Communication is a vital aspect of getting the best care for your migraines. With that in mind, we’ve compiled a list of questions to ask your healthcare practitioner when you are at the office. A doctor who can offer a relaxed atmosphere in which a series of questions is welcomed shows that you have found a practitioner who really wants to help his or her patients.
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Many doctors focus on treating symptoms once a migraine occurs rather than on reducing the frequency of attacks. Identifying your triggers is a great way to see if a few simple lifestyle changes could lead to fewer episodes.
This is a means of identifying your migraine triggers. Since they differ from patient to patient, you need to figure out what your personal triggers are. You can use your journal to record weather conditions, environmental changes (sights, smells, sounds, etc.), and foods or beverages you consume. There are a number of apps available to help you track the more common triggers and identify yours.
Especially if you are a teen, your migraines may be related to hormone fluctuations. Rather than subjecting yourself to medications with all sorts of side effects, you may be able to wait out the condition. While many young people who get migraines deal with them for life, some “outgrow” them.
Before taking whatever the latest “wonder drug” is, you should consider alternative forms of care that produce results naturally. If your doctor is unwilling to discuss alternative forms of care, you may want to consider changing to a more open-minded practitioner.
You may wonder if these pain relievers are strong enough to do anything for you. However, the more important question is how many times can you take them. These medications are not designed for frequent or long-term use. In fact, one of the side effects of overuse is headaches. So a person who takes too many over-the-counter pain pills may not even know when a headache is an actual migraine or when it is from the pills themselves.
You should clearly understand the possible side effects before taking a prescription medication. Some of the medications prescribed for migraine patients are mind-altering and may be off-label use of anti-seizure meds or antidepressants. Don’t assume the medication was designed specifically for migraines.
The frequency and severity of migraines can be reduced by numerous changes to a person’s day-to-day activities. For example, not sleeping enough and missing meals can trigger more attacks. Getting regular exercise can help the body’s response to pain.
If you never got migraines before an accident or injury, this is a legitimate question. If your problem started with the injury, then the underlying factor may be a physical one that can be corrected. For example, an upper cervical misalignment can reduce blood flow to certain parts of the brain or may inhibit cerebrospinal fluid drainage. These are factors that could lead to migraines. However, the misalignment is very correctable and could reduce the severity and frequency of migraines, perhaps even resolve the issue altogether.
Not only is stress a major trigger of migraines but let-down migraines occur when a person is coming down from being stressed. These migraines are related to hormone changes in the body that relate to stressors. In such a case, it may be helpful to seek coping mechanisms, since some stressors are good and not all forms of stress can be avoided.
Most doctors probably haven’t heard of this. Plus, they may cut you off at the word chiropractic because they are envisioning general chiropractic. However, some specialists such as neurologists are becoming more familiar with this specific niche in the chiropractic field. Let’s examine this closer.
Neck pain is frequently related to migraines. In fact, one of the few symptoms that is more common is the headache itself (although not all migraines have headache as a symptom). This common factor could indicate a common underlying cause. It is no wonder that in case studies involving patients with a misaligned atlas (C1) the success rate is so high.
This natural way of getting help for migraines is unique in several ways. Consider the following:
These are just a few of the reasons that many have decided to try upper cervical chiropractic care. If you are interested in learning more, contact a practitioner in your local area today!
to schedule a consultation today.
TV show host Montel Williams describes how specific chiropractic care has helped his body.
The content and materials provided in this web site are for informational and educational purposes only and are not intended to supplement or comprise a medical diagnosis or other professional opinion, or to be used in lieu of a consultation with a physician or competent health care professional for medical diagnosis and/or treatment. All content and materials including research papers, case studies and testimonials summarizing patients' responses to care are intended for educational purposes only and do not imply a guarantee of benefit. Individual results may vary, depending upon several factors including age of the patient, severity of the condition, severity of the spinal injury, and duration of time the condition has been present.
