More than 3 million people across the United States suffer from migraines. These extreme headaches can make performing everyday tasks difficult, if not impossible. While some medication and lifestyle changes can help you reduce migraines, one other treatment stands out as a reliable way to decrease them: chiropractic care.
At Elevate Wellness, our team understands how detrimental migraines can be to your ability to perform everyday tasks. The pain may feel unmanageable, and you may struggle to reduce discomfort, even with prescription pain medication. Keep reading to learn more about how your chiropractor can help reduce migraines.
What are Migraines?
Migraines are headaches that cause throbbing pain, most often on one side of the head. They are often accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and extreme light and sound sensitivity. Migraines may last between a few hours and several days, and the pain can be so bad that it interferes with everyday activities.
There are four stages of migraines, including:
- Prodrome: The first stage begins about 24 hours before your migraine. You may notice mood changes, nausea, fatigue, and more.
- Aura: This stage is a collection of warning signs that a migraine may be beginning. The aura may last between five and sixty minutes and may occur at the same time as the headache. Not everyone who experiences migraines will experience auras.
- Headache: Once the prodrome stage ends, the migraine starts. This headache may last between four hours and three days.
- Postdrome: The final stage lasts for a few hours to several days. These symptoms may feel similar to an alcohol-induced hangover.
What are the Triggers for Migraines?
Some of the most common triggers for migraines include being hungry, thirsty, or stressed. Major changes in your everyday routine may also lead to a migraine attack. However, there are far more triggers that may cause migraines, including:
- Hormone Changes
- Teeth Grinding
- Head Injuries
- Electronic Device Use
If you experience consistent migraines, you should consider keeping a journal to help you identify your specific triggers. This will help you rule out some activities and determine what factors of your lifestyle may contribute to your migraines.
How Can Your Chiropractor Reduce Migraines?
If you have struggled to reduce migraines on your own, working with a reliable chiropractic team is a great way to alleviate this pain. To start, your chiropractor will perform a physical exam and discuss your migraine symptoms with you. From this physical examination, your chiropractor may recommend spinal adjustments and decompression therapy to help reduce migraines.
Spinal adjustments and decompression therapy can help improve your spinal function and alleviate stress on your nervous system. Misalignments may contribute to your migraine frequency. Adjustments can correct this misalignment, potentially reducing the frequency and intensity of your migraines.
They may also recommend soft tissue therapies, including massage and trigger point therapy. These treatments can help relax tightened muscles in your neck, shoulders, and back. Tension in these areas can contribute to migraine headaches, so releasing muscle tension may help alleviate migraine frequency and intensity.
These chiropractic treatments can help you reduce migraines without having to rely on pain medications you may not feel comfortable using. In addition to chiropractic treatments, your chiropractor may recommend lifestyle changes to help reduce migraines. These lifestyle changes include drinking more water, getting more consistent sleep, and improving your posture.
Finally, your chiropractor may recommend learning self-care techniques such as stretching and relaxation techniques. These techniques can help you alleviate the stress you may experience as you feel a migraine setting in and prevent them from occurring altogether.
Should You Speak to a Doctor about Your Migraines?
While your chiropractor can help you reduce migraines, there are some signs that you should seek medical attention. If you have regular migraines, keep a record of the triggers and symptoms. From there, make an appointment with your healthcare provider and discuss medications and treatments that can help you alleviate their frequency.
If you experience any of the following migraine symptoms, you should seek immediate medical attention:
- Sudden onset migraines
- Headaches accompanied by stroke symptoms, such as confusion, numbness, or difficulty walking or seeing
- Headaches after an auto accident or sports injury
- Chronic headaches that worsen after physical exertion
Migraine Treatment and More at Elevate Wellness
Whether you are trying to reduce migraines or treat other ailments with the help of a chiropractic team, it is essential that you work with a team of reliable chiropractors like our team at Elevate Wellness. With years of experience helping patients across the Bountiful area and beyond recover from injuries and impairments, we are confident that we can do the same for you.
We can help you treat workplace injuries, sciatica, neck pain, and more. If other treatments haven’t helped you reduce migraines and you would like to speak to our chiropractor about how they can help, don’t hesitate to contact us today for support.