Tag: root cause medicine

Linden & Arc Vitality Institute is a place for transformation, learning, growing, and change! We are a sanctuary where souls align, minds unpack, vitality emerges, and science rules. We refuse to settle for the status quo instead, we push for what is right and what is effective when it comes to your health.

 

Named after the healing powers of the Linden tree, our Functional Medicine Practice is ready to help you:

 

RECLAIM your health,

OVERCOME your pain,

CELEBRATE your body,

& EMBRACE your wellness.

 

At Linden & Arc we are continuously learning and adapting to gain greater insight into the mind, body, and spirit connection. Dr. Murfin and her team treat patients with a root cause philosophy. When paired with our patient centered care, individuals are given the ability to achieve the highest level of health and well-being. 

 

Meet Your Physician

 

Dr. Lynne Murfin

Founder, Medical Director, Physician

MBChB LMCC CCFP ABAARM FAARM IFMCP

Linden & Arc Arc Vitality Institute's Founder Dr. Lynne Murfin

“Passionate science coupled with transformative care has always been my driver. There is nothing more fulfilling than being able to change the arc of a patient’s life.” – Dr. Lynne Murfin

 

Dr. Lynne Murfin has gained strength, and deep understanding, and built a vast knowledge of Functional Medicine over 34 years of practice. She has found great success achieving healing results in her practice at Lynne Murfin MD, renamed as Linden & Arc Vitality Institute in 2021.

 

Dr. Murfin talks often of how moments in our lives may be defining ones. For examples, the damp, musty basement you used to live in, that spider bite years ago, or eating certain seafood on that Caribbean cruise could be the reason for the downward spiral in a patients health. Over years, these events can manifest as fatigue, chronic pain, and other deliberating symptoms. These symptoms can be remedied with relatively straightforward interventions.

 

The knowledge that the body is a biological system, and everything is connected, is how we transform Medicine from treating symptoms to uncovering and treating the root causes. Often, it’s the system interface of Gut-Brain-Immune needing review. Something as simple as an undetected food allergy can create havoc in the permeability of the gut lining with immune system upregulation in the gut.  This eventually culminates in blood brain barrier permeability with constipation and bloating. It is then accompanied by brain fog, memory loss and headache. This too can be addressed and healed.

 

The same symptoms often have different root causes and so treatment cannot be one size fits all.  For example, if you have a headache there are multiple possible root causes such as nutrient depletion (e.g. low magnesium and low coenzyme Q10) or possible gut symptoms. Taking Tylenol or Advil is a bandaid for the larger issues rather than addressing the root cause. Dr. Murfin can help you get down to the root cause of your issues.

 

Dr. Murfin and her team are here to help those who are tired of battling persistent health challenges while struggling to get the medical support and treatment they need. Dr. Murfin believes that everyone deserves the highest level of well-being and will stop at nothing to heal her patients.

 

Contact Linden & Arc Vitality Institute

 

At Linden & Arc Vitality Institute we are here to break the cycle of unnecessary suffering with pro-active treatments that will improve your quality of life.  It is time you found freedom from pain, fatigue, memory loss, illness, and depression! Our Calgary, Alberta-based clinic offers Functional Medicine Physician Services, Health Coaching, and Massage Therapy. If you are struggling with persistent health challenges contact us HERE and we will guide you through what Linden & Arc Vitality Institute has to offer you.

Functional Medicine is a nebulous and ill-defined term these days. There are so many different practitioners touting themselves as “Functional Medicine practitioners.” They are providing such a variety of care that it can be difficult for one to discern what the practice is comprised of. Here at Linden & Arc Vitality Institute, Dr. Murfin is a trained MD who has received dedicated Functional Medicine training beyond innumerable years of medical training.

 

From our perspective, we see Functional Medicine as a patient-centered, holistic approach to health care. It aims to treat a patient’s entire being by balancing their mind, body, and spirit. Our bodies are comprised of numerous incredibly complicated interconnected systems that impact one another. Functional Medicine addresses each system in concert to achieve and maintain optimal health. Given current evidence and understanding, we aim to strike as close to the heart of an issue as possible, rather than just continually masking symptoms.

