Treatment of Chronic Migraines
HOW TO TREAT CHRONIC MIGRAINES
For those of you who have never experienced a migraine, they are known for being extremely painful and often debilitating. According to the Migraine Research Foundation, more than 90% of sufferers are unable to work or function normally during their migraine episode.
Many people do not realise that Chiropractic treatment can be a great option for treating migraines. At Body Care Health & Chiropractic, we regularly treat people with migraines, whether they be experiencing them at the time or trying to prevent one from coming on. Chiropractic treatment can help you feel better faster.
How to know if it’s a migraine?
A true migraine normally sticks to a certain criterion. In order to be considered a migraine, it must have at least two of the following symptoms;
- Pulsating pain
- Unilateral location
- Nausea or vomiting
- Visual or auditory sensitivity
- Aggravation of the headache by physical activity
About 20% of migraine sufferers will experience visual auras before a migraine begins. A visual aura could be a blind spot, flashing lights, zigzag patterns or vision loss in part of one or both eyes.
A migraine is normally rated as moderate to severe on the pain scale and can last anywhere from several hours to a few days. Typically, they are more common in women than men.
What happens in the body during a migraine?
When a migraine occurs, the blood vessels in your head expand and the tissues around your brain swell. It is the swelling that can often lead to the need to characterises such as vomiting, visual disturbances and light sensitivity.
When is it classed as ‘Chronic’?
According to the International Headache Society, chronic migraine is defined as a headache occurring on 15 or more days per month for more than three months and has the characteristics of a migraine. Chronic migraines occur in approximately 1% of the population. Studies estimate that about 2.5% of people with episodic migraines will transition to chronic migraines each year.
How can Chiropractic care help?
Our skilled Chiropractors at Body Care Health & Chiropractic can help relieve the symptoms of a migraine and other types of headaches through spinal adjustments to loosen up restricted joints and massage techniques to relax muscles of the back, neck and shoulder areas, improve blood flow and relieve stress. We also place a high level of importance on education on lifestyle factors such as posture, diet (including daily water intake) and exercise.
If you experience migraines and would like more information, contact our Chiropractors at Body Care Health & Chiropractic.
P: 0409 712 075
E: felicity@bodycarechiro.com.au
