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Have you ever endured an excruciating headache lasting for many hours or even days? What you have experienced might be a migraine. Ranked as the third most prevalent illness in the world, migraines are a neurological condition that is very common everywhere. It affects as many as 39 million Americans and 1 billion people worldwide. As a UT migraine chiropractor, we have had many patients throughout the years come in with complaints of mild to severe migraines. 
Several factors influence the chance of a person having migraines. Migraines are three times more likely to happen in women than in men, and migraines are most common in adults between the ages of 25 to 55.
Those who regularly have migraines should be able to identify the possible triggers of their attacks, such as headaches, allergies, stress, weather changes, and bright light. Identifying these triggers and being aware of the warning signs of migraines are essential in preventing the attacks. Many migraine sufferers experience an aura, a warning sign that often occurs before the onset of a migraine headache.
What Does a Migraine Feel Like?
Just like in any illness, the symptoms of a migraine vary from person to person and may change for each migraine episode. Symptoms can occur before, during, or after the extreme head pain. A headache is the most common symptom, with a throbbing or pulsing sensation. This pain usually affects only one side of the head, but there are times when both sides are involved.
Due to its debilitating pain, migraine sufferers are unable to complete routines that are generally effortless for others. Physical activity brings increased pain. People with migraines are also sensitive to light, sound, odors, or anything that overwhelms the senses. Other common symptoms of migraines are nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, sweating, changes in body temperature, and stomach issues.
What Are Auras?
No, these auras are not magical. Auras are perceptual disturbances that signal to a person that a migraine is coming on. Common auras include the following:
- Zig-zag lines in the visual field
- Seeing sparkling or flashing lights
- Unusual or unpleasant smells
- Stiffness in the shoulders, limbs, or neck
- Blank patches or blind spots in your field of vision
- A pins and needles feeling in the arm or leg
- Speech problems
What Triggers Migraines?
As mentioned, people who have migraines should be able to identify their triggers, but for those who can’t, there are common migraine triggers that they should be aware of. Make sure to keep a migraine diary and record the things you do or events that happen that can elicit the migraine. Record information such as physical activity, weather conditions, food intake, and stress levels. Eventually, you will notice a pattern and be able to avoid future attacks. Below are some common triggers:
- Temperature changes
- Strong odors
- Allergies
- Bright lights
- Loud noise
- Skipping meals or fasting
- Irregular sleep patterns
- Cigarette or other smoke
- Dehydration
- Tiredness
- Physical or emotional stress
- Anxiety and depression
- Hormonal changes
- Alcohol consumption
- Food with tyramine, MSG, or nitrates
- Certain medications
- Certain foods such as chocolate, nuts, avocado, citrus fruit, onions, dairy products, pickled or fermented food, peanut butter, nuts, and bananas, and more
How Do You Treat Migraines?
As the old saying goes, “Prevention is better than a cure.” Thus the most recommended ways to care for migraines are preventive in nature. To help avoid migraine attacks, you should drink plenty of water, stay away from food that may trigger your migraines, get regular exercise, get enough sleep, and reduce the stressors in your life.
Other relief than people have tried include a gluten-free diet, spinal cord stimulator implantation, vision correction, acupuncture, and surgery.
Some people, however, prefer to take medication. Doctors often recommend these for migraines:
- Ibuprofen
- Acetaminophen
- Naproxen
- Anti-nausea drugs
- Antidepressants
- Aspirin combined with acetaminophen and aspirin (ex. Excedrin Migraine)
- Beta-blockers
- Anticonvulsants
- Gabapentin
- Botox
- Vitamins and herb such as cannabis, CoQ10, feverfew, magnesium citrate, B12, melatonin, and riboflavin
However, you should note that there is a thing called a “rebound headache” induced by medication overuse, and it causes worse headaches than a migraine. This happens when pain medications are taken for more than a couple days a week.
Is There a Natural Relief for Migraines?
Dr. Raymond Damadian, the person who invented the MRI as well as upright MRI, has done much research on the correlation between migraines and upper cervical misalignments. He used an upright MRI to see the amount of cerebrospinal fluid going in and out of the brain. This led him to his theory that if there is a misalignment in the upper cervical spine, the cerebrospinal fluid is not able to properly go in and out of the brain and therefore is unable to clean up metabolic waste. This may lead to several conditions, such as migraines or multiple sclerosis. As evidence, he documented several successful cases of relief care of the condition using upper chiropractic care, and it yielded results such as the disappearance of lesions on the brain. The top bones of the neck — the atlas and axis — are often the target spinal bones in upper chiropractic care as they are the most prone to misalignment.
How Effective Is Upper Cervical Chiropractic Care?
There has been an enlightening study involving a 54-year-old woman who had suffered from migraines and vertigo for 10 years. After only three months of upper cervical chiropractic care, she reported that her symptoms went away and that the relief care helped her go back to a healthy, active life.
Just by looking at this study and Dr. Damadian’s research, it is evident that correcting upper neck misalignments resolves or at the very least helps with problems regarding cerebrospinal fluid flow and can help with ailments such as migraines.
Here at our UT chiropractic clinic, we use gentle adjustments to align the spine back into its natural position. This helps restore the cerebrospinal fluid flow and reduce intracranial pressure. In only one to two visits, our patients have reported positive results.
To schedule a complimentary consultation with Dr. Cheney, call our Draper office at 385-331-7035. You can also click one of the buttons below.
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