Does Chiropractic Care Help With Migraines?
For those who have experienced the relentless throbbing pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and the overall debilitation of migraines, it's no secret that these headaches are much more than just a minor inconvenience.
Migraines are one of the most common conditions affecting individuals, and with around 39 million people in the United States suffering from them, getting the proper care is crucial. They can disrupt our lives, hijack our productivity, and leave us longing for relief.
While the origins of migraines remain complex and multifaceted, there is growing evidence suggesting that chiropractic care can be a promising avenue for finding respite from this enigmatic condition. Every day, scientists better understand what causes them and how to get relief by managing and preventing symptoms.
While some individuals may choose medication to deal with their migraines, it’s important to consider alternatives to pain medication, specifically by utilizing chiropractic services.
Restore Chiropractic explains what triggers migraines and explores how chiropractic care might hold the key to long-lasting relief.
What Are Migraines?
Migraines are not your ordinary headaches. They are neurological events characterized by severe, pulsating pain, often on one side of the head. Other symptoms like nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light and sound frequently accompany them.
The exact causes of migraines are not entirely clear, but they are believed to involve a complex interplay of genetic, environmental, and neurovascular factors.
Migraines can occur at any age and are generally diagnosed through symptoms, tests, or if your family has a history of them.
What Causes a Migraine?
A myriad of factors can trigger migraines, and some of the most common include:
- Food allergies or sensitivities
- Stress or hormonal changes
- Lack of sleep
- Skipping meals
- Elemental factors like weather changes or bright lights
- Certain types of medications
- Family history
In susceptible individuals, these triggers can lead to abnormal brain activity and chemical imbalances that culminate in the onset of a migraine attack.
The unpredictability of these triggers can leave migraine sufferers feeling like they're navigating a minefield, never knowing when the next debilitating episode will strike.
What Are the Stages of a Migraine?
While the symptoms can come and go, some do have chronic and ongoing issues, and they typically go in four stages:
- Prodrome can include constipation, frequent urination, mood changes, and increased thirst.
- Aura symptoms can range from vision loss to seeing lights and shapes or other sensations like pins and needles in arms or legs.
- Attacks can last between four hours and three days, and there may be feelings of nausea, sensitivity to light, touch, sound, and smell, and pain on both or one side of the head.
- Post-Drome typically happens 24 to 48 hours after the migraine, resulting in symptoms like fatigue and a decreased ability to concentrate.
How Does Chiropractic Care Help Relieve Migraines?
Migraines often occur when there is a subluxation or misalignment in the spine, which can cause irritation of the nerves and reduce the appropriate amount of blood flow to the area where the migraine occurs.
While there is no one-size-fits-all approach to managing migraines, an increasing body of research suggests that chiropractic care can play a significant role in reducing the frequency, intensity, and duration of migraine episodes.
Chiropractors focus on the nervous system and its intimate relationship with the spine. Neurological stress from physical, chemical, and emotional stressors changes the tone of the nervous system, causing a physiological change in the body that can lead to various health issues, including migraines.
Benefits of Spinal Adjustments for Migraines & Headaches
Misalignments, also called subluxations, in the spine, particularly in the neck, can contribute to nerve irritation and muscle tension, triggering migraines. Spinal adjustments help correct these misalignments, improving nerve function and reducing muscle and joint tension.
Let’s look at some benefits of spinal adjustments for relief from migraines.
Relieve Muscle Tension
Migraines are often caused by tension in the neck and shoulders. If you have regular migraines, chiropractic care combined with soft tissue massage or myofascial release can help relax tight muscles.
This reduces tension that can lead to migraines and improves your posture and nervous system.
Correct Posture
Many people tend to slouch, especially if they are working on computers all day. Poor posture can lead to chronic tension and trigger migraines.
Chiropractors can help improve your posture through adjustments, stretches, and exercises, reducing strain on the neck and upper back muscles.
Outside of the chiropractor, it is important to strengthen your core to help improve your posture.
Improve Nervous System Function
Through regular chiropractic appointments, patients can improve nervous system function. Misalignments in the spine can affect the nervous system, contributing to migraines.
Chiropractic care helps restore proper nerve communication between the brain and body, potentially reducing migraine triggers.
Support Lifestyle Changes
Depending on who you ask, becoming someone who visits the chiropractor regularly may seem like a small or big lifestyle change. No matter how significant your commitment is, by prioritizing your health, you will make a monumental difference in your life.
In addition to general chiropractic care, your chiropractor may recommend lifestyle management strategies such as dietary changes, low-impact exercise, and correct posture when sitting.
Overall, the primary target for the chiropractor when managing a migraine is to maximize your body's overall health and reduce pain using a multifaceted care plan to help decrease and make your migraine experiences more manageable.
When to See a Chiropractor for Migraines & Headaches
While many people think of chiropractors only for back problems, the benefits of spinal adjustments for migraines are obvious.
Plus, chiropractic care positively impacts the entire body – physically, mentally, and emotionally. Regular visits can help identify and address spinal misalignments before they cause migraines and other symptoms, preventing pain and discomfort as we age.
If you deal with chronic migraines, here’s when it’s time to see a chiropractor:
- Your migraines are consistent/chronic/frequent.
- Your symptoms are causing stress and/or anxiety.
- You want to avoid medication while managing pain.
- You’re pregnant and experiencing debilitating headaches.
- You want to target the root issue and prevent migraines before they happen.
Expert Chiropractic Care Minnesotans Can Trust
Chiropractors are trained to diagnose, assess, and provide care for migraines, and when you need an expert, the team at Restore Chiropractic is here to help!
Our team offers top-rated chiropractic services in Maple Grove, and we use advanced technologies because we want you to feel your best. Restore Chiropractic provides prenatal, pediatric, and whole-family care, creating custom solutions for each individual.
We always go above and beyond to provide excellent care, which includes flexible financing options, discounts on whole-family plans, in-depth digital X-rays, easy online scheduling, and insurance verification.
We’re not a one-and-done type of chiropractic office. We want to help empower and educate families to live their best lives through continued care and support.
Feeling great starts with advanced holistic care; book an appointment online or call us at 612-516-3090 today.
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