At some point, most people have experienced headaches or migraines that leave them helpless and miserable. Headaches can differ from person to person, by type as well as by the area affected, and are usually determined by their underlying causes. But most headaches, including migraines, happen for a reason, however, there could be so many triggers that it can be hard to pin it down to a specific cause.
Some of the general triggers range from stress, medication, too little or too much sleep, weather changes, and hormonal changes to the intake of various foods and beverages as well as other external factors. Of all the different types of headaches, migraines can be the worst. Also known as a spinal headache, migraines occur due to issues with the nerves that exit at the level of the spine when a bone is subluxated in the neck.
What Are Migraines?
Migraines are genetically passed on and are brought on by nausea and sensitively to light or noise. A migraine can be described as an intense and throbbing headache that can last from a few hours to a few days. You could get a migraine attack several times a month or once a year, but in most cases, it tends to become less severe with age.
If you are predisposed to suffer from migraines, you will most likely experience your first bout before you turn 30 years of age. You will also have a more sensitive nervous system. To treat migraines, it is also important to know that there two main types.
Types of Migraines
Migraine Without Aura
These are migraines that occur without warning and are usually moderate to severe pulsating headache pains on one side of the head. They can be brought on by a number of triggers like nausea, mood swings, blurred vision, fatigue, and confusion. They usually last from 4 to 72 hours, occurring a few times a week to a few times a year.
Migraine With Aura
A Migraine with Aura causes visual disturbances and other neurological symptoms that begin before the painful headache itself and usually subsides within an hour. The aura systems induce muscle weakness on one side of the body, tingling sensations in the face and hands, mindlessness and general confusion in even speaking. These symptoms are sometimes not accompanied by a headache.
Treating Migraine With Chiropractic Care
You might be wondering how a visit to the chiropractor can help treat headaches. Chiropractors focus on the diagnosis and treatment of neuromuscular disorders, with an emphasis on treatment through manual adjustment and/or manipulation of the spine. Because migraines are directly linked to your spine, a chiropractor can help you ease the symptoms of a migraine.
If you have suffered from migraines, you know that these headaches also cause muscle tension around the neck, upper back and shoulders. Other reasons for these tensions could be inappropriate breathing patterns, bad posture, or long hours of sitting in front of a computer.
One of the most effective means to relieve the symptoms of both headaches and migraines is by improving the posture significantly, which can be achieved through chiropractic adjustments. Chiropractic care stabilizes muscle tension and restores motion by alleviating stress contributors. This helps to reduce the pressure in and around the neck and spine.
Chiropractic care concentrates on restoring proper breathing and optimal posture through natural methods, by maneuvering the spine, hips, and ribs. By bringing the spine back to its natural alignment and strengthening muscle control, chiropractic treatment can help reduce your headaches. If you have tried it all and are still not able to reduce your migraines, a visit to the chiropractor may just be what you’re looking for.
