Migraines are a prevalent neurological disease that affects 39 million individuals in the United States and one billion worldwide. They're the third most prevalent condition worldwide. Almost one in four U.S. households have a family member with migraines.

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What are Migraines?

Migraines are marked by headaches along with other symptoms, including:

• A headache that frequently starts off as a dull ache and then turns into throbbing pain
• Nausea and vomiting, belly pain and upset stomach
• Sensitivity to noise, light, and smells
• Feeling very cold or warm
• Loss of appetite
• Fatigue
• Pale skin
• Dizziness

Symptoms also occur in stages. You can experience symptoms a couple of days before your migraine.

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Can Chiropractic Care Help My Migraines?

Many individuals see their chiropractor to find relief with chiropractic adjustments for their migraines. In fact, there's scientific evidence that supports chiropractic care and this evidence continues to grow. A scientific literature review evaluating chiropractic care for migraines found that seeing a chiropractor regularly was effective in migraine treatment in as many as 75 percent of students.

Chiropractic care involves a multidisciplinary approach to comprehensive wellness. Some approaches your chiropractor may take include:

1. Comprehensive Exam

After your chiropractor obtains a comprehensive history, they'll perform a physical exam to try to identify triggers or causes of migraines. This exam includes neurological and orthopedic testing to identify:

• Spine misalignment
• Disc herniation
• Skin sensitivity

The chiropractor will determine the cause of your migraines based on the findings and will decide if chiropractic care will help.

2. Neuromuscular Massage

This is a massage that targets trigger points within your neck, back, shoulder and head to help ease symptoms.

3. Relaxation and Stress Reduction Techniques

Learning some easy ways of managing stress will help you avoid migraines in two ways. First, high-stress levels lead to muscle tension which can cause migraines, so it's essential you address tension before it leads to pain. Maintaining a balanced sense of calm can help on both sides of the stress spectrum. Some types of relaxation techniques are:

• Guided imagery
• Breathing exercises
• Massage therapy
• Meditation

4. Nutrition Counseling

Eating regular healthy meals is another way of protecting yourself. Keep a food diary to show you where you can choose healthier food choices and to see which foods are triggering your migraines.

5. Exercise Advice

The chiropractor may give you exercise advice such as deep neck flexion exercises. These are exercises that involve moving your joints and muscles under their professional guidance. For the exercises, you lie flat on the floor and then first perform a series of chin tucks and then head nods. These muscle contractions typically last for around 10-second intervals with a 10 second rest period and repeat for 15 repetitions.

6. Posture and Work Ergonomics

Poor work ergonomics and poor posture can contribute to migraines. Your chiropractor may offer you advice on work postures, relaxation techniques and exercises. Improving posture and work ergonomics should relieve recurring joint tension and irritation in your neck and upper back muscles.

7. Identifying and Avoiding Triggers

Since back and neck pain can trigger migraines, chiropractic treatment can help reduce the frequency of your migraines and reduce the severity and duration of them. Your chiropractor will help you identify what's triggering your migraines so they can help you avoid them.

8. Spinal Adjustments

Perform chiropractic adjustments or spinal manipulation to ease the stress on your system and improve spinal function. Spinal manipulation is a type of procedure where the chiropractor uses their hands or a device for applying a controlled force to a certain joint of your spine. During a spinal adjustment, your chiropractor aligns your spine and removes the pressure from your nervous system to help prevent migraines from occurring

The frequency, type, duration and dosage of chiropractic treatment you receive will be based on clinical experience, guideline recommendations and findings. 

So, making certain lifestyle changes could help reduce your chances of suffering from migraine headaches. In the meantime, your chiropractor will map out a course of action to ease your migraines including frequency, intensity and duration. This could include nutritional imbalances, correction of muscle/joint imbalances and stress management relaxation techniques.

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Contact Cuyahoga Falls Chiropractic Clinic for Your Chiropractic Care

Here at Cuyahoga Falls Chiropractic Clinic, we offer a variety of therapies, including massage therapy and spinal adjustments, to help you find relief from migraines. You don’t need to suffer from painful and debilitating migraines. Contact us today to set up your consultation.