Migraines can be both tormenting and annoying. Having a severe headache prevents us from being productive and slows down our progress at work. And while there are many ways to relieve this pain, such as taking naps or ingesting pain relievers, most of them are band-aid or temporary solutions.
Thus, in this article, we’ll discuss chiropractic for migraine and why it’s the effective, long-lasting solution you need.
Factors that Can Cause Headaches
Before solving a problem, it’s best to know the root. Hence, before we get into the nitty-gritty of chiropractic for migraine, let’s take a look at the causes of headaches first:
- Stress – any kind of stress can be a factor in a headache as they cause tension in our heads.
- Traumatic Events – our brains find it difficult to process sudden accidents or events that we experience. Consequently, this triggers stress and tension.
- Exhaustion – another factor of a headache is fatigue. When we overwork our bodies, our head is one of those that suffer the most.
- Eye Strain – one example of eyestrain is the one we get from staring in front of the computer or cell phone for a long time. More often than not, this leads to unbearable headaches.
- Sleep Disruptions – when our sleep gets disturbed, it causes extra tension in our muscles and this leads to headaches.
What is a Migraine?
Now that we’re more familiar with the causes of headaches, let’s get to its more severe form: migraines.
When you feel a pounding and thumping sensation on one side of your head, it is a sign that you’re experiencing a migraine. Migraines are excruciating, which can hinder you from accomplishing your work. In worst cases, you may feel like puking, nauseating, and even being sensitive to bright lights and noise. And what’s most annoying about migraines is that they can last for up to several hours.
However, the good news is you won’t have to endure these forever as there’s chiropractic for migraine! But before we get into the details of that, let’s see what can trigger yours.
What Triggers Migraines?
There aren’t (yet) exact causes of migraines. However, some of these are said to trigger this excruciating headache especially when we fail to address them:
- Weather change
- Change in women’s hormones before a menstrual period, pregnancy, and menopausal period
- Drinks such as alcohol, wine, and caffeinated beverages like coffee
- Stress (any type)
- Medicine
- Loud sound or noise
- Food and food additives
- Bright lights and sun glare
- Changes in sleep (lack of sleep, oversleep, and jet lag)
- Strenuous physical activities and fatigue
Symptoms of Migraine
Now that we’re getting closer to figuring out how chiropractic treatment help migraines, it’s best to do a self-check first.
The symptoms of migraine actually have different stages. If you want to make sure that it’s a migraine you are experiencing, you better be aware of these.
Before the Headache Attacks (Prodrome)
Older studies show that 20-60% of individuals encounter the symptoms of a migraine a few hours before the attack. For some people, it may take days before they experience a severe headache. Furthermore, you will experience a warning of an episode called the aura.
What is Aura? Aura is a warning symptom of a migraine attack and is usually accompanied by:
- Loss of vision/eyesight
- A feeling of sharp objects like pins and needles pricking on the legs and arms.
- Difficulty in talking
- A vision of bright lights and shapes
- Hearing sounds or noise
- Involuntary movements
During the Headache Attack
This is the most agonizing part of a migraine because aside from the torturing pain, you experience a combination of or all of the following:
- dizziness to the point of vomiting
- stuffy nose
- pain on one or both sides of the head
- sensitivity to loud sounds or noise, and bright lights
After the Headache Attack (Post-drome)
After the migraine strike, you will be exhausted and worn out for a day or two, and rapid moving might bring back temporary pain.
Other Types of Severe Headache
Migraines are the worst. This is why we look for several treatments such as chiropractic for migraine. However, there are actually other types of headaches that can be more severe and torturing.
Some of these are the following:
Cervicogenic Headache
Someone suffering from a Cervicogenic Headache (CGH) may feel pain in a particular part of the head or face. However, the pain comes from the cervical spine going to the head. Sometimes, it’s confusing to differentiate Cervicogenic Headache from migraine. What’s important to note, however, is that a migraine is embedded in the brain, while a cervicogenic headache is deep-rooted in the neck region.
Symptoms of CGH include:
- Stiffness on the neck
- A painful sensation when coughing or sneezing
- Sore feeling around the eyes
- Pain on one side of the head or face
- The painful feeling when the head or neck is in motion
Causes Cervicogenic Headache
- Cervical Protraction (standing or sitting with your chin pushed forward)
- Whiplash or neck injury
- Osteoarthritis
- Herniated Disc in the neck
- Uncomfortable sleeping position
Secondary Headaches
Secondary headaches are the cause of another disease or infections in the neck or the head. Hence, making the headache a symptom. Secondary headaches are a broad group of medical conditions and can be life-threatening or fatal.
