Migraines are not only painful, they can be debilitating and interfere with your work, family, and ability to enjoy social activities. For some, migraines are like a ball and chain they have to drag around with them to get through each day. For others, migraines put them down for the count and make it nearly impossible just to function normally. What you may not realize is that that many migraine sufferers have found relief from migraines through chiropractic care. You don’t need to just live with migraines or put your life on hold when a migraine springs up out of nowhere. Chiropractic care can help you find relief through preventative care.

How Chiropractic Care Helps Migraines

Although chiropractic care is known for the treatment of neck and spine related injuries, it actually encompasses much more than that. This is because the spinal column supports the bundle of nerves that connect your brain to the rest of your body. Your brain is command central to every system in your body, including muscular and vascular, so all of the systems are connected through the brain. When the body’s musculoskeletal structure is out of alignment, this can affect neurological communication and function. Chiropractic adjustments realign the spine giving you optimal neurological health which can in turn positively affect many other systems beyond just the relief of pain. Neck adjustments also work to relieve tense muscles and irritated joint capsules which can exacerbate migraine symptoms. A chiropractic adjustment can also:

• Increase neurological health
• Decreases nerve irritation
• Relieve tense muscles
• Improve blood flow
• Boost immunity
• Strengthen spine support

Migraines Versus Headaches

Although experts cannot definitively prove the causes of headaches and migraines, there are some prominent theories. Headaches are most often thought to be caused by muscular tension or vascular constriction. Headaches caused by muscular tension are usually called tension headaches. Headaches caused by vascular constriction can occur after drinking too much caffeine or going through caffeine withdrawals because caffeine causes vascular constriction. High blood pressure can also cause headaches so high salt intake can also be a contributing factor to headaches.

Migraines, on the other hand, are thought to be rooted in the neurological system and often include vasodilation. Although vasodilation is usually present in migraines, it is now thought to be a conjoining symptom rather than the root cause. Because migraines have such a great range in frequency, severity, and duration, experts believe there are multiple factors at play that cause or mitigate migraines which explain the differences in experiences of migraine sufferers.

Migraine Symptoms

Two of the key differences that set migraines apart from headaches is the sensitivity to light and nausea. Although caffeine withdrawal can cause nausea and headaches, migraine nausea occurs without the association with caffeine. With a migraine, sensitivity to light and sound often precedes the actual cranial pain by hours or even days. Nausea and vomiting often accompany migraines. Because migraines are believed to involve misfiring from some neurons, sinus pressure and a runny nose can also be experienced during a migraine.

Migraine Causes

Although there is no one singular identifiable cause for migraines, there are some common activities and behaviors that often precede them. Rather than true “causes,” these are often referred to as “triggers.” In one 2007 study, near 80% of migraines in study participants were preceded by stressful events. Other triggers can include neck pain and sleep disturbance as well as changes in diet, lifestyle, or exercise routines. Chiropractic care takes a holistic approach and considers diet, lifestyle, or exercise routines when formulating a strategy for care.

Chiropractic Care at Starkwood Chiropractic

At Starkwood Chiropractic, we specialize in the safe, gentle, and effective treatment of migraines and the reduction of stress through our experienced approaches. While we certainly help patients who have experienced work related, auto, and sports injuries, we also work to help relieve stress, headaches, migraines, neck pain, and back pain. The services we offer include physical modalities, spinal adjustments, stretching and exercise programs, and soft tissue therapy as well as nutrition and dietary counseling. We use a holistic, whole-body approach that effectively provides relief of migraines and stress rather than prescribing addictive pain relievers and other medications with dangerous side effects. We will consult with your medical practitioner to look for medical problems related to your migraines and to come up with the best treatment plan to help you finally find relief in a coordinated effort. We accept insurance from most major health insurance companies such as Cigna, Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and many others.

Contact Starkwood Chiropractic Today

Starkwood Chiropractic has been helping people find relief for migraines and other ailments in the Portland, Oregon, area since 1983. If you have migraines, headaches, stress, anxiety, pain, or any other ailment, you don’t need to feel helpless. Contact us and find out how chiropractic care can help you find relief for migraines and how to prevent having them in the future. We discuss your triggers and what treatment plan we can offer to help you find relief. We can help you pinpoint the triggers and help you find effective ways to deal with them. And, of course, if you have been in an auto accident or have been injured and are experiencing neck or back pain, don’t hesitate to give us a call. If you have a migraine now, don’t delay. Call us right away and see how Starkwood Chiropractic can help you take that first step toward a migraine-free life. Call us today.