09 413 5312
Elevate Chiropractic
  • Home
  • Services
    • Acute Pain & Injury Care
    • Good Posture
  • About Us
  • Blog
    • FAQs
  • Contact Us

The Migraine Headache

2/9/2019

2 Comments

 
Picture
The next headache we will look at is the Migraine headache.  The classic migraine presentation is an intense throbbing or pulsating pain on one side of the head and is often accompanied by sensitivity to light and sound. Migraines can also be accompanied by an "aura". This is a visual pattern of flashing lights, lines or blind-spots running across your visual field.  Want to know more?  Continue reading to find out.

Picture
What can cause migraines?
Migraines can be caused by flashing lights, lack of food, lack of adequate rest, anxiety or stress, certain food triggers etc.  In women, they can be caused by hormonal changes.  Some people that suffer from migraines know exactly what causes them, others do not find a direct link.

Migraines are thought to be caused by dilatation and constriction of the blood vessels in the head.  Some new research suggests that there may be an inherited aspect to them.

People often confuse other headache types with migraines.  The diagnosis of a migraine is not as simple as it seems. For example, the International Headache Society recommends the “5,4,3,2,1 criteria” to diagnose migraines without aura.  This stands for:
  • 5 or more attacks
  • 4 hours to 3 days in duration
  • At least 2 of unilateral location, pulsating quality, moderate to severe pain, aggravation by or avoidance of routine physical activity
  • At least 1 additional symptom such as nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light or sound
Usual treatment of migraines
A typical approach to treat migraines, is to do two things:
  • Prevent the attacks 
  • Relieve the symptoms during an attack  
This is usually done with medication.  This is not my area of expertise so I will not go into detail on the specific medications used today.  You can speak to your GP on this topic.  From a natural perspective, there are things you can do to help.  Some more natural approaches include:
  • Stress management such as exercise, relaxation, etc
  • Lifestyle changes are also useful.  This can be avoiding triggers, eating well and regularly, making sure you are well hydrated.
  • Maintain your ideal weight.
  • Make sure you are getting enough sleep.
  • Chiropractic care.
  • Acupuncture can also be beneficial.
Chiropractic and Migraines
Since this is a chiropractic blog, I wanted to focus on the chiropractic side of migraine treatment.  Chiropractic care has been shown to be beneficial for migraine sufferers.  I have seen it personally in practice over the years. There has also been some studies which show this too.  A study out of Australia looked at 123 migraine sufferers and divided them into two groups, a chiropractic group and a control group.  The results of the chiropractic group were really interesting:
  • 22% of patients had a substantial reduction – which means more than 60% of their symptoms reduced over the course of the treatment.
  • Another 50% had quite noticeable improvement.  They found that they had reduced frequency of migraines, the length of the migraine itself was less or they didn't require the medication as much.
This is a great result considering the average length of time that the subjects had migraines was 18 years. The lead researcher, Dr Peter Tuchin (who did this research as part of his phD), summed it up nicely:

"Chiropractic is not the be all and end all, but for a good percentage of migraine sufferers the neck is a significant contributing factor, and for them chiropractic treatment is really effective. I'm not saying that everybody's going to be cured, but there's very little to lose”.

In some other research, a case study found that a 72 year old women with migraines for 60 years was treated with chiropractic care. Her migraines stopped and had not re-occurred at her 7 year follow up.  The author in this study, concluded that a certain sub-set of people suffering from migraines may respond well to chiropractic care.

As you can see, three are some natural approaches to easing the pain of migraines as listed above.   There is also a possible link between chiropractic care and relief from migraines.  If you are a migraine sufferer and haven’t tried chiropractic care as a possible treatment option, or if you want to try something different than the usual medication approach, then maybe it is worth giving chiropractic care a go.  As Dr Tuchin said, there is very little to lose.  If you would like to find out more, or would like to book an appointment, contact me here. Your body may thank you for it.

References
  • http://www.neurological.org.nz/disorders/migraine
  • http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/148373.php
  • http://www.news-medical.net/news/2005/05/22/10268.aspx
  • http://circleofdocs.com/a-case-of-chronic-migraine-remission-after-chiropractic-care/
  • Table adapted from  www.physiopedia.com
2 Comments
Chiropractor in Denver link
7/12/2021 09:11:40 pm

Very Good & much Great. You are successful because you share all the Knowledge you know with others. That’s a great sign! Good Luck to the Future and thanks.

