Do you ever experience such bad headaches, that you must go into a dark room, turn off the lights, turn off the music, and just generally be in quiet? And, sleep for hours on end, because of a headache that just won’t seem to go away? If so, you may be experiencing a migraine. Migraines are debilitating, and far too many people suffer from them.
A migraine is a severe headache, that is oftentimes proceeded by an aura, or spots in your vision. While it is like a headache, it’s much more intense, and can often lead to things like nauseous-ness, and even vomiting. Patients that we see in our office, suffering from migraines experience many, many different symptoms, and they can be triggered by a lot of different things. In general, what we know, is that there are only a couple of key causes of migraines.
Now, the most common cause of migraines is from something in the neck, called a subluxation… but we’ll get back to that in a minute. The other two reasons we see people come in with migraines are (1) dehydration issues, and (2) stress-related disorders. First, dehydration issues or electrolyte imbalances in the body, can be relatively simple fixes. Hydration with water, or coconut water and, even supplementation of magnesium, and calcium, things like potassium can balance out your body and alleviate your migraines. Headaches and migraines can also be from stress-related disorders. For instance, stress at work, loss of a job, important deadlines that you aren’t prepared for, or even changes in life, such as divorce, moving, new job, or even addition(s) to the family, such as a new child.
Like we said, the most common cause is from something called a subluxation. A subluxation is when one or more of the bones in the spine shifts out of alignment, causing irritation of the nerves, that go into the head from the neck. When these are present, it can cause severe migraines.
While there are many different treatment options for migraines, they usually boil down to one of three things. The route we find most people first start with, after experiencing a migraine, is a visit to their primary care doctor or their family doctor. Often their doctor(s) recommend medications such as Imitrex, or Tylenol, Excedrin Migraine, even, are over-the-counter options that many people find relief from. But the more I see patients, the more I hear daily, that, “I don’t want to be on medications long term.” That is why many people have turned to alternative methods, such as massage and acupuncture.
Massage is great and can alleviate tension in the neck, that are causing these problems. Acupuncture can do the same. However, what we find from our patients who suffer from migraines, is that the relief provided by a massage is short-term and not long-lived. That is why chiropractic is an awesome option for those suffering with migraines. The chiropractor looks to address the root cause, which is subluxation causing nerve interference, triggering all the other accompanying symptoms, such as neck pain, headaches, dizziness or even vertigo.
Following a specific analysis and evaluation, chiropractors are able to determine exactly where subluxations are in the spine- causing this nerve interference leading to headaches and migraines. We then provide specific adjustments to take pressure off the nerve and allow the body to start functioning and healing at its best, allowing you to get back to your life free of pain, naturally.
Now you know—if you, or a loved one is suffering from migraines, give us a call; have a five-minute phone consultation, and determine if chiropractic care is an option for you!
