If you are one of the millions of Americans who suffer from migraine headaches, you do not need to be told what absolute hell they can be. Migraines are debilitating headaches that have a variety of causes, but all have some level of commonality: Extreme pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and a variety of other symptoms that can be absolutely excruciating.
There is no cure for migraine headaches, but there are many ways that the pain caused by migraines can be mediated. One such example is seeing a chiropractor.
Before understanding how a chiropractor can help, it is important to understand just what causes migraines and potential changes that you can make to your own life in order to avoid them or minimize your own pain.
Part of the challenge with migraines is that people have such varying experiences with them that they are extremely difficult to treat. Indeed, migraines have many potential causes. These include:
– Stress
– Hormonal changes
– Dietary challenges
– Physical factors, including bad posture, injuries, or extended exercise.
– Sensory stimulation, including bright lights, certain smells, loud noises, or more.
Symptoms of migraines tend to vary from person to person. They include:
– Extremely painful headaches that are often exacerbated by bright lights, loud sounds, or sudden movement. The pain is often isolated to one side of the head or in a specific spot.
– Nausea, vomiting, or an upset stomach.
– Extreme sensitivity to causes of migraines, such as lights or sound.
The time that migraines also varies. For some, they can remain for up to 72 hours. They can also disappear in as quick as an hour or two.
What is even worse about migraines is that they often come with specific “before” and “after” times, known as the prodrome and post-drome.
The prodrome is the time period before a migraine, during which a sufferer may experience mood changes, upset stomach, or neck stiffness. Many people also experience visual auras, which are blurred or spotty vision problems that can make it difficult to see or function.
A post-drome occurs after a migraine and may take someone days to recover from. During this time, the pain is gone, but someone may experience confusion, disorientation, and extreme fatigue.
How A Chiropractor Can Help
Chiropractors can help address migraines in multiple ways. First and foremost, it is important to remember that chiropractors are experts in the body. They can help people restore their physical alignment by adjusting the neck, back, and head in order to ensure that your body is working as smoothly and optimally as possible. The neck and head adjustments provided by a chiropractor can help to reduce pain and restore function.
Specifically, chiropractors can help to remove subluxations in the spine. A subluxation is caused by a shift in the spine can often be the root cause of serious pain and discomfort. A physical adjustment can remove these issues by clearing up any subluxations. Furthermore, general spinal care can help to improve spinal health, and this can reduce pain.
There are multiple studies that have found the efficacy of this approach. For example, a 200 study was published in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics that tested the ability to spinal manipulative therapy to reduce headaches and migraines. The study found that people who received chiropractic therapy showed a statistically significant improvement when compared to a group that did not receive such treatment.
Another study, this one from 2014, was published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. This one found that chiropractic adjustment could cut the number of migraines in half.
Other case studies have made similar findings, noting that chiropractic adjustment can reduce the frequency and pain associated with migraines in half.
However, it is important to realize that this is not the only way that chiropractors can help with migraines. Chiropractors are about more than spinal manipulation. A good chiropractor will also give you exercises and stretches to do at home. They may also provide you with nutritional advice and make recommendations about lifestyle changes and things to avoid.
The important thing is this: If you suffer from migraines, you can address these issues by seeking care, and chiropractic care can help to relieve you of this pain. If you are looking for help and live in the area of Birmingham, Alabama, call 205-637-1363 today for information on how a chiropractor can help you address your migraines.
