Migraines are one of the most common health conditions with about 12% of the adult population coping with them, at least on an occasional basis. For millions, however, the problem is far more chronic and serious. Whether you get one migraine per month or one per day, you’ve probably heard well-meaning people repeat some of these absurd statements about migraines. Let’s get to the truth of the matter and discuss a natural form of care that is shining a ray of hope into the dark world of migraine suffering.
A migraine may include a moderate to severe headache, but this is a neurological condition that has a far greater effect on the patient. First of all, some migraines do not even have headache as a symptom – these have been dubbed silent migraines. Other migraines occur in phases including a prodrome, aura, the migraine itself, and a postdrome. Finally, migraines are rarely just a headache with no other symptoms. The most common symptoms include sensory sensitivities, nausea and vomiting, and neck pain.
Try telling that to the more than 4 million people suffering from chronic migraines (categorized by at least 15 migraine days per month). The fact is that some people may only experience episodes a few times per month and others will have a migraine every day. Still others may deal with migraines that last days at a time. In fact, a typical migraine lasts anywhere from 3 to 72 hours. Chronic migraine problems often have more of a far-reaching effect on a person’s career as well as social and family life.
Sure, maybe no one has ever died from a migraine, but there are a number of factors that can make migraines into a life-threatening illness. Two of these include:
First of all, there is no cure for migraines. You can’t just pop a pill and make them go away. In fact, most migraine medications only treat symptoms once an episode is in progress, so that means they don’t even reduce the frequency of attacks. Other medications are supposed to reduce the frequency and severity of attacks, but these too come with many side effects. As a result, someone who gets migraines may grow tired of going to the doctor and trying the next pill that promises the world and doesn’t deliver.
About 5% of young children get migraines. That number increases to about 10% in the teenage years. Since kids may have more difficulty describing symptoms, migraines may be confused with common headaches for a time before a diagnosis is reached.
While about 75% of adult migraine patients are female, that still leaves millions of males coping with migraines. In fact, in children, it is actually more common for boys to have migraines than girls. This switches after puberty.
This is the kind of negative reinforcement that causes migraine sufferers to give up on looking for a better solution. However, as we mentioned at the outset, there is actually a natural form of care that has led to a reduction in the severity and frequency of migraines for many people. In fact, some have found complete resolution even from chronic daily migraines. What is this form of care and how can it help migraine patients?
If you felt let down after reading the word chiropractic because you’ve already tried that method before, hold off on that judgment for just a moment because upper cervical chiropractic is probably very different from what you are thinking of. This is a unique subspecialty in the chiropractic field that just focuses on the top two bones of the spine. What else sets upper cervical care apart?
But why does it work? It all comes back to the location of these vertebrae at the base of the skull. They protect the exact area where the spinal cord meets the brainstem. They also facilitate blood flow via the vertebral foramen. If a misalignment is affecting brainstem function, blood flow, or cerebrospinal fluid flow, a gentle adjustment to correct the subluxation can relieve these potential migraine causes. For many, this has led to long-term relief.
If you suffer from migraines, especially if you have a history of head or neck trauma, schedule a consultation with an upper cervical chiropractor to find out if this may be the solution you’ve been searching for.
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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.