Conditions that fall under secondary headache are:
- Brain tumor or brain aneurysm
- Dental pain from infected teeth
- Post-traumatic headaches like post-concussion headaches
- Medication overuse headache
- Spinal headache
- Headaches caused by substance abuse.
- Stroke
- Sinus headaches
Symptoms:
If you are experiencing any of the following, it’s possible that you’re suffering from secondary headache:
- A sudden severe headache
- Health conditions like cancer and HIV
- Pregnancy
- Fainting or seizure
- One side of the body not having energy
- Trouble walking
- Fainting
Causes:
Some of the possible causes of secondary headaches are:
- Concussion
- Hypertension
- Sinus infection
- Bleeding in your brain
How Does Chiropractic Treatment Help Migraine?
And now let’s cut the chase. Here is everything you need to know about chiropractic for migraine and why it’s effective.
It Improves Blood Circulation
One of the most apparent benefits of chiropractic for migraine is its effect on blood circulation.
You might have heard chiropractors saying how their treatments help blood circulation and boost a person’s health. It’s actually true.
When a chiropractor adjusts your spine, it will relieve any pressure on the nerves and blood vessels. This decreases pain and minimizes the symptoms of migraines.
It Eases Tension
Another benefit of chiropractic for migraine is that it eases tension.
Whether you’re in pain or not, tension can give your head a headache. When receiving chiropractic treatment, pressure will be released on the spots where your muscles are tense. This enables blood to flow smoothly and relieve pressure.
It Releases Gas That Causes Discomfort
Apart from easing tension, chiropractic for migraine is an effective treatment because it relieves discomfort.
During the chiropractic session, a chiropractor makes adjustments on your body with his hands and releases the gas that causes your discomfort. This results in an increase in comfort and lessens the pain that migraines bring.
It Relieves Nerve Inflammation
Chiropractic treatment help migraines by allowing the body to heal itself. This affects the nerves leading to the head which are inflamed due to pressure. It also relieves tightness of muscles all over the neck area and decreases the pain caused by migraines.
It Relieves Other Body Pains That Contribute to Migraine
Chiropractic treatment is not only effective in releasing tension and relieving migraines, but also for other body pains that might contribute to migraine. Although the connection of other pain to the head ailment isn’t yet fully understood, it has been scientifically proven that both can involve each other.
It Takes the Pain Away
Chiropractic treatment helps migraine by managing or taking away the pains it brings without prescribing pharmaceutical drugs like pain relievers. Spinal manipulation alleviates joint misalignments in the spine, lessens inflammation, and boosts the affected joint and nervous system’s job.
The body will then have the capability to overcome the pain caused by a migraine if your nervous system is not impaired. Furthermore, you will be mobile and can move freely in no time.
It Gets to the Root
One really powerful effect of chiropractic for migraine is that it gets to the actual cause of the problem.
Chiropractic treatment helps migraines because it manages to treat the root of the migraine or severe headache rather than healing the affected part only or reducing the pain when it strikes. Thus, the treatment significantly reduces your chance of experiencing a migraine or severe headache again.
Chiropractic For Migraine: What Do Chiropractors Exactly Do to Alleviate It?
Despite all the benefits mentioned some people may still doubt chiropractic for migraines. Perhaps this is because a lot of us aren’t quite familiar with how the treatment works.
Chiropractic treatment help migraine through manual therapy and aids in alleviating the frequency and intensity of migraines. The following choices may be included in the chiropractic treatment:
- Manual therapy
- Soft tissue therapy
- Modalities including electrical stimulation, acupuncture, and ultrasound
- Rehabilitation
- Lifestyle changes and education
- Referral and co-management
Chiropractic Alternatives For Treating Headaches
Seeking chiropractic for migraine may be your best solution. But, if you feel that your headache is tolerable and doesn’t need any serious action yet, here are some things you can do:
- Take a nap.
- Take pain relievers.
- Drink herbal tea.
- Use essential oils.
Wrapping It Up
In a nutshell, headaches are complicated, and knowing what kind of headache you are experiencing would help you assist yourself and learn how to prevent it from happening.
In addition, whether you are experiencing migraines or other health conditions, consultation with a health professional is the first and foremost step to understand your situation and problems before taking action.
