Migraine is the world’s third most prevalent illness. Over 35 million Americans suffer from migraine headaches, with women outnumbering men by more than two to one.
If you are living with migraine, then you’re all too familiar with the symptoms. In the days leading up to an episode you may experience constipation, mood swings, neck stiffness and sudden cravings for certain foods. Just before the headache sets in, you may see flashes of light or lose your vision, feel pins and needles in your extremities, and become weak in one side of your body.
But the unpleasantness of those symptoms pales in comparison to the headache itself: intense pain in one or both sides of your head, sensitivities to light and sounds, and unrelenting nausea.
Treatments for Migraines
Even though migraine headaches can so thoroughly disrupt everyday life, most people who have them do not receive adequate treatment for their condition. Many decline to get a professional diagnosis in the first place. Many others have spoken with their doctors, but are apprehensive about the common treatments for migraine. Nerve decompression surgery can reduce the occurrence and severity of migraine headaches, but no surgery comes without risk of complications. Likewise, prescription drugs such as sumatriptan, rizatriptan and lasmiditan may all alleviate pain, but also come with potential side-effects including worsened nausea, dizziness and drowsiness.
If you also wish to avoid surgical and pharmaceutical treatments for migraine, then you have a third option. Many people currently see a chiropractor for migraine. Indeed, most chiropractors report having a high migraine caseload. The popularity of chiropractic care among migraine sufferers is no fluke, as the surgery- and drug-free field of medicine genuinely can help migraines! Of course, this begs the big questions:
How Does Chiropractic Care Help Migraines?
Migraine symptoms vary on a patient-by-patient basis, although the great majority of people who suffer from migraine also have neck pain. Many others also report stiffness of the neck, difficulty moving the jaw and muscle tenseness.
The delicate neurological and musculoskeletal relationships between migraine headaches and their peripheral symptoms are not yet fully understood by medical science. However, manual therapy and spinal adjustments are both chiropractic treatments which directly address stiffness and discomfort in the neck, jaw and surrounding muscles.
Chiropractic care for migraine typically focuses on stimulating blood flow to regions around the skull, as well as improving functionality of the cervical spine and nervous system. In this fashion the chiropractor helps restore their patient’s body to its ideal condition. In that condition, your body is best equipped to heal itself from a wide range of injuries and other medical conditions – migraine included.
Is Chiropractic Care for Migraines Effective?
Evidence suggests that chiropractic care provides significant relief from migraine. In one study, nearly one quarter of people who received chiropractic manipulation reported more than 90 percent reduction of attacks. In the same study, 49 percent of patients reported significant reduction in migraine intensity after receiving chiropractic care.
Would you like to learn more about whether chiropractic care can give you relief from migraine? Then we welcome you to schedule an appointment at Calhoun Spine & Wellness Center in Calhoun, GA today. Dr. Blake is standing by to explain how chiropractic can lessen or even eliminate your symptoms so you can get back to living your best life!