 

Functional Medicine  clinics  provide integrated care based on assessments of your body’s key biological functions, social circumstances, and evidence-based treatments. With precision testing and individualized programming, extraordinary things begin to happen to your mind, body, and spirit. This is your first step toward a happier, healthier, more vigorous you.

 

Linden & Arc Vitality Institute’s Approach to Functional Medicine:

 

At Linden & Arc Vitality Institute, our emphasis is on you as a whole being! By peeling back the layers of your health, we can expose the root cause of your health issues so that we can help you break the cycle of suffering.

 

During your first appointment, we will generate a timeline of your life. This will incorporate your family and health history and any significant events in your life. We focus on antecedents (e.g., genetics), triggers (e.g., stressful events) and mediators (e.g., ongoing perpetuating factors, such as environmental toxins) to determine the patterns and causes of your health challenges.

 

We approach Functional Medicine using the 7 Core Nodes of Healing:

 

  1. Gut Health
  2. Brain Power & Mood
  3. Hormones
  4. Detoxification
  5. Heart Health
  6. Immune Function
  7. Energy Production

 

Health problems generally comprise all seven nodes; thus, we address each node as appropriate to manage various health issues. At the center of the physiological nodes rests the patients and their integrated sense of well-being – mind, body, spirit, & soul. The patient’s inner life directs the narratives contained in their timeline and the downstream physiological processes we dive deeply into using the seven core nodes above. The lifestyle factors of our patients are the bedrock of their health and are always explored in great depth – food first, then sleep, movement, resiliency and relationships and networks.

 

The 7 Core Nodes of Healing

 

Our Functional Medicine practice uses the 7  Core Nodes of Healing Model to organize and prioritize any health challenges that you may have. Using the core nodes of healing, we can develop your individualized treatment strategies, target the root causes of your illnesses, and improve your overall health. Each of the seven nodes represents a set of interconnected biological functions, much like a web, influencing each other.

 

1. Gut Health

 

To improve gut health, we dive deeply into your overall gastrointestinal function. We evaluate digestion, assimilation, your microbiome, food sensitivities/allergies, and any potential parasitic involvement contributing to unwanted local and systemic immune activation. The gut is the gateway to the body. This is where some of our most essential functions occur: taking in the nutrients needed to fuel our entire being.

 

Our gut is our greatest contact with the outside world! It has a surface area that is powers of ten beyond that of our skin. This results in a tremendous amount of environmental exposure and immune activity along the lining of our gastrointestinal system, which can have profound systemic implications. A primary area of detoxification is our gut. Our liver is our body’s primary (not only) detoxifier. It’s an enzymatic supercenter! It does an incredible job at regularly breaking down the many environmental toxins we’re exposed to and flushing them out through our intestines. If this system is inefficient, however, or if we have increased gut permeability, our body’s ability to truly rid itself of toxins becomes markedly impaired.

 

We then use the 6 R approach to restore your gastrointestinal function:

 

  1. Remove – offending agents (foods, toxins, unwanted bacteria like H.pylori, parasites etc.)
  2. Replace – replenish nutrient depletion, digestive enzymes, bile acids & hydrochloric acid
  3. Re-inoculate – re-introduce healthy microflora
  4. Repair – fix the mucosal lining & correct increased permeability
  5. Rebalance – re-establish the balance in the microflora
  6. Re-test

 

The 6R approach will significantly change how you see and eat food and heal and restore your gut health.

 

2. Brain Power and Mood

 

Our Functional Medicine physicians boost brainpower and mood by looking at the link between your brain, gut, and immune system. This can detect patterns that may be contributing to your health issues. Metabolic and genetically influenced pathways may impact neurotransmitters available in the brain and peripheral nervous system. We work to ensure systemic inflammation is minimized and that the right neurotransmitters are available. Treatments can include neurotransmitter and hormone balancing through nutrient repletion, gut healing, detoxification, psychotherapy, craniosacral therapy, and neuromodulation. We stress a bio-psycho-social approach to managing mental health and strongly encourage psychotherapy and managing challenging social situations in addition to our biological approach through the clinic.

 

3. Hormones

 

At Linden & Arc Vitality Institute, we are experts at addressing and treating hormone imbalances. Our goal is to support your body by restoring and improving your overall health and wellbeing. Hormones are key signaling molecules in our bodies. A hormone imbalance can quickly result in numerous issues throughout our complex systems! Even a slight imbalance can impact your immune system and alter your brain’s capacity to function effectively. Symptoms of hormone imbalance can include poor sleep, anxiety, low libido, fatigue, hair loss, changes in bowel movements, weight changes, mood lability…the list goes on!

 

We address the hormonal imbalance by testing vital aspects of the endocrine system. We look at all of your hormones, from the thyroid, adrenals, and insulin, to your estrogens, androgens, and human growth hormone (HGH). This shows us the best approach to returning your body to optimal balance.

 

4. Detoxification

 

We live in a world inundated with toxins. These toxins can negatively impact our cellular function, endocrine system, and fertility. Functional Medicine physicians assess for the presence of numerous forms of toxins. Many toxins have endocrine disrupting, pro-inflammatory, neuroinflammatory, and cancer-causing effects. By minimizing exposure to and eliminating environmental toxins, we assist your body’s natural systems to rid itself of unwanted toxic compounds. We use micronutrient repletion and various forms of nutraceuticals to support methylation and sulfation. We focus on improving gastrointestinal elimination to allow these toxins to exit the body efficiently.

 

5. Heart Health

 

The heart is one of our most vital organs – our lives depend on them. When it comes to energy, the heart is quite demanding. Lack of energy is often connected to cardiac problems.

 

To evaluate your risk of cardio-metabolic syndrome, we evaluate multiple cardiac data points such as:

 

  • Lipid Profile
  • High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP)
  • Lipoprotein A (LpA)
  • Apolipoprotein B100
  • Apolipoprotein A1
  • Insulin sensitivity
  • Genetic predisposition to heart disease

 

These tests help us predict your risk of heart disease and stroke and inform us of inflammation in your body. To restore your heart’s vitality, we go beyond the standard cardiovascular assessment tools and advise medical and lifestyle management to optimize your cardiovascular risk profile.

 

6. Immune Function

 

Optimizing immune balance is a tremendous area of focus for us. The immune system is complex and impacts so many of our bodies systems. With all the stressors in the world today, many have pushed their immune systems into a state of dysregulation. Because of this, we are unable to calm down. This can lead to various issues, including autoimmune diseases, Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS), histamine intolerance, and a host of mental health issues.

 

Further, we delve into the complexities of Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS) and Post COVID Syndrome (PCS), which have immunogenic origins and require an individualized approach to manage. For an excellent in-depth but accessible explanation of CIRS, click HERE to read our blog: Understanding Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome.

 

Our assessments of immune function include unique genetic and transcriptomic assays and key indicators of present immune function and communication. Further, we use various antibody assays to determine whether one may be experiencing chronic underlying infections that have gone unchecked for years.

 

Once we identify immunogenic triggers, we do our best to eliminate the source and calm the immune system. We do this by using both pharmaceutical and nutraceutical formulations.

 

7. Energy Production

 

Our Functional Medicine Physician evaluates your energy production by assessing mitochondrial health. There are numerous potential barriers to efficient energy production. These include extracellular insulin resistance, intracellular insulin resistance, insufficient coenzymes to fuel the mitochondria, and impaired elimination of mitochondrial waste products. When one’s mitochondria’s ability to produce energy is impaired, their overall health and wellbeing will plummet.

 

Our Physician assess mitochondrial functioning through biochemical testing that looks at coenzyme q10 (C0Q10), carnitine, pyruvate, lactate, and alpha lipoic acid, to name a few.

 

We aim to optimize glucose metabolism, insulin sensitivity, and mitochondrial function to increase energy. We will clean up damaged and sick mitochondria and supercharge your energy generation.

 

Mind/Body/Spirit

 

Many cultures over numerous generations have acknowledged the existence of a spirit. Though “spirit” is another nebulous term and seems inherently unscientific to acknowledge, the idea that there is another form of energy that comprises who we are and which we have been unable to measure is not implausible. It’s important to maintain the perspective that everything we know now through scientific processes was once not understood and possibly even deemed “witchcraft” or something of the like.

 

Though we don’t fully understand what spirit is, for those of our patients, whom it is important to acknowledge as a part of their overall well-being, we encourage them to do so. Further, we recognize the importance of a healthy mind. Though there are biological contributors to a healthy mind, learning to reframe one’s thinking as a practice is crucial to their perception of the world and their perceptions of themselves. We are big believers in the power of psychotherapy, meditation, and mindfulness as a way to remedy the mind and calm our nervous systems.

 

We are firm believers that proper health is only achieved when mind, body, and spirit are balanced. Your mind, body, and spirit are at the center of the 7 Core Hodes, tying everything together.

 

How Functional Medicine Can Help You

 

Every patient experiences illness differently and, therefore, deserves treatment that works for them. Functional Medicine is about growing, learning, transforming, and addressing that unique patient illness experience. Our Functional Medicine practice at Linden & Arc Vitality Institute is focused on reshaping your story, renewing your health, and transforming the arc of your life. Our physicians offer individualized treatment plans through a multidisciplinary and collaborative approach so that you can return to optimal health.

 

If you are struggling with persistent health challenges, contact Linden & Arc Vitality Institute HERE to start your transformative health journey.

 

A myriad of environmental toxins and heavy metals torment our bodies daily. These terrible toxins cause chronic illness and disease in living things. Humans ingest these heavy metal toxins in 3 ways: consuming pesticides in the foods we eat; inhaling pollutants in the air we breathe; and using chemical-laden beauty products on our skin and hair.


The exposure to environmental toxins can be so slow and steady that it doesn’t become recognized as a source of the illness. Since conventional medicine doesn’t look for the root cause of illness and only treats symptoms, you may never know if heavy metals are killing you. Since we can’t seem to avoid constant exposure to environmental toxins, we must continually detoxify our bodies to remove them before they wreak havoc on our bodies. Let’s identify the 5 heavy metals/environmental toxins that cause chronic illness.

 

What Are Heavy Metals?

Heavy metals lie throughout the earth’s crust and are naturally occurring elements. These metallic elements classify very differently from each other based on your body’s needs. Some heavy metals are actually essential nutrients such as iron, cobalt, and zinc and others are relatively harmless like ruthenium, silver, and indium. Heavy metals are systemic toxicants and cause chronic illness. These heavy metals are such as arsenic, aluminum, cadmium, mercury, and lead.

 

Arsenic

In the world of environmental toxins, arsenic qualifies as the most widely known, abundant, and lethal of heavy metals. Arsenic exists bountifully within the earth’s crust and in smaller quantities within the air, water, rock & soil. While a large amount of arsenic exists in the natural world, the majority is synthetic. The primary use of synthetic arsenic is in ammunition, auto batteries, electronic devices, semiconductors, pesticides, herbicides, insecticides, and treated wood.

 

The most common route by which a toxicant such as arsenic can end up in our bodies is through environmental contamination by way of mining and agricultural practices. Arsenic travels through our water and ultimately to the soil where we grow our produce.

 

What Arsenic Does To Our Bodies

Arsenic is a type of heavy metal that can cause toxicity to our bodies at a cellular level. Overexposure can cause an array of terrible symptoms such as drowsiness, confusion, headaches, and gastrointestinal flu-like symptoms. It can also cause seizures, anemia, rupture red blood cells, and lower blood pressure. Those suffering can also experience neurological issues like brain damage, peripheral neuropathy, and edema, Arsenic toxicity poisons the cells and has the potential to cause chronic illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease, neurotoxicity, cancer in any part of the body, and ultimately death.

 

Aluminum

Aluminum is the most abundant heavy metal in the earth and like arsenic, is also present in the environment. Although aluminum is not usually harmful, exposure at high levels can cause some serious chronic health conditions. It is in our food, water, air, and soil so our bodies are exposed daily.

 

Overexposure can cause fatigue, confusion, speech problems, cognitive impairment, and seizures. Aluminum toxicity causes other more severe health problems including fractures, deformities, and slow growth in children. Chronic conditions that appear due to aluminum toxicity are muscle weakness, lung and nervous system issues, and anemia due to damaged iron absorption.

 

High levels of aluminum significantly impact bone and brain health. Not only can it increase the potential of brain diseases but can cause bone pain, bone diseases, and reduce bone remodeling capabilities.

 

Cadmium

Cadmium is a silvery, white flexible heavy metal also found in the environment. Most cadmium used today to create batteries, pigments, coatings, and platings and stabilizers for plastics.

Cadmium is not only damaging to the lungs and kidneys, but it also competes with zinc at all cellular binding sites, resulting in loss of enzyme activity.  Breathing in cigarette smoke can cause smokers and non- smokers to accumulate dangerous levels of cadmium.

 

Mercury

We are exposed to the many different forms of Mercury in different ways. It exists in the earth’s crust and emits as a gas via volcanoes and mining or by way of evaporation from bodies of water. But humans do not become poisoned by mercury inhalation but by ingestion, especially through fish.

 

Mercury produces thermometers, batteries, lamps, amalgam tooth fillings, and prescription drugs. People exposed to mercury by way of eating fish containing methylmercury or breaking products containing mercury, including tooth fillings.

 

Mercury poisoning gives tremours, gingivitis, minor psychological changes, and even brain damage. Pregnant women can experience spontaneous abortion, congenital malformation, or development changes.

 

Long term exposure to mercury can affect both the functioning of the central as well as the peripheral nervous system and manifest as a host of symptoms including weakness and fatigue, depressed immunity or gi disturbances . 

 

Lead

Lead has a misconception. It is only present in our drinking water because of lead pipes. While there are sometimes very clear symptoms of heavy metal toxicity such as lead poisoning in children, many symptoms of heavy metal toxicity may not be as obvious.

 

Lead also exists in personal care products and cosmetics. Our everyday exposure slowly builds up in our body tissues and has the potential to cause chronic illness. 

 

Lead toxicity can be difficult to detect as high blood levels of lead can occur in even the healthy. Symptoms do not normally appear until a person has accrued dangerous levels, and even more strange, symptoms vary between infants, children, and adults.

 

Lead Poisoning In Infants Exposed Before Birth

Infants exposed to lead before birth can be born prematurely, have lower birth weight, and can experience slowed growth. This is whether the pregnant mother had experienced any symptoms at all.

 

Lead Poisoning In Children

Children are the most susceptible to lead poisoning. Those exposed to lead can experience irritability, abdominal pain, vomiting, constipation, loss of appetite, weight loss, and fatigue. Worse cases can occur that exhibit developmental delay and learning difficulty, hearing loss & seizures in children.

 

Lead poisoning In Adults

Adults exhibiting symptoms of lead poisoning may experience headaches, concentration issues, mood issues, high blood pressure, joint pain, and muscle pain. Males can have reduced sperm count and abnormal sperm where females can miscarry, have stillbirths or premature birth.

 

With the serious health impact of heavy metals it is prudent for us to educate ourselves and avoid as many potential sources of these multi-system toxicants as we can. There are many resources available online (The Environmental Working Group and the Center for Hazardous Substance research to help you stay informed and safe.  

 

We are exposed to heavy metals most often through ingestion, inhalation, and dermal contact. If you are concerned or believe heavy metals are compromising your health, you may want to consider testing. The most accurate method of testing for total body burden of heavy metals is with a urine toxic metals test. The results can assist practitioners in recommending customized treatments to pull the heavy metals out of your body.  Please contact the clinic if you are interested in learning more.

 

Author

Nora Kassay-Farkas is our Functional Medicine Health Coach and Natural Nutrition Clinical Practitioner at Linden & Arc Vitality Institute. Nora is pleased to provide nutrition consultations and Functional Medicine health coaching to you in your journey to wellness. She offers sessions for CIRS, Brain Health, weight loss, and supports Autoimmune conditions. Contact Nora at: [email protected]

Do you ever wonder what the root cause of your headaches is? Probably not in the middle of having one! Realistically, you just want it gone. The functional medicine approach does not stop at the symptoms. It is a whole-body approach that asks what the root cause of those symptoms is. It’s at the moment you realize that your headaches don’t start in your head, that you are on your way to healing.

