The key to successfully treating headaches and achieving long-term relief of headache symptoms lies in determining all of the underlying causes that trigger headaches. Holistic health practitioners recognize that chronic headaches are most often the result of systemic imbalances throughout the body, not just in the head itself, and that the potential causes of headaches can be varied, ranging from food and/or environmental allergies, constipation, gastrointestinal problems and hormonal problems, to infections, musculoskeletal problems, nutritional deficiencies, stress, and physical trauma.