Meet the most interesting bone in the world: The Sphenoid Bone.
The surprising cause of headaches & migraines!
In a room of 50 people, you can ask how many suffer from headaches and you will usually get half of them raising their hands. This, then, conveys the misconception that headaches are normal. Headaches are not normal though - just very common. The truth is that there are many reasons someone may suffer from headaches. Not cutting our screen time off at a decent hour of night; maybe we work with computers all day; or the usual suspect: stress. The unknown culprit that could very well be the cause of headaches or migraines is the unfamiliar Sphenoid bone.
The Sphenoid bone makes up the floor of the sinus cavity and is right above your atlas bone. It is much bigger than a vertebra, and, in fact, it connects and touches every other cranial bone in your skull! The brain actually sits right on top of it. Above the brain, there is a space and if for any reason bones of the skull are compromised, they begin to lessen that space and cause unwanted pressure to the brain. This causes a buildup of cerebral spinal fluid, or CSF. This, in turn, begins to put pressure on the other cranial bones.
The sphenoid bone connects with the occiput, and their connection point is what is known as the SphenoBasilar (SBJ) junction. The SBJ can become dysfunctional from a myriad of life experiences:
Trauma to the head (even if minor)
Motor vehicle accidents
Sports injuries
Braces or dental work
Any fall or accident
This can cause headaches, migraines, TMJD issues, sinus issues, neck pain, back pain, emotional imbalances (the sphenoid protects the pituitary gland), memory issues, depression, insomnia and other sleeping issues. It is not uncommon for the sphenoid bone to move out of alignment as a baby is exiting the birth canal. It is becoming more routine for parents to find a pediatric CranioSacral therapist to aid in aligning this bone for their baby’s overall health and wellness. If there is a lateral imbalance of this bone, this is where migraines come into play. The sphenoid will shift more to one side, and that is where the migraine will be felt. Our body’s innate response will be to rub our temple, this is because the sphenoid is putting more pressure on this side!
There are a few different ways to approach this issue. There are chiropractors who practice in a gentler way, who can assist in getting the sphenoid back to its rightful throne. At HeartSeed Massage, we utilize CranioSacral therapy (CST). If you do not know what CST is, it is a very gentle and non-invasive form of bodywork that uses light touch to help test for and then release restrictions throughout the body. We have had many successful sessions where we were able to help clear up or keep away headaches and migraines all together. If you suffer from these symptoms it is worth researching some more and seeing if a misaligned sphenoid bone could be the culprit! Always feel free to email or call us and we would be happy to see if we can help!
Yours in Wellness,
Andrea, LMT, CNMT
HeartSeed Massage & Wellness
