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Thursday, October 23, 2014

Chiropractic Spinal Manipulation Treatment for Migraines

Every 1 in 4 households has at least one person who suffers from migraines. In the U.S. alone, $17 billion is spent annually on treatment, and out of that amount, $1.5 billion is spent directly on pharmaceuticals. Instead of spending this money on medication that will typically only mask the symptoms, why not join the millions of people who have went directly to treating the underlying cause of their migraines with chiropractic spinal manipulation.

The Cause of Migraine Headaches

Migraines are vascular headaches that are caused from the dilation of blood vessels in the head. They can be triggered by a number of things including hormonal changes, foods, smells, and the weather.

Like other primary headaches, migraines are not caused by any disease but rather are more associated with muscle tension in the neck. Since most people spend a majority of their time in a sedentary position, this can increase joint irritation and muscle tension in the neck, upper back, and scalp causing the head to ache.

Stress has also been reported to be a contributing factor in migraine attacks. A study from 1999 stated that up to 80% of people blamed stress for their migraines. This has led researchers to believe that chiropractic treatment such as manipulations help to relieve the body's reaction to stress.

Migraine sufferers will often experience multiple symptoms. Many of these will come on before any actual pain.

Migraine Symptoms

Located on One Side of the Head
Pulsating
Moderate to Severe Intensity
Aggravated with Movement
Nausea and/or Vomiting
Light Sensitivity
Sensitivity to Sound

Evidence Supporting Spinal Manipulation Treatment for Migraines

As migraines are a vascular problem and nerves control the vascular system tension, chiropractic adjustments are able to reduce the irritation of the nervous system beginning with its roots in the spine and improve the vascular flow. Both short and long-term benefits have been shