You probably know someone that suffers with migraines, since 12% of the population, or 39 million people in the U.S., has them. Migraines can be a daily occurrence or only happen once in awhile. They are debilitating and are triggered by many things including: stress, dehydration, hunger, and environmental changes. Some examples of environmental changes include: certain types of lights, some foods like chocolate or caffeine, or air pollutants. Some migraines can even be triggered by fluctuating hormone levels in the body, specifically during certain times during the menstrual cycle or after sex.
There are many degrees to a migraine, however most consist of throbbing pain in the head and sensory sensitivities that can last between 4 and 72 hours. Some variables of migraines are the location of the pain, visual auras, sound sensitivity, nausea, vomiting, and dizziness.
Migraines can affect people of all ages, from children to the elderly. However, most of the people that have migraines are women.
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Chiropractic Care and Migraines
Although there are many causes for migraines, chiropractic care can be very beneficial to those that do suffer from migraines. Having the neck and cranial bones adjusted, can relieve neck tension and allow for proper movement of the cervical vertibrae. Looking at a migraine from a biomechanical standpoint, the migraines are a result of muscle tightness and reduced vertibral motion at the base of the skull and into the neck. Through chiropractic adjustments, we can restore the correct motion and reduce muscle tension. This action will reduce both severity and frequency of the migraines.
Many people come into the office with migraines. Some people can feel relief after the first adjustment but typically the migraines will start to go after a few adjustments.
As a migraine sufferer myself, I know that the combination of massage and adjustments, reduces the duration of my migraine and I have them less often. I highly recommend people that do suffer with migraines get regular chiropractic care.
If you suffer with migraines, or any type of headache, and would like to see how chiropractic care can help, please reach out to make an appointment and we would be glad to help you.