A Migraine is a neurological syndrome with a plethora of debilitating symptoms which include severe headaches and sometimes event bodily perceptions. Typically, a migraine headache can last anywhere from four to 72 hours and consists of four stages.
Stages of a Migraine
The four stages of a Migraine include Prodrome, Aura, Pain and Postdrome.
Prodromal symptoms occur in 40-60% of migraine sufferers. This phase consists of altered mood, irritability, depression (or euphoria) sleepiness, food cravings, stiff muscle and diarrhea or constipation.
Visual aura is the most common neurological symptom of migraines. About Twenty to thirty of migraine sufferers experience Aura which is a focal neurological phenomenon that can precede or accompany an attack.
Aura Symptoms may Include:
- Flashes of White, Black or Multicolored Lights
- Blurred or Cloudy Vision
- Auditory or Olfactory Hallucinations
- Temporary Dysphasia
- Vertigo
- Tingling of the Face & Extremities
- Numbness of Face & Extremities
- Sensitivity to Touch
Pain can be moderate to severe and usually occurs on one side of the head. Other common symptoms during this phase are sensitivity to light, sound, noise, motion, smells as well as nausea and vomiting.
Postdrome occurs after the pain has subsided, some patients feel tired, depressed and have additional head pain and gastrointestinal symptoms. Others may experience euphoria and increased energy.
The pain and extreme neurological disruption of migraine attack causes countless days of missed work, school and enjoyment.
Chiropractic Treatment for Migraines
A misalignment of the neck, a subluxation can irritate the nerves that travel along the spine to the brain. The misalignment causes the migraine sufferer to be more prone to chemical imbalances in the brain. Realigning the vertebrae can relieve this pressure against nerves and help alleviate headaches.
The spinal misalignment is called a cervical kyphosis, which is also known as a reverse curvature of the neck. The normal position of the neck is designed to be straight from the front. From the side, the neck was designed to have a C-shaped curve. This is also known as a lordosis. The C-shape curive is actually an arc or part of a circle. In nature, structures like this are strong and able to withstand a considerable loading. In case of the neck, this C-shape lordosis allows the neck to both protect the nerves and hold up the head.
A reversed curvature in the neck can occur in one of two ways.
First, a reversed curvature in the neck can occur from trauma. The other way the neck can become reversed is from abnormal posture over time. In both cases, the end result is the same. A considerable amount of stress is placed upon the spinal nerves which makes it become irritated. These irritated nerves disrupt blood flow along the spinal cord into the brain which can cause the migraine headaches.
Chiropractic treatment is drug free which allows patients relief from pain without the damaging side effects often seen with traditional medical treatments. There is also no additional risks of rebound headaches and this type of care may help to avert worst case scenarios like stroke by reducing the
By reducing the frequency or eliminating the symptoms of the migraine there is no risk of rebound headaches. Chiropractic care may also help to avert worst case scenarios like stroke.
Our Chiropractic team at Monmouth Pain and Rehabilitation uses many established techniques to treat spinal misalignment, a cause of a migraine. Of the many treatments offered, the primary analysis used is Chiropractic Biophysics (CBP). This is a higher level of chiropractic that uses a comprehensive systematic and scientific approach for reliable results for many disorders including migraines.
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