Migraine Treatment using Chiropractic
Migraines Causes & Treatment
What causes migraines?
Migraines are a type of headache that is moderate to severe accompanied by throbbing usually on one side of the head. What’s interesting is that the exact cause of migraine remains unknown. They’re thought to be the result of abnormal brain activity temporarily affecting nerve signals, chemicals and blood vessels in the brain, according to the NHS. Some things that are known about migraines is that there are usually certain triggers that can lead to the onset of a migraine. Again these triggers are different from person to person such as hormonal, emotional, dietary, etc.
It’s important to determine exactly what factors affect a given person’s physiology that might be causing migraines.
How migraines can be diagnosed?
An experienced chiropractor will carefully assess the symptoms and descriptions of the patient suffering from migraines. The symptoms will help establish some of the possible factors involved. By conducting a complete chiropractic assessment muscular-skeletal and neurological imbalances can be identified. This is done by carrying out a series of tests to evaluate basic nerve function as well as mechanical and structural imbalances that may be contributing.
What are the symptoms of migraines?
Our patients who suffer with migraines come report some of the following symptoms:
Pain down one side of the head
Pain at the base of the skull
Tenderness of the temples and scalp area
Pressure behind the eye sockets
A throbbing sensation
Sensitivity to light and sound and smells
Irritability and depression
Dizziness and disorientation
Distortion of the facial muscles like an exaggerated frown
Nausea and vomiting
Effective migraine treatment
After doing a complete initial chiropractic assessment and analysing the results, it’s time to discuss this with the client. Having a well aligned spine and neck will provide better support and optimising the cranial nerve function by removing friction points and potential impingements may help reduce the intensity and frequency of the migraines.
Individual results will always vary and some patients have great results whilst others have more modest results. Proper treatment and guidance from a chiropractor in conjunction with specific stretches, dietary guidelines, hydration and the right type of exercises could improve the quality of life of those suffering from migraines.
Migraine FAQ
Can I see you next time I have a migraine?
It’s not recommended if you’re coming for an initial check-up. The simple reason is that it’s best if you have full mental focus so you understand the process and make the most of the opportunity. You also want to be safe If you’re travelling per example.
Can a chiropractic adjustment reduce my migraine?
If you’re able to make it safely to the clinic, you can book an adjustment with your chiropractor. It may result in a significant relief and faster recovery, so well worth a try.
By having adjustments more regularly you can achieve a healthier alignment of the body and better brain-body communication. The thoughts of the vitalistic school of chiropractic suggests that by improving the nerve flow your body has more vitality available to adapt to stress and express health. Therefore it make sense to make chiropractic a corner stone of your wellness approach.
What qualifications do your chiropractors have?
That’s a really good question. The title of Chiropractor is a protected title that can only be used by fully qualified chiropractors who are registered with the General Council of Chiropractic (GCC). To achieve the title of chiropractor or Doctor of Chiropractic (DC), 4-5 years of study are required to achieve a master degree in chiropractic. All our chiropractors are fully qualified and licensed.
Once qualified continuous learning is a must and courses must be attended throughout one’s career to stay up-to-date with best practices, research and developments.
To become part of Corrective Chiropractic our chiropractors are trained and mentored in the application of the Gonstead technique by co-founder of Corrective Chiropractic, Dr. Lawrence King. To be proficient at Gonstead it typically requires an additional 100 hours of study plus practice which for most translated to an additional year of post-graduation study.