cPNI & Orthomolecular Therapy
My Approach
Migraine or cluster headache. Your body is giving a loud signal that something is getting out of hand. We work out which factors are at play for you and address them at the root, beyond treating symptoms.
The difference with conventional care
The conventional approach and the Functional Migraine Clinic approach do not exclude one another. They complement each other. The difference in perspective, though, is fundamental.
Conventional approach
- Focus on treating symptoms
- Biochemical causes usually remain unexplored
- Standard medication protocol (painkillers, triptans, preventives)
- Avoiding triggers as the main advice
- Little attention to nutrition, gut or hormones
Functional Migraine Clinic approach
- Focus on what sits behind the symptoms
- Insight into hormones, gut health, stress response and, where useful, DNA
- Personal direction for nutrition, supplementation and lifestyle
- Addressing the underlying factors so triggers have less effect
- Integration of all systems (immune, hormonal, neurological, psychological)
- Complementary to your existing treatment and medication
This approach works alongside your existing medical treatment, never instead of it. You do not need to stop your current treatment.
cPNI and migraine
cPNI stands for clinical psycho-neuro-immunology. It is a scientific discipline that studies how your psyche, nervous system, immune system, hormones and metabolism work together, and what happens when that interplay is disrupted.
With migraine, that interplay is almost always disrupted. Not in one place, but on several levels at once. That is why a pill that does only one thing often falls short. cPNI looks at the whole picture.
Orthomolecular therapy and migraine
I also work with orthomolecular therapy. "Ortho" comes from the Greek and means "right" or "correct". This approach focuses on restoring a healthy balance in body and mind by providing the right molecules in the right proportions, through nutrition, movement, intermittent fasting and supplementing essential vitamins and minerals, tailored to you as a unique person.
Orthomolecular therapy can be seen as a subset of cPNI. Where orthomolecular therapy makes sure your body gets the substances it needs to function optimally, cPNI goes much further in biochemical depth and also involves the mind in illness and, above all, in recovery.
Scientifically grounded - cPNI builds on peer-reviewed research from immunology, endocrinology, neurology and nutritional science. Every recommendation I make is grounded in science.
The building blocks of your complaints
Migraine rarely has a single explanation. It is an interplay of several factors, your own unique combination of "building blocks". Most people have three to five at the same time. Here are a few of the more common ones:
Inflammation
Chronic low-grade inflammation
Quiet, smouldering inflammation that makes your nervous system oversensitive. Often driven by gut issues, food intolerances or a disrupted immune system. Finding the source is what matters.
Hormones
Estrogen, progesterone, cortisol
Hormonal fluctuations are among the most powerful migraine factors, especially in women. What matters is how they interact with inflammation and your stress response.
Mitochondria
Cellular energy production
Mitochondria are the power plants of your cells. In people with migraine they often function sub-optimally, leaving the brain with less energy to process stimuli. Nutrition and targeted interventions can support them.
Oxidative stress
Free radicals vs. antioxidants
An imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants damages nerve cells and lowers your threshold for migraine. Nutritional status and lifestyle play an important role here.
Gut-brain axis
Microbiome and neuroinflammation
Your gut communicates continuously with your brain. A disrupted microbiome can send inflammatory signals to the brain that trigger migraine. Restoring that balance is often an important step.
Stress / HPA axis
Chronic stress response
An overactive HPA axis (hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal) keeps your nervous system permanently on edge. Psychological stress is one part of it, but physical stressors such as lack of sleep, overtraining or infections also load this system.
“Barbara’s integrative approach helps people truly understand and address their migraine.”
Curious which building blocks play a role for you?
The Building Block Analysis maps the factors behind your migraine. The DNA Migraine Blueprint adds what your genes say about them.
DNA Migraine Blueprint
Home DNA kit, DNA analysis, the Building Block Analysis and a personal written report that translates your genetic migraine factors.
Building Block Analysis
An online questionnaire that shows which factors play a role in your migraine. You receive a personal analysis report.
Ready to approach it differently?
Find out which factors are at play for you and get to work on the foundation underneath your complaints.