Migraines are a complex neurological event where the brain loses its normal ability to filter and regulate incoming messages from the body and environment. Sensory processing becomes disordered and the brain’s response is to release a cascade of chemicals, causing blood vessel dilation and inflammation. This gives rise to a variety of symptoms, such as severe headache, vomiting/nausea, light/sound sensitivity and an inability to function. Migraine is not just a headache, it is a debilitating, recurring, and often lifelong condition, affecting an estimated 1.1 billion people worldwide.
With 100,000 people missing work everyday in the UK due to migraine, and an estimated cost to the economy of £4.4 billion, finding ways to help reduce the impact of migraine on sufferers makes a lot of sense.
Who Gets Migraines?
Around 10 million people in the UK are affected by migraine. Migraines can start at any age, but are most common between the ages of 25 and 55. Puberty in girls can often be a trigger. Both men and women get migraine, but women are 2 to 3 times more likely to be affected. Migraines can change over time: symptoms experienced can alter and vary, they may improve during pregnancy or after the menopause, and become more or less frequent/severe during a person’s life.
Migraines Explained
Primary migraines (those that are not triggered by another illness or condition) can be classified as ‘episodic’ or ‘chronic’. People suffering episodic migraines will experience them eight or less days per month. Chronic migraines occur more than eight times per month and understandably, have an overwhelming impact on an individual’s life.
Migraines vary from person to person but generally last between four hours and three days. Common symptoms of a migraine include, moderate to severe throbbing headache, usually on one side of the head, nausea or vomiting, heightened sensitivity to light, sound, and/or smells. In some cases, sufferers experience ‘aura’ as part of their migraine.
Migraine attacks often follow four recognised phases:
Prodrome (Warning signs): Light/sound sensitivity, food cravings, energy changes, tiredness, mood change, stiff neck.
Aura (Occurs in approximately 1/3 of cases): Visual disturbance such as blind spots, zig zag lines, flashing/flickering lights, blurred vision, coloured spots/lines; numbness, tingling, speech difficulty and dizziness.
Migraine Attack (Headache phase): Intense, throbbing head pain, often felt on one side. Worsened by physical activity and light or sound. Sufferers often feel incapacitated and have to lie down in a dark room.
Postdrome (Recovery): Feeling of fatigue, being ‘washed out’, food cravings, light/sound sensitivity, vertigo.
How Can Chiropractic Help With Migraine Management?
Let’s be clear here, there is no cure for migraine. So the goals of treatment are to reduce the intensity, duration and frequency of this complex neurological condition, and chiropractic care can be effective as part of wider migraine management.
Chiropractic focuses on the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mechanical disorders of the musculoskeletal system. So, for patients who find that musculoskeletal tension in the back or neck is part of their migraine story, chiropractic treatment during the asymptomatic phase can be beneficial.
Your chiropractor will undertake a detailed assessment of your symptoms, medical history and lifestyle before carrying out a thorough physical examination to build a detailed picture of your situation. Based on their findings, they will then will develop a personalised treatment plan for you. It is important to note that your chiropractor may refer you to your GP or other healthcare professional if they feel this is the best course of action.
If chiropractic is appropriate, treatment and care may include:
Manipulation, soft tissue therapy, and mobilisation to relieve musculoskeletal tension, improve spinal alignment, reduce nerve irritation, and increase blood flow.
Exercise and posture advice to help build and maintain flexiblity, reduce muscle tension and improve overall health.
An exploration of potential triggers, such as lifestyle and environmental factors, sensory stimuli, dietary factors and hormonal changes, and how these may be contributing to your migraine.
In Short
Chiropractic care offers a natural, non-invasive way to help manage and alleviate migraines. Through spinal adjustments and other manual therapies, chiropractic treatment can reduce muscle tension, improve nerve function, enhance blood flow, and help address many of the triggers that contribute to migraine attacks. While it may not be appropriate for everyone, many migraine sufferers find significant relief through chiropractic care, allowing them to live more comfortably and enjoy a better quality of life.
A tailored treatment plan could provide significant relief and reduce the frequency, duration and severity of your migraine.
So why not get in touch to see if we could help you?
