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Migraines and Chiropractic

If you’re reading this then you, or someone you know likely suffers migraines. When I was 11 and 12 years of age, I also had migraines so can relate to the pain and disability they bring.

According to the International Headache Society (IHS), a migraine is defined as a headache on one side of the head, with a pulsating quality of moderate to severe intensity that is aggravated by routine physical activity.  There is also nausea and/or vomiting and sensitivity to light.

Migraine can be further divided into migraine with aura and migraine without aura. The IHS defines aura as a complex of neurological symptoms occurring before, or with the migraine attack. The symptoms of an aura vary greatly.  Common symptoms can be alternation in vision, sensation, and speech.

Why Chiropractic?

Many patients worldwide have experienced positive changes with chiropractic care.

Several research studies have assessed chiropractic care for migraine sufferers.  The evidence includes systematic reviews, randomized controlled trials, controlled trials, and case studies.  These studies suggest chiropractic care to be effective in treating migraine sufferers.

Many people believe that neck and back pain can be potential triggers for migraine headaches. Therefore, chiropractic migraine care is becoming popular among health care professionals to aid their patients in bringing down the frequency of their migraine attacks and reducing the duration and severity of migraine headaches.  For example, the Harvard Medical School Osher Center for Integrative Medicine established the Osher Clinical Center (OCC) for Complementary and Integrative Therapies.  In 2019 they published a case series of patients seen at the clinic for migraine.  They were a small number of patients in the study who all reported improvements in their migraine and spinal pain over a 12-month treatment period.

 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6440032/

How does it work?

The cause of migraines varies depending on hormones, genetics, spinal health and the environment.  Stress, fatigue, serotonin, and oestrogen levels may all play a role in the occurrence and severity of migraines. However, changes in blood flow and nerve cell communication in the brain often contribute to migraine pain.
The constriction of blood vessels in the brain can decrease blood flow and cause the visual impairments often experienced with the ‘aura’ sensation some people experience at the beginning of a migraine.  When these blood vessels expand, the sudden increase in blood pressure contributes to the throbbing, pounding feeling most commonly felt during a migraine.

Many people who suffer from migraines also experience neck pain and stiffness.  Muscle tension and nerve irritation in the head and neck caused by spinal misalignments (subluxations) can affect blood flow to the brain, which may increase the severity of the headache. This is where chiropractic care can help.  The Upper Cervical spine in particular has a huge impact on the health of your nervous system, your blood supply, and hormone regulation. That’s why it’s vital to make sure that this area is aligned, and healthy and free from nerve interference.

 

At Align Chiropractic and Wellness as a Chiropractor in the Auckland CBD, we have a particular focus on the Upper Cervical spine.  Through our careful analysis and diagnosis, we seek toascertain where nerve pressure is located in your neck.

We then use very specific chiropractic techniques, including the Atlas Orthogonal technique to assist the body to heal and regain health and wellbeing.

 

 

References:

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