Lexi, a perinatal therapist and mother of three, has lived with cluster headaches since adolescence. These headaches evoke intense, cyclical neurological pain for hours on end.

In today’s Healing Heroine episode, Lexi, Hero Nicole Kim, and Chandler trace the long diagnostic journey, the limits of conventional care, and the ways energy-based practices helped Lexi notice early warning signs and soften the severity of her headaches.

Nicole and Lexi explore how consistent yoga, sound work, and Thai bodywork create impactful shifts in the nervous system. This episode is for anyone curious about integrating Western medicine with somatic practices to reclaim steadiness and agency in the midst of chronic pain.

What You Will Learn

• [00:08:57] How moving during COVID and juggling childcare, work, and a new community contributed to loneliness and stress in daily life.
• [00:13:00] Cluster headaches as a neurological condition tied to trigeminal nerve misfiring and hypothalamic/circadian rhythms, often presenting seasonally and with intense pain.
• [00:16:30] The lengthy diagnostic path — multiple specialists, imaging, and the moment Lexi self-identified her condition in college.
• [00:18:30] Acute treatments (triptan injections, oxygen, verapamil) can reduce pain quickly, but responses vary and some patients remain treatment-resistant.
• [00:20:30] Why Lexi became open to complementary approaches (nature, intranasal oils, emerging research like psilocybin) alongside medical care.
• [00:23:30] How connection with a practitioner — Nicole’s sequencing, intention, and presence — made somatic practices feel safe and effective for Lexi.
• [00:31:15] The experience of a palpable energy release during Thai bodywork that felt like a meaningful shift in tension and affect.
• [00:39:30] The value of tracking symptoms and responding early — combining Western tools with yoga, sound, and bodywork helped soften episodes and create more days of steadiness.

Let’s Connect!
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Nicole Kim

Website

Chandler Stroud

Website | LinkedIn | Instagram

Mixing and editing provided by Next Day Podcast.