If you think that a chiropractor is just for your aching back, think again. Chiropractic care can help with a wide variety of health issues, including migraines.
The American Chiropractic Association (ACA) recognizes headache and migraine as health conditions that chiropractic can effectively treat. They use evidence found in several studies that found chiropractic to be a viable treatment for migraine and headache, especially stemming from neck pain or injury.
What is Migraine?
If you’ve ever had a migraine, you know it’s not “just a headache.” The medical community now recognizes migraine as a neurological disease. There are many different types of migraine, but typically an attack is accompanied by pain in the head, eyes, neck, face, or jaw and may include nausea, fatigue, and problems with motor function.
There are an estimated 39 million Americans who experience migraines – and that’s a conservative figure. Many people do not seek treatment or ever get a diagnosis, so doctors speculate that the number is much higher. Chiropractic care is a non-invasive, drug-free approach to pain management and is often used to treat migraines.
How Can Chiropractic Help Migraine?
When you go see a chiropractor for your migraine, he or she will likely employ several methods of treatment.
Usually, they will do chiropractic adjustments, or spinal manipulations, to improve nervous system function, take pressure off the spine, and decrease stress in your body. They may use various chiropractic tools as well to help bring your body back into alignment so it will be more balanced and function better.
The chiropractor will also likely talk to you about your diet, health habits, and lifestyle. This is important, especially if your migraine attacks are triggered by certain foods.
Hydration is also extremely important. Dehydration is a major migraine trigger for many people, so it is important to make sure you are drinking plenty of water each day. There are also some good hydration drinks on the market, but make sure they are free from other common migraine triggers like sugar, sodium, and aspartame. Some people are sensitive to stevia, so take care when choosing something with this plant-based sweetener.
They may talk to you about lifestyle changes like learning stress relief techniques, quitting smoking, reducing your alcohol intake (especially if alcohol is a migraine trigger), and getting enough sleep.
Are Chiropractors Qualified to Treat Migraine?
Doctors of Chiropractic go through a great deal of training for not only treating their patients for lower back pain, but also many other conditions. Their extensive training equips them for identifying and working with certain health conditions. They have a very good understanding of how the spine and nervous system affects the rest of the body and how it functions so they can address those issues, get to the root of the problem, and help the patient feel better naturally.
If you get migraines you know that they are no joke! However, you can find relief! Call today or make an appointment online with one of Sandstone’s trained, skilled chiropractors and get a handle on your pain.