 

4 Types of Headaches

There are 4 different types of headaches, each with their own distinct symptoms but all are debilitating, no matter the form. Distinguishing the symptoms will help you categorize the type. These types are migraines, tension headaches, cluster headaches, and secondary headaches. Let’s explore the symptoms of each.

 

Migraine Headaches

The most severe and longest-lasting of all types of headaches are migraines. Migraines often times are preceded by an aura, flashes of light or blind spots. Sufferers may have difficulty speaking and experience tingling on one side of the face, an arm, or a leg. The throbbing or pulsing pain lasts from hours to days and is normally felt on one side of the head. Other symptoms of migraines can include light and noise sensitivity, nausea, and vomiting.

 

Tension Headaches

The most common headache is called a tension headache, or stress headache, It feels much like squeezing or “vice” like feeling around the head, temples, and upper neck. This type of headache is continuous and lasts anywhere from a half-hour to a week and symptoms can include trouble sleeping and difficulty concentrating.

 

Cluster Headaches

Cluster headaches, lasting 15 minutes to 3 hours occur in cluster periods, over a longer period of time. These are considered the most painful or excruciating types of headaches developing on one side of the head, in or around one eye and one side of the face. The severe, burning pain strikes at night.

 

Secondary Headaches

Secondary headaches are those that are caused by other conditions. These conditions can include sinus issues; high blood pressure, overexertion, medication side effect, withdrawal, or hormone imbalances, just to name a few. 

 

The Functional Medicine Treatment of Headaches

Functional Medicine treats all types of headaches with success by looking deeper at the causes. We have remarkable success in treating headaches because we look deeper at the causes and treat accordingly. Often, more than one underlying cause contributes to each headache. Conventional medicine treats headaches and migraines with over the counter and prescription pain medications.

 

Noting the History of Your Headaches

Linden & Arc Vitality Institute doctors and practitioners will take thorough notes on the history of your headaches, along with an in-depth look at your full health story.  We examine the location, type of pain, measured intensity, duration, and any other symptoms associated to determine the potential causes of the type of headache you are suffering from. We use the LMMD 7 Core Nodes of Healing approach to assessing your individual root causes and dig deeper. Let’s apply Linden & Arc Vitality Institute 7 Core Nodes of Healing to your headache relief.

 

7 Core Nodes of Healing For Headache Relief

 

The Gut

One of the 7 Core Nodes of Healing is the gut. Managing the gut and food reactions in terms of managing headaches could be the answer to headache relief. Food sensitivities and allergies are some of the most common reasons for headaches that we see in the clinic. You may not have symptoms immediately with a delayed IgG food sensitivity, the inflammation that grumbles from repeated exposure to a triggering food can result in daily headaches for some. 

 

Histamine and Tyramine food reactions are common triggers of headaches and migraines. As well, dysbiosis, an imbalance in good and bad bacteria, can trigger headaches. An example of dysbiosis is high opportunistic candida overgrowth in the gut. 

 

Hormones 

High levels of cortisol, one of our main stress hormones, can lead to headaches. Therefore, take note of the timing of the headaches during your menstrual cycle. Typically, migraines are caused by an imbalance in Estrogen and Progesterone in women. This is why we typically see a surge in headache symptoms the week leading up to the period. Functional Medicine physicians call this Estrogen Dominance. High levels of Xenoestrogens in our environment and inflammation both cause headaches as well. We can manage migraines/ headaches in a cyclical fashion, using supplements or hormones at different stages of the menstrual cycle.

 

Energy

Mitochondria, the little ‘powerhouses’ or ‘factories’ in the cells, make our body’s energy (or ATP). They do this using nutrient substrates and oxygen. These mitochondria can function sluggishly from nutrient deficiencies, inflammation, chronic infection, and toxicity. This leads to a cascade of events that causes “energy failure” in the nerve tissue. This energy failure can activate headaches.We are able to test the Krebs cycle to assess for mitochondrial dysfunction and can test the individual nutrients that we know fuel the mitochondria.  Riboflavin (B2), coenzyme Q10, magnesium, niacin (B3), carnitine, alpha-lipoic acid supplements are very effective in giving the mitochondria the boost that they need. Intravenous nutrients can start functioning much quicker in someone with an unhealthy gut. 

 

Detoxification

The body needs regular detoxification to remove the many external toxins that we are faced with on a day to day basis. These exposures come from many different sources. These sources can be anything from pesticides on our food to the air we breathe, the water we drink, chemicals in our cosmetics, and cleaning products. We are exposed to other endocrine disrupters in places like receipts or plastic bottles. Detoxification system overwhelm and poor detoxifying genes allow our bodies to accumulate toxins much easier. These are well established in the literature to cause many health conditions. This “backlog” of toxins in the body can cause many different symptoms, one of which is headaches. Fortunately, we are able to test for all of the different chemicals and metals that we know to be an issue. In a stepwise, staged process, we teach the body how to detoxify more efficiently and see improvement in many symptoms including headaches.

 

Immune Balance/ Chronic Inflammation

Chronic inflammation usually appears from infective triggers, known as “Biotoxins.” Biotoxins can appear from the inflammatory sources from food, gut imbalances, hormone imbalance, and toxin accumulation. Living toxins cause headaches. Examples are mold, Lyme, virus, or bacteria.

 

In genetically vulnerable individuals, these can trigger an inflammatory response termed Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome. This is a multi-symptom, multi-system disease, with headaches and other cognitive disruptions being very common. Mast cell activation syndrome, commonly associated with this, leads to the release of Histamine & other inflammatory cytokines, which can cause headaches. These are exceedingly common in our very ill patient population. We take a detailed history and analyze it appropriately.

 

Brain Power and Mood

Brain neurotransmitter’s imbalances can cause headaches and mood issues. A high level of glutamate, an excitatory neurotransmitter, can lead to headaches and mood changes. It is important to rule out underlying neurological disorders or syndromes as a cause of headaches. Your functional medicine physician will be able to determine what to look for based on a history and examination.

 

Heart Vitality

Your physician will test your heart vitality with regard to headaches. There may be vascular (blood vessel) contributions to your migraines, from vascular activation of the nervous system. There is communication between blood vessels, nerve cells, and possibly Mast cells (mentioned above) in the activation of headaches. Headaches can be caused by high blood pressure so this is an important cause to initially rule out. We can establish from your personal and family history, and other lab results whether you have risk factors for the above.

 

Structural Issues

Cervical Spine, Head, Temporomandibular joint (TMJ), and Dental structural issues are all very closely related. Imbalances in one area can cause disruptions in the other. A detailed history of previous injuries is extremely important. Even “a bump to the head” or hidden dental infections or TMJ can be significant enough to throw things out of balance and contribute to headaches. We refer our patients to brilliant Nucca Chiropractors, Physio/ manual therapists and World Class Biological dentists with experience to assess these areas.

 

Mind Body Spirit Soul 

The doctors at Linden & Arc Vitality Institute always look back to the emotional and spiritual contributions to your symptoms. Your mind, body, spirit, and soul are connected and one out of balance leads to all in illness. Addressing underlying issues helps to start the healing journey. We hold emotions and stress in our cells. Therefore, physical symptoms arise if these emotions have been held or suppressed.

 

Functional medicine practitioners have many tools to help you get the bottom of your headaches. You see from this discussion why medications fall short and do not help many headaches. If we look in the right places and treat your headaches with the individual care that they deserve, true healing and resolution can occur! 

 

A HANDY RESOURCE
To track your symptoms: https://migrainetracker.ca. This can be useful for your physician to determine what type of headache you are having, which will help determine the root cause. 

 

REFERENCES 

  1. Prevalence of Migraine in the Canadian Household Population. Pamela L Ramage-Morin  1 , Heather Gilmour  1. 2014 Jun;25(6):10-6. PMID: 24941316
  2. Front Cell Neurosci. 2018; 12: 233. Published online 2018 Aug 3. doi: 10.3389/fncel.2018.00233. PMCID: PMC6088188
  3. Vascular Contributions to Migraine: Time to Revisit? Bianca N. Mason1,† and Andrew F. Russo1
  4. Alpay K, Ertas M, Orhan EK, Ustay DK, Lieners C, Baykan B. Diet restriction in migraine, based on IgG against foods: a clinical double-blind, randomised, cross-over trial. Cephalalgia. 2010;30(7):829-837. doi:10.1177/0333102410361404
  5. Silberstein SD. Preventive migraine treatment. Continuum. 2015;21(4 Headache):973-989. doi:10.1212/CON.0000000000000199
  6. Stovner LJ, Nichols E, Steiner TJ, et al. Global, regional and national burden of migraine and tension-type headache, 1990-2016: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016. Lancet Neurol. 2018;17(11):954-976. doi:1016/S1474-4422(18)30322-3
  7. Pringsheim T, Davenport W, Mackie G, et al. Canadian Headache Society guideline for migraine prophylaxis. Can J Neurol Sci. 2012;39(2 Suppl 2):S1-59.
  8. Hajihashemi P, Askari G, Khorvash F, Reza Maracy M, Nourian M. The effects of concurrent coenzyme Q10, L-carnitine supplementation in migraine prophylaxis: a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial. Cephalalgia. 2019;39(5):648-654. doi:10.1177/0333102418821661
  9. Bektas H, Karabulut H, Doganay B, Acar B. Allergens might trigger migraine attacks. Acta Neurol Belg. 2017;117(1):91-95. doi:10.1007/s13760-016-0645-y
  10. Sadeghi O, Maghsoudi Z, Khorvash F, Ghiasvand R, Askari G. The relationship between different fatty acids intake and frequency of migraine attacks. Iran J Nurs Midwifery Res. 2015;20(3):334-339 
  11. Köseoglu E, Talaslioglu A, Gönül AS, Kula M. The effects of magnesium prophylaxis in migraine without aura. Magnes Res. 2008;21(2):101-108.
  12. Andreeva VA, Szabo de Edelenyi F, Druesne-Pecollo N, Touvier M, Hercberg S, Galan P. Macronutrient intake in relation to migraine and non-migraine headaches. Nutrients. 2018;10(9):E1309. doi:10.3390/10091309

Author

Dr. Michelle van der Westhuizen, MD

Welcome to your brain. We like to also think of it as your cerebrum, which represents the physical, your intelligence or mental capacity, and your psyche, or your emotional side.

 

It’s fascinating to be here.

 

Weighing in at only 3 pounds, the human brain is unbelievably one of the largest and most complex organs in the human body. It is made up of over 100 billion nerves that communicate with each other through trillions of links, called synapses. Working similar to a computer, it requires specific components and specialized areas that work together to perform optimally. This also includes other important body functions.

 

Functional medicine, root cause medicine, and integrative medicine show the relationship of all body systems to one another. At Linden & Arc Vitality Institute, the brain is a huge part of the overall wellness process. Learn how it and your gut work symbiotically for your optimal health.

 

The Linden & Arc Vitality Institute team of functional medicine physicians offers a Collaborative Care Model that is designed to offer the highest level of care. With this model, our practice leaves no stone unturned and minimizes wait times. Dr. Lynne Murfin, Dr. Michelle Van Der Westhuizen, and Dr. Daniel Ruttle, Functional Medicine Physicians, as well as Dr. Ayla Lester and Dr. Trevor Hoffman, Naturopathic Doctors, work closely with one another on patient care at Linden & Arc Vitality Institute.

 

Contact us for a full assessment of your brain health today and ways we can help to prevent or reverse cognitive decline.

 

About the author:

Dr. Murfin is wholeheartedly focused on her life’s mission to help people heal and achieve extraordinary outcomes. She believes that health is more than merely the absence of disease. It is a total state of physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and social wellbeing through the creation of a whole and meaningful life. Dr. Murfin leaves no stone unturned to determine the root cause of illness or imbalance.

Contact Us

587-390-0180

[email protected]

Center 70, #280
7015 Macleod Trail SW
Calgary, Alberta
T2H 2K6

About Us
Learning Centre
Functional Medicine
Services

Linden & Arc Vitality Institute © 2022 | Terms

designed-by-growme

Videos

4 Videos