Severe headaches are a major public health issue, not only from a social point of view, but also from an economic one as well. According to US statistics, over 28 million people are affected by migraines in the United States alone. Worldwide figures state that 18% of women and 6% of men suffer from migraine and cluster headaches, with that number expected to increase over time. Statistics from Australia would suggest that a similar percentage of Australians are affected. In addition to being a serious and extremely painful nuisance, they are also dangerous - in some cases they may lead to stroke, aneurysms, coma and even death. Natural Migraine Treatment, therefore, is a very important priority. In some cases this may eventually lead to a cure in certain individuals, although this certainly cannot be guaranteed. As a Naturopath, Mark's specialty is Natural Migraine Therapy.

The exact cause is not yet fully understood, but it is believed that several mechanisms are involved. One of these is a combination of vasoconstriction followed by vasodilation, however extensive tests have been able to detect only minor changes in vascular motion. A major contributing factor is the release of substance P and other inflammatory chemicals that cause vasodilation, mast cell degranulation, and alterations in vascular permeability. This results in the release from platelets of serotonin, histamine, norepinephrine and epinephrine. Platelets contain a large amount of seratonin, and many patients appear to be very sensitive to changes in seratonin, which act on blood vessels causing vascular changes. Other chemicals that play a role in the development of migraines via their action upon the vascular system include tyramine, histamine, plasmakinin, epinephrine, and norepinephrine. Natural Treatment (Naturopath, Nutrition, Herbs) focuses on normalising the biochemistry of the body, which increases the chance of achieving a long-term cure.

As one of the few naturopaths in Australia who specialise in natural migraine headache treatment, in addition to seeing clients from the Gold Coast, Sydney and Melbourne, Mark also sees clients from other major cities within Australia, including Brisbane, Adelaide, Darwin, Cairns, Hobart, Townsville and Perth.