Hey Migraine Mentees 👋 

Today’s newsletter takes another 5 minutes to read—so if you’ve only got 60 seconds, here’s what you need to know:

• Signals from the upper cervical spine converge with Trigeminal pathways, which is why neck pain can amplify head pain and migraines…

• Spotting neck-to-head patterns and early warnings can often precede an attack…

• Current studies suggest therapies focused on neck proprioception and motor-control can work well for migraine care…

• There are clinically-backed exercises and strategies you can use to diagnose, test, and treat head-neck issues to reduce episode frequency and intensity…

• We will also share a standardized “treatment plan” to try and help you retrain your system…

🔳 Understanding how to put together all the sides of the Rubik’s Cube inherently allows you to put the entire puzzle together and uncover answers that often seem overlooked…

🤘 This week’s newsletter dives deeper into the intimate relationship between your head, neck, and neurological pathways involved in migraine.

🧠 The Migraine Mentors

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👉️ In This Week’s Edition…

• 🥡 Weekly Take-Out

  • Meme of The Week - ⭕️ Holiday Greetings & Triggers…

• ❤️‍🩹 This Week’s Sponsor

  • AG1 - 💪 It’s Immune Boosting Season…

• 🔈️ The Migraine Mentors Minicast - Podcast Series

  • How Neck Pain Influences Migraine Attacks

• 📜 Read This Now!

  • What Does The Neck Have To Do With Migraine?

• 🍴 Migraine-Friendly Recipe of the Week

  • Homemade Turkey Meatballs with Olive Oil & Herbs

🥡 WEEKLY TAKE-OUT

🚦 Meme of The Week

🗞️ MIGRAINE MINICAST

🎧 How Neck Pain Influences Migraine Attacks

Neck pain and tightness before or during an attack isn’t “just there” because it wants to be…

It’s often a sign that the neck and head share a central signaling hub, as cervical inputs can amplify head pain… And head pain can alter cervical inputs.

🧠 In this week’s Migraine Mentors Minicast, we cover:

• How upper-neck signals and the Trigeminal nerve system impact each other…

• Recognizing the patterns of pain that lead to migraine attacks…

• The evidence for proprioceptive and cervical-spine exercises to treat migraine…

• Research-based therapies to try and prevent episodes…

• A personalized approach to finding answers and successfully rehabilitating the brain to prevent migraine attacks…

If your migraine attacks are often accompanies by a painful, stiff, and sore neck, this episode will give you the education and a step-by-step way to test the head-neck-brain connection without overhauling your routine or flaring up symptoms.

🎧 Tune in to learn how small, tailored therapies and treatments to the neck can raise your migraine threshold and improve outcomes.

👇 Tap below to listen now! 👇

📜 TOP ARTICLE

⚡️ What Does The Neck Have To Do With Migraine?

Neck pain often shows up during migraine attacks…

But how does it impact migraine attacks? And does neck pain before a migraine attack make you more prone for migraine attacks?

Great questions!

We did the research so you don’t have to…

🧠 How The Neck Can Trigger Head Pain

Inputs from the upper cervical spine and Trigeminal system of the face converge in the Trigeminocervical Complex (TCC), providing a clear neural pathway for neck-driven head pain.

This is a fundamental and repeatedly described mechanism in head pain, headache, and migraine neuroscience… So it makes complete sense that neck pain can be a trigger for migraine attacks, and migraine attacks can inherently trigger neck pain.

🪦 What’s Actually Going On?

People with persistent neck pain commonly show cervical proprioception (awareness) deficits and sensorimotor control changes (e.g., errors in judging position, spinal tone, balance issues, etc.).

In migraine, cervical impairments are reported in many subsets, but findings can be mixed and not always universal… Which means that it could be really important for some, but not others.

A 2023 study on the measurement properties of Joint Position Error (JPE) testing confirms its has both reliability and clinical utility for neck proprioception evaluation.

Click HERE if you want to see what this test looks like…

🪜 Does Neck Training Help?

RCTs and meta-analyses show manual therapy + sensorimotor re-training can reduce pain, dizziness, and improve function in those struggling with cervigoenic dizziness and associated headaches…

For migraines, evidence-based guidelines suggest neck resistance and sensorimotor-control exercises for improving migraine frequency/intensity, although they state that a multitude of therapeutic approaches may be needed for each individual case.

🧰 Basic Therapies To Try (Under Medical Supervision 🥼 )

1. Laser/Pointer Head Repositioning

   • From neutral, perform small rotations with your eyes closed; return to target (5–8 reps each side) with your eyes closed. Open once you think you hit the target.

     • Goal: Smoother, slower, symptom-free motion over time…

2. Seated Gaze Stability + Gentle Neck Turns

   • Fix eyes on a dot on the wall; turn head within comfort (20-30 degrees), for 3 head rotations. Perform 3-5x per set, at 3 sets per day.

     • Goal: Improving visual tension and active ROM of neck…

3. Deep Neck Flexor “Nods”

   • Supine, tiny chin nods (no lifting) of retraction/protraction. Perform 5–10 reps of 5-second holds.

     • Goal: Improved neck stability and tone…

4. Postural Micro-breaks

   • Every 30–60 minutes, stand up, do two slow shoulder rolls, and 10 slow diaphragmatic breaths.

     • Goal: Restore proper posture & spinal alignment…

🛟 Safety Precautions to Consider

You should never do any new therapy or exercise program without first consulting your medical doctor or primary healthcare provider.

Stop any and all of these exercises if you get worsening dizziness, double vision, limb numbness/weakness, or severe escalating pain… And seek medical care immediately.

🩺 Now You Know Better… So Let’s Do Better!

And now you know why the neck is such an important piece of the puzzle for treating migraine attacks…

If you’re still looking for answers, the neck and cervical spine might be just the place to start your new journey of exploration.

We’re here to support you along the way!

🧠 The Migraine Mentors

🍴MIGRAINE-FRIENDLY RECIPE

🦃 Homemade Turkey Meatballs with Olive Oil & Herbs

✅ Ingredients (serves 2–3)

• 1 lb ground turkey (freshly purchased — not frozen or pre-cooked)

• 1 tbsp olive oil (plus a little more for cooking)

• 1 tsp sea salt

• 1 tsp dried basil or oregano

• ½ tsp garlic powder (optional — skip if sensitive)

• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

• 1 small zucchini or carrot, grated (for moisture)

📖 Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).

2. In a bowl, mix turkey, olive oil, herbs, salt, and grated vegetable until just combined.

   • Avoid over mixing — it can make the meatballs dense.

3. Roll into 1-inch balls and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

4. Bake for 15–20 minutes, until cooked through (internal temp 165°F / 74°C).

5. Drizzle lightly with olive oil before serving for extra flavor and moisture.

6. Eat right away or refrigerate for up to 24 hours (histamine levels rise with longer storage).

🧠Why It’s Migraine & Histamine Friendly

• Fresh turkey is a clean protein source that’s naturally low in histamine — especially when cooked and eaten the same day. Unlike aged or processed meats (like ham or bacon), it doesn’t contain high levels of histamine or tyramine, both common migraine triggers.

• Olive oil provides gentle, anti-inflammatory fats that support brain and nerve health without the triggering compounds found in processed oils or butter.

• Herbs like basil and parsley add flavor without additives, MSG, or aged seasonings. They’re fresh, light, and well-tolerated.

• No gluten, dairy, or aged ingredients — all of which can worsen inflammation or contribute to histamine buildup.

• Gentle on digestion — avoiding spicy, acidic, or fermented flavors that can trigger nausea or headaches in sensitive individuals.