Headache is a general term to describe any pain felt in the head, scalp or neck region, but not all headaches are alike. The International Headache Society developed a headache classification system for doctors to use as a diagnostic tool to help them determine the most effective course of treatment. In this system they classify tension-type headache as a primary headache disorder. Tension headaches are the most common type of headache, but also the least understood and hardest to treat. In trying to determine the cause of tension headaches, doctors formulate theories and one theory involves magnesium. Before taking magnesium supplements for any condition, consult your doctor.
Mechanics of a Headache
Tension headaches occur due to the contraction of the muscles in the neck and scalp. Although doctors cannot always determine the exact cause of your headache or what triggers the muscles to contract, they do understand the general mechanics involved. The Foundation for Better Health Care reports that tension headaches are related to migraine headaches. Both occur when electrical activity in the brain increases, causing a surge in the production of serotonin -- a chemical in the brain needed to carry electrical impulses. The increase in serotonin causes the blood vessels to constrict. The serotonin then leaks out into the tissue surrounding the brain and when the blood vessels dilate the lack of serotonin irritates the nerves, causing your pain.
Magnesium Theory
A study published in "Medical Hypotheses" suggests that magnesium plays a role in the onset of a tension headache. Patients who suffer from frequent tension headaches often exhibit a low level of magnesium in the blood and the brain, a fact that supports this theory. The National Headache Foundation reports that magnesium has been used to treat vascular headaches, which includes migraine headaches. Although more research needs to be conducted to provide solid clinical evidence of the role magnesium may play in tension or migraine headaches, the role magnesium plays in muscle function supports this theory.
Magnesium and Muscle Function
Magnesium functions as an electrolyte, which means that it helps to balance the fluid level inside and outside of cells and carries electrical impulses between nerves and muscles. Your muscles contract and relax in response to nerve impulses that affect the level of calcium and magnesium. Magnesium remains in the fluid portion of muscle cells while calcium ions enter a small chamber in the cell known as the sarcoplasmic reticulum. When your nerves send electrical impulses to a muscle, it triggers the release of calcium into the fluid portion of the cell, which causes your muscle cell to contract. Magnesium ions generate an electrical charge that forces the calcium back into the tiny chamber, which allows your muscle cell to relax. A deficiency in magnesium disrupts this balance of ions and interferes with the ability of your muscle cell to relax, therefore contributing to your tight muscles in the head and neck that cause your tension headache.
Magnesium Levels
Although the theory associating magnesium levels to headaches is not yet proved, making sure you get enough magnesium in your diet reduces your risk for developing a magnesium deficiency and related symptoms. The Institute of Medicine sets the magnesium dietary reference intake at 420 mg per day for men over the age of 31 and 320 mg per day for women over that age. To meet this recommendation, eat a variety of green leafy vegetables, whole-grain foods, nuts, meat and milk. The Linus Pauling Institute reports that taking magnesium supplements reduces your risk for deficiency and may reduce the frequency of headaches, but only take the supplement under the supervision of your health care provider.
References
- International Headache Society: Classification ICHD -- Tension-Type Headache
- "Medical Hypotheses"; Tension Headaches and Muscle Tension -- Is there a Role for Magnesium?; Altura and Altura; December 2001
- Foundation for Better Health Care: Headache
- National Headache Foundation: Magnesium Chloride
- ERNA; Magnesium Fact Sheet; 2004
- Linus Pauling Institute: Magnesium; Victoria Drake; August 2007