Reply
Sankalpa Hospitals link
8/1/2024 10:23:27 pm

Your blog has been an invaluable resource in understanding the different types of migraines. I'd love to see a post comparing various treatment options, both conventional and alternative. Your balanced approach to presenting information is truly appreciated."For more info visit our official website https://www.sankalpa-hospitals.com/ or contact us @ +91 96060 2603

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Picture

    Dr Craig Buscomb

    Bringing you news, research and advice on health, wellness, exercise and chiropractic care to help take your health to the next level

    Picture
    book now

    Archives

    June 2025
    May 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    November 2022
    October 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014

    Categories

    All
    6 Week Challenge
    Air Purifier
    Archetypal Postures
    Athritis
    Back Brace
    Back Pain
    Balance
    Barefoot
    Blood Pressure
    Body Hacks
    Brain Development
    Brain Function
    Breathing
    Cervicogenic Headaches
    Children
    Chiropractic Care
    Chiropractic Research
    Clicking Joints
    Computer Setup
    Concussion
    Core Exercise
    Crawling
    Cryotherapy
    Diaphragmatic Breathing
    Disc Herniation
    Disc Injury
    Dizziness
    Dr Craig Buscomb
    Elderly
    Elevate Chiropractic Clinic
    Ergonomics
    Exercise
    Eyesight
    Eyestrain
    Fall Risk
    FAQs
    Fatigue
    Feet
    Fidgeting
    Flexibility
    Foam Roller
    Foot Function
    Foot Pain
    Free Spine Checks
    Functional Movement
    Gardening
    Gift Ideas
    Goals
    Grip Strength
    Grounding
    Habits
    Hanging
    Headaches
    Headbanging
    Health
    Heat Therapy
    Hip Arthritis
    Hip Hinge
    Hip-Hinge
    Hip Pain
    Hip Test
    Hugging
    Hypermobility
    Ice
    Joint Cracking
    Kneeling
    Knee Pain
    Leg Pain
    Lifting
    Lifting Technique
    Low Back Pain
    Lower Back
    Lower Back Pain
    Massage
    Massage Ball
    Meditation
    Mid Back
    Migraine
    Mirgrane
    Mobility
    Movement
    Music
    Myofascial Release
    NEAT
    Neck Pain
    Neck Stretches
    Neuroplasticity
    New-years-resolutions
    Nocebo Affect
    Non-Exercise Movement
    Novelty
    Office Chairs
    Osteoporosis
    Overweight
    Pediatric Care
    Performance
    Physical Activity
    Pillows
    Piriformis Syndrome
    Placebo Effect
    Plants
    Posture
    Posture Brace
    Power Poses
    Rehabilitation
    Rest
    RICE
    Risk Of Dying
    Schoolbag
    Sciatica
    Sciatic Nerve
    Seniors
    Shoes
    Shoulder
    Shoulder Pain
    Sickness
    Sitting
    Sitting Positions
    Sleep
    Sleeping
    Soft Tissue Release
    Sport
    Sports Performance
    Stability
    Static Back Position
    Stress
    Stretches
    Stretching
    Studying
    Surgery
    Teenagers
    Tension Headaches
    Testimonials
    Text Neck
    Tongue Positions
    TV
    Upper Back Pain
    Upper Cross Syndrome
    Vertigo
    Walking
    Warning Signs
    Water
    Weightloss
    Wellness
    What To Expect
    Work Breaks
    Yoga

    RSS Feed

    Contact Us
    Services
    About Us
    It's what you do everyday that impacts your health, not what you do sometimes.

Let us keep you updated with our newsletter

Quick Links

Home
Services
About Us
Blog
Contact Us
Privacy and Confidentiality

Contact Us

Shop 1, 10 Greenhithe Road
Greenhithe, Auckland 0632
P: 09 413 5312
M: 027 975 4104
E: [email protected]
Submit once, a confirmation email will be sent to you.
© Elevate Chiropractic  2014 | Website developed by Outbox Ltd