Relief from Migraines: How Chiropractic Care Can Help

Recognizing Migraines

Migraines are more than just a bad headache. They can be debilitating, affecting every aspect of your life. Whether it’s keeping you from staying active, hindering your ability to work, or making it difficult to enjoy time with loved ones, migraines can drastically reduce your quality of life. Understanding the nature of migraines and how to manage them is key to regaining control over your health and well-being.

Knowing whether you’re experiencing a migraine or a different type of headache is crucial for getting the right treatment. Migraines often come with warning signs known as an aura. These can start hours or even days before the headache itself. Common early symptoms include cravings for specific foods, feeling unusually hyper or irritable, or experiencing unexplained fatigue. You might also notice physical signs like a stiff neck, frequent yawning, or changes in bathroom habits.

Auras can manifest in several ways, affecting different senses and functions:

• Visual Auras: These are the most common type of aura and can include a variety of visual disturbances. You might see bright spots, flashes of light, or zigzag patterns. Some people experience a phenomenon called “scintillating scotoma,” where a small blind spot gradually expands and takes on a shimmering or flickering border. Others might see tunnel vision, where peripheral vision is lost, or experience complete vision loss in one eye.
• Sensory Auras: These auras affect your sense of touch. You might experience pins and needles or tingling sensations, typically starting in one hand and then moving up the arm before affecting the face, lips, and tongue. In some cases, these sensations can spread to one side of the body. Numbness is another common sensory aura, where you may temporarily lose sensation in the affected areas.
• Speech and Language Auras: Also known as dysphasic auras, these can cause temporary difficulty in speaking, understanding language, or finding the right words. You might find yourself struggling to form coherent sentences or feel as if your thoughts are jumbled. This can be particularly distressing and is often mistaken for a stroke, but in the context of a migraine, it is usually temporary.
• Motor Auras: These are less common but can be particularly alarming. A motor aura can cause temporary weakness or paralysis on one side of the body, a condition known as hemiplegic migraine. This type of migraine can mimic the symptoms of a stroke, so it’s important to seek medical attention if you experience these symptoms for the first time.
• Auditory Auras: Some people experience disturbances in their hearing, such as ringing in the ears (tinnitus), hearing phantom noises like music or voices, or a sensation of muffled hearing. These auditory auras can be disorienting and may also be accompanied by vertigo or dizziness.
• Olfactory and Gustatory Auras: Although rare, some individuals may experience changes in their sense of smell or taste before a migraine. You might suddenly smell something that isn’t there (phantosmia) or notice a strange taste in your mouth that lingers.
• Vertigo and Balance Auras: In some cases, a migraine aura can affect your sense of balance, leading to vertigo (a spinning sensation) or dizziness. This can make it difficult to stand or walk and may be accompanied by nausea.

Recognizing these signs early can help you prepare and possibly mitigate the severity of the migraine. Understanding the full scope of what a migraine entails can help you seek the appropriate care and take steps to manage the condition.

The Migraine Experience

Once the headache phase of a migraine begins, it can last anywhere from 4 to 72 hours, making it a significant disruption to your daily life. Migraine pain is often intense and throbbing, typically affecting one side of the head, though it can spread to both sides in some cases. The pain can be so severe that it’s incapacitating, forcing you to retreat to a dark, quiet room to avoid triggers like bright lights and loud noises.

Alongside the headache, migraines often bring a host of other symptoms that can make the experience even more challenging. Nausea and vomiting are common, and the heightened sensitivity to light (photophobia) and sound (phonophobia) can make even normal activities unbearable. Some individuals also experience sensitivity to smells (osmophobia), which can exacerbate feelings of nausea and discomfort. Physical activity often worsens these symptoms, meaning even routine movements can become painful.

For many migraine sufferers, the aftermath of a migraine, known as the “postdrome” or “migraine hangover,” can linger for hours or even days. During this phase, you might feel drained, fatigued, and mentally foggy, making it difficult to return to your normal activities even after the headache has subsided. Understanding the full range of symptoms and the typical progression of a migraine can help you manage the condition more effectively and prepare for its impact on your life.

Self-Help Strategies

Managing migraines effectively often requires a multifaceted approach that includes both lifestyle changes and medical intervention. Here are some strategies that can help reduce the frequency and severity of your migraines:

• Develop Better Sleep Hygiene: Good sleep habits are crucial in managing migraines. Aim for consistent sleep and wake times each day, even on weekends. Create a calming bedtime routine, avoid screens before bed, and keep your bedroom cool and dark. Tracking your sleep in a journal can help identify patterns that may be contributing to your migraines.
• Eat Wisely: Skipping meals or eating certain foods can trigger migraines. Regular, balanced meals can help stabilize blood sugar levels and prevent headaches. Keeping a food journal can be instrumental in identifying specific foods or ingredients that trigger your migraines, allowing you to make informed dietary choices.
• Exercise Regularly: Regular physical activity can help reduce stress, improve sleep, and enhance overall well-being, all of which can reduce the frequency of migraines. However, it’s important to start slowly and choose activities that don’t exacerbate your symptoms. For some, intense physical exertion can trigger a migraine, so finding the right balance is key.
• Reduce Stress: Stress is a common migraine trigger, so managing it effectively is essential. Techniques like meditation, yoga, or deep breathing exercises can help reduce stress. Simplifying your life, delegating tasks, and taking regular breaks during the day can also alleviate stress. Engaging in hobbies or activities you enjoy can provide a mental break and reduce the overall stress load.
• Keep a Migraine Journal: Tracking your migraines in a journal can help you and your healthcare provider identify patterns and triggers. Note when each migraine occurs, what you ate, how you slept, your stress levels, and any other factors that might be relevant. This can help in creating a tailored plan to reduce the impact of migraines on your life.

How Chiropractic Care Can Help Migraines

Chiropractic care offers a holistic, drug-free approach to managing migraines, but it’s important to understand that it can be most effective when combined with conventional medical treatments. Here’s how chiropractic care can fit into a comprehensive migraine management plan:

• Spinal Manipulation and Joint Mobilization: Research shows that chiropractic adjustments can help reduce the frequency and intensity of migraines by improving spinal function and alleviating tension in the neck and upper back. This can be particularly beneficial for those whose migraines are triggered by musculoskeletal issues, such as poor posture or neck strain. Regular chiropractic care, typically twice a week for 8 to 12 weeks, has been shown to provide significant relief for many migraine sufferers.
• Trigger Point Therapy and Myofascial Release: Many migraine sufferers have active trigger points in their muscles, particularly in the neck and shoulders. These trigger points can refer pain to the head, contributing to the severity of a migraine. Myofascial release techniques, including trigger point therapy and acupuncture, can help alleviate this muscle tension. Studies have shown that treating these trigger points can reduce migraine frequency and intensity to levels comparable to certain migraine medications. This treatment is often most effective over a series of 6 to 8 visits.
• Neck Muscle Endurance: Poor endurance in the neck muscles is a common issue among female migraine sufferers. Weak neck muscles can contribute to poor posture and increased strain, which can trigger or exacerbate migraines. As part of your chiropractic care, you’ll receive specific exercises designed to strengthen these muscles, improve your posture, and reduce the likelihood of future migraines.

Working Together with Your Medical Team

Chiropractic care can be an excellent complement to the care provided by your medical doctor, especially when it comes to managing migraines. It’s important to work closely with your healthcare team to ensure that your treatment plan is comprehensive and cohesive. Your medical doctor may prescribe medications to prevent migraines or to treat them when they occur. These might include triptans, anti-nausea medications, or preventative medications like beta-blockers or anticonvulsants.

By combining chiropractic care with medical treatments, you can address migraines from multiple angles. While chiropractic care focuses on reducing musculoskeletal triggers and improving overall function, medications can help control the neurological aspects of migraines. Regular communication between your chiropractor and your medical doctor ensures that your treatment plan is well-coordinated and that any potential interactions between treatments are carefully managed.

Taking the Next Step

Migraines don’t have to control your life. With the right combination of self-care strategies, chiropractic care, and medical treatment, you can reduce the impact of migraines on your daily activities and get back to living the life you enjoy. If you’re ready to take the next step in managing your migraines and improving your overall health, I encourage you to book an appointment.

Take control of your health today—schedule an examination to see how chiropractic care can make a difference in your migraine management.

Dr Christopher Notley – Winnipeg Chiropractor and Athletic Therapist

Originally posted on May 17, 2022 @ 4:39 pm