Understanding the Mental and Physical Effects of Migraine

June 19, 2022

mental and physical, chiropractor for migraines

Over 30 million Americans experience a migraine at least once a year. While the primary symptoms can cause extreme pain, a migraine attack can also cause debilitating effects on a patient's emotional, mental, and physical health. As your go-to chiropractor for migraines, we decided to tackle the overall impacts of migraine to help you understand what you must do to cope better.

 

Physical Challenges

Migraine pain is a physical symptom that doesn't just cause a headache. It has genuine effects, demonstrated in the form of head, neck, face, or back pains. It can just be on one or both sides of the head and can feel like:

  • Tension or tightness in your muscles
  • Stiffness in your joints
  • Aching pain on one side of your body

Migraine pain doesn't always affect the parts of your head or face. Sometimes, the pain moves around during an attack, leaving you highly vulnerable and uncomfortable. 

In addition, it also makes sleeping extra challenging, which leaves you at risk of developing mental health concerns. Despite starting in the head as a distinct ache, it can easily trigger a whole-body pain that can make you feel drained and incredibly blue. If you feel that your migraine isn't limited to headaches and is somehow progressing and affecting you both mentally and physically, perhaps it is time to get extra help from a chiropractor for migraines in your area.

 

Mental Challenges

Having a migraine is like having a crusade in your head. The condition makes sufferers more prone to so many other bad experiences that make life seem more draining and demanding. Some of the mental challenges often faced by people with migraine are:

Sleep deprivation

A proper and sufficient amount of sleep is significant for migraineurs. That's because not only does it help the body recover from the previous day – letting the body reset physically – but it also plays a crucial part in maintaining mental health by calming the brain. 

Additionally, lack of sleep is among the many triggers identified by doctors, headache specialists, and researchers. Sleep deprivation can cause migraines in some people because of its effect on serotonin levels in the brain

Serotonin is a brain chemical that influences your mood and appetite, among other things. The more you sleep, the more serotonin you produce naturally. This can help you cope with your migraines attacks much better.  

Stress

Stress is a big trigger for migraines. It can make migraines worse or even cause them to start. Stress can hinder you from getting quality shut-eye, which can aggravate your migraine headaches and other symptoms. 

Understandably, stress can be challenging to manage for anyone living with chronic migraine attacks. Still, it would help to learn how to manage your stressors and relax your mind and body. 

Irritability

Irritability is a strong emotional response and a common symptom of migraines that last longer than four hours. When you're in the throes or state of a migraine attack, you may be short-tempered and easily irritated by others. Sadly, it may be hard for others to tell the difference between irritability caused by a migraine and normal moodiness. Hence, it can have an impact on your relationships and social circles.

Depression

Many people with migraines experience depression at some point in their life, which can be a significant problem if left unchecked. That is because persistent pain can lead to depression and make it harder to cope with daily life. Depression may make you feel hopeless, helpless, and worthless. It can also be painful to think about the future or carry out daily activities such as going to work or school.

Thankfully, patients have some options to relieve and manage clinical depression. Your doctor will help decide what medications or procedures are best for you based on how grave your symptoms are and their usual duration.

If you have any suicidal thoughts (thoughts about harming yourself), contact your doctor right away so they can make sure you get proper care right away.

mental and physical, chiropractor for migraines

 

 

 

 

 

When to Seek Help

If your symptoms don't go away in a few days or if they come back quickly, it's essential to see your doctor. Here are some signs that you should be wary of: 

  • You experience recurring migraine symptoms.
  • Your headaches don't improve with medication or other self-help steps.
  • You're not feeling like yourself, and your family is concerned about you.
  • You have severe migraine pain that lasts for four or more hours without relief.
  • You have pre-existing health concerns such as stroke and hypertension.
  • Your headache comes with a high fever.
  • You have violent or explosive bouts of headaches.
  • You have a history of cancer.

Reach out to a doctor or your trusted chiropractor for migraines for a comprehensive patient care plan if you notice any of the items enumerated above.

 

Migraine Remedies

When it comes to healing migraines, you'll find that there are many options out there. But the two most popular among patients are:

Medication

Over-the-counter medications are known to be the faster way to address migraine pains. These medications aim to relax the inflamed part of the brain and block pain pathways that trigger migraine attacks. You may take them through nasal spray, pills, or shots. 

Upper Cervical Chiropractic Care

Upper cervical chiropractic care is the natural and drug-free route to managing and addressing migraine pains. The technique helps you achieve noticeable relief through gentle adjustments that relieve tension in muscles and joints, leading to reduced anxiety levels. There has even been some evidence suggesting that upper cervical chiropractic care may help patients with depression.

 

Locate a Nearby Chiropractor for Migraines

A chiropractor for migraines aims to help patients improve their overall health and wellbeing by working directly with the cervical spine to encourage proper nerve function, alleviate pain and restore balance in your nervous system. 

Each migraine sufferer who seeks upper cervical chiropractic care receives tailored-fit care plans based on the severity of the neck bone misalignments and other structural discrepancies. So if you think this might be a good option for your situation or would like more information on what it involves, we encourage you to locate a chiropractor for migraines near you from our UCA Doctors' Directory. The directory is extensive and will help you find the essential clinic information of all the trusted upper cervical chiropractors in the United States.

 

Find An Upper Cervical Doctor in Your Areato schedule a consultation 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.

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