We can't stress enough how important it is to manage your stress levels and prevent migraine episodes from happening. Stress and migraines are connected in a vicious cycle. Stressful events can trigger migraine, and migraine episodes can increase your stress levels. This unpleasant cycle of stress and migraine can affect your quality of life.
If you consult a chiropractor for migraines, you can bring up how your migraines intensify whenever you're stressed and vice versa. They could point out some things that may help you avoid migraine.
Stress is one of the leading and most difficult to avoid triggers for migraine attacks. When you worry or think about many things that eventually consume and overwhelm you, your stress levels tend to rise. When your stress levels are high, you will eventually experience headaches with a throbbing or pulsing sensation that may accompany other symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and extreme sensitivity to light and sounds.
High stress can alter your brain's functions and structures that tend to worsen as stress continues. The brains of patients who experience chronic migraine may act differently than those who do not experience migraine. In between the episodes, your brain can be in an overexcited state. Frequent migraine can lead to changes in brain structure.
Different stressful events or stress can trigger migraines. Even happy events can trigger stress which can lead to migraines. For example, have you ever experienced planning a big event such as a wedding or a big party, buying a new home, or having a baby? These events are supposedly happy moments. However, it can also be stressful, especially when you're stressing over every detail and if you're very particular in wanting everything to be perfect.
Your overall wellness should always be your top priority. That should include ensuring you actively do something to reduce or manage unavoidable stress. Even a chiropractor for migraines will tell you that managing your stress is helpful for you, not just because of your migraine, but for your overall health and wellness.
The human body needs exercise and movement to stay healthy. Make sure you allow time in your schedule for these activities! Even a simple 30-minute daily walk can make a significant difference.
Shifting to a healthy, balanced diet can lead to a less stressful life, therefore, fewer migraines. Incorporate more fresh fruits, veggies, and whole grains in your meals.
You will need to process what's stressing you out, and if you cannot talk to someone about it regularly, keeping a journal where you can write down your emotions, thoughts, and frustrations without worrying about others can help with stress management.
Unhealthy sleeping habits can lead to chronic migraines, too. At the same time, people with migraine can trigger poor sleeping habits. Ensure you support healthy sleep by not doing counterproductive ways to affect sleep.
Stress is just one of the many triggers of migraine you can manage. Here are some common migraine triggers you can easily manage with proper discipline.
Even mild dehydration levels can harm people living with migraine. So make sure you regularly track your water intake and stay away from diuretics to ensure you're always hydrated.
Several people have been caffeine-dependent, especially in the mornings. But if you're always getting migraine episodes, you might want to be more mindful of caffeine intake. Caffeine is usually found in coffee, over-the-counter painkillers, energy drinks, and chocolates. However, if you suddenly stop consuming caffeinated goods, you may also experience migraine. If you want to eliminate caffeine in your diet, you might want to do it gradually. It may help to make a list of your regular caffeine intake and plan accordingly so you can have alternative drinks instead of caffeinated beverages.
Smoked fish, cured meats, and aged cheeses contain tyramine that can trigger migraine. Pickled, dried, and fermented food also contain tyramine. A mindful approach to your diet and eating habits can help you dodge migraines.
Some food groups may trigger migraine for you but not others, and the other way around. For example, chocolates can sometimes trigger migraines in others. Skipping meals can also lead to migraine episodes. Make sure you practice healthy eating habits to help reduce migraine and avoid all these food-related migraine triggers. Keeping a food diary can be really helpful for you, and write down the symptoms you feel when you eat something.
An often overlooked migraine trigger is a misalignment in the upper cervical spine. It's not always top of mind; however, a chiropractor for migraines have seen pattern linking upper cervical misalignments and migraine.
If you've managed to avoid the triggers we mentioned yet your migraine episodes are still persistent, this calls for a visit to an upper cervical chiropractor. This will help confirm if your upper spine is misaligned and how it's influencing your migraine episodes.
Unsure where to find a reputable chiropractor for migraines? You can check out our directory of Upper Cervical Chiropractic Doctors. There's a list of chiropractors who practice different Upper Cervical techniques such as Upper Cervical Care, Blair, NUCCA, Knee Chest, and others. These techniques can correct your upper cervical spine and restore the balance of your body.
You can shortlist Upper Cervical chiropractic doctors by searching via location. So time to say goodbye to migraine. Find a doctor near you today!
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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.
