Tension headaches and muscle tension: is there a role for magnesium?

Medical Hypotheses
B M Altura, B T Altura

Abstract

Although many theories and hypotheses have been offered for the etiology of tension-type headache (TH), no one previous hypothesis seems to adequately explain TH. This may, in large measure, account for why it is often difficult to effectively treat TH. Herein, we review current and old hypotheses of TH and offer a new hypothesis which is consistent with what is known about TH. We show that magnesium (Mg) metabolism may be pivotal in both the etiology and treatment of TH. Measurement of serum ionized Mg2+ (IMg2+) levels and brain intracellular free Mg2+ ([Mg2+]i) appear to offer excellent methods for establishing the validity of our hypothesis. Since approximately 70% of patients who have a TH exhibit muscular tightness and tenderness, it is distinctly possible that problems in Mg metabolism and dietary intake are the links to concomitant muscle tension and TH. The significance of release of pain mediators, muscle cramps, muscle strains (and damage) and muscle tension to TH, and its relationship to Mg metabolism, are reviewed. These are all associated with a Mg-deficient state. It seems clear from the available data that TH's are more associated with muscle tension or scalp tension than any other headache type. From the data av...Continue Reading

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Citations

Jan 5, 2008·Current Pain and Headache Reports·Marc E Lenaerts
Jul 28, 2004·Anesthesiology·Steven P CohenSalahadin Abdi
Jul 3, 2007·Neurological Sciences : Official Journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology·L GrazziG Bussone
Jul 20, 2005·Scandinavian Journal of Clinical and Laboratory Investigation·E J Baek, I K Park
Jan 18, 2006·Headache·Basak Karakurum GokselNurhan Ozdemir
Apr 22, 2015·Respiratory Medicine·Sarah Hashim Ali HusseinRonald Dahl
Dec 4, 2003·Expert Opinion on Pharmacotherapy·Chonghao Zhao, Mark J Stillman
May 26, 2009·Expert Opinion on Pharmacotherapy·Marc E Lenaerts
Jul 16, 2020·Molecules : a Journal of Synthetic Chemistry and Natural Product Chemistry·Derek R CaseRobert P Doyle
Sep 2, 2003·The Journal of Nutrition·Earl S Ford, Ali H Mokdad
Jul 29, 2020·Nutrients·Hyun-Jung ShinSang-Hwan Do
May 1, 2021·Molecules : a Journal of Synthetic Chemistry and Natural Product Chemistry·Derek R CaseRobert P Doyle
Apr 21, 2018·Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy = Biomédecine & Pharmacothérapie·Geir BjørklundJan Aaseth

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