What are Migraines?
Migraines are classified as recurring throbbing headaches that increase sensitivity to light and sound and and are often accompanied by nausea. Triggers of these headaches can come from certain foods, lack of sleep, stress, and hormones. Migraines are still somewhat mysterious, as researchers don’t have a full understanding of all the physiological causes.
Spinal Conditions and Migraines
Headaches will often stem from pains located in the neck due to the proximity of cranial and facial nerve clusters. Often, migraine sufferers will also experience cervical (neck) and spinal pain.
Spinal injuries can also lead to migraines and tension headaches. For example, herniated spinal disks in the cervical region and undiagnosed back injuries have both been known to cause these headaches.
Risk of Treating Migraines with Medication
Many migraine sufferers turn to strong acetaminophen and other similar pills to ease the pain. The problem is, of course, the side-effects. If you experience a lot of migraines, pumping your body full of over-the-counter or even prescription medications can have adverse effects.
- Acetaminophen: number one cause of acute liver failure in the U.S.
- Triptan medications: this is a subgroup of medications used to treat migraines so the side-effects vary. They have been known to cause chest pains, fatigue, and dizziness as well as headaches other than migraines.
- Ibuprofen, aspirin, etc: these medications are very hard on the stomach when taken in large doses or over longer periods of time.
Chiropractic Treatment
Research has found strong links between pain centers in the back and in the head. Often, cervical nerves are impinged and simply need to be reset to get back to feeling normal. Tension in the spine and back muscles only spreads into tension elsewhere in the body. With a chiropractor’s help, you can release that tension and get rid of your consistent migraines the natural way and without dangerous medication side-effects.
The chiropractor at Spring Creek Medical Center has been working with patients with headaches and migraines for years. You are always welcome to stop in or contact us to better understand what pain-relieving options you have.