6 Root Causes of Migraines (And How to Fix Them)

Migraines aren’t just headaches and if you’ve ever had one, you know how debilitating they can be. But they’re not random, and they’re not just genetic. Migraines are a signal that something deeper is out of balance in your body and if you only treat the symptoms, you miss the real opportunity to prevent them. In this episode, I break down what’s really driving migraines, including: • The root causes most people miss—from inflammation and blood sugar swings to hormones, gut health, and nutrient deficiencies • Why migraines are a full-body neurological event, not just a head issue, and what that means for treatment • How your cycle, stress levels, and nervous system can lower your threshold and make migraines more likely • A functional medicine approach to prevention—simple shifts in diet, lifestyle, and nutrients that can reduce frequency and severity Migraines don’t come out of nowhere—they happen when your body hits a threshold. When you lower the load and support your biology, you don’t just manage migraines—you can actually start to prevent them. To go deeper on this topic, check out my past episode with Dr. Todd LePine: Visit ⁠functionhealth.com for 160+ lab tests at just $365 a year. Have a question you’d love answered on Office Hours? Submit it here **The waitlist is open** Sign up for Dr. Hyman’s Brainshaping Academy to learn how to nourish the biological systems that support your mental, emotional, and cognitive health Click here to sign up. (0:12) Introduction and overview of migraines (0:58) Understanding migraines and functional medicine approach (2:08) Root causes of migraines: hormones, gut health, nutritional deficiencies, nervous system (7:00) Practical steps for migraine prevention (12:35) Regulating the nervous system (14:44) Case study with Dr. Todd Lapine (22:49) Introduction to Brain Shaping Academy and mental health

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6 Root Causes of Migraines (And How to Fix Them) is an episode from The Doctor's Farmacy with Mark Hyman, M.D. by Dr. Mark Hyman.

This episode is 26:40 long.

This episode was published on May 4, 2026.

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