for example, left temple, super sharp pain.
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It can also be called liver yang rising when there's too much energy
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rushing through your head, causing throbbing pain.
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Wind invasion, external factors like cold drafts, triggering sudden migraines.
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So this is where your neck is so sensitive.
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Now, despite their differences, both Eastern and Western systems
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agree on a few key points.
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Number one, your neck matters.
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It's a critical player in migraine management.
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Number two, circulation and nerve function are non-negligible for head health.
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And number three, stress, posture, and sleep play massive roles in migraine triggers.
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When you blend both worlds, you get a holistic strategy that is twice as powerful.
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Now, what can you do about it concretely?
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From a Western perspective, you can start by checking your workspace.
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You can make sure that your screen is at eye level and that your posture is supported.
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You can incorporate neck stretches, especially if you sit a lot.
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I want to share that quick experience.
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I was recording a podcast with Samantha.
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And after the podcast, Samantha said, oh, I can feel, you know,
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because of the stress and the preparation, I have a bit of tension in my neck.
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And she did a few yoga postures to avoid her next attack, which completely, completely worked.
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I mean, obviously, her body was really reset.
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But it was beautiful to see her do that in action,
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how she would manage it and prevent it as she felt it coming.
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And number three, still on the Western side, explore vagus nerve stimulation
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through breathing exercises or some devices that have been approved and tested.
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In traditional Chinese medicine, you can do self-massage.
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So tracing along the gallbladder meridian on the sides of your neck,
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you can use gua sha, try gentle scraping to release tension.
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And you can keep your neck warm and avoid cold air drafts,
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especially in winter weather.
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So wearing a scarf.
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So neck is so much more than just a thing or holding up your head.
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It's a key player in your migraine story.
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And now you know why.
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Now, I want to go back to my gift.
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If you're listening to this, you're trying really,
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really hard and doing the best every single day to solve for your migraines.
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And neck tension migraines are incredibly complex.
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So I'd like to offer you, free of charge, a 90 minutes migraine assessment.
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Nine zero. An hour and a half with either me or Dulce.
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And Dulce is one of our former chronic migraine sufferers herself
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and a trauma expert who decided to join us.
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And in that conversation, what we're going to do is we're going to link
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all of your symptoms and your migraines and explain to you the root cause
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of your migraines on top of your genetics.
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So today we are the 12th of May, 2025.
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And that link will be available in the show notes for two weeks.
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Migraine sufferers love that call.
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They finally have answers.
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And we love that call too.
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I love that call too.
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I've done probably 600 by now.
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We are keen to help a million people get out of their migraines.
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And so that might be you today.
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If you feel like you've missed the deadline, check from time to time.
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I might pop that link back in the show notes.
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And remember, every small step you take moves you closer to freedom.
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You are resilient.
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And you're never alone.
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Found this episode helpful?
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Hit subscribe so you never miss an episode with the powerful insights
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and practical tips for real migraine relief.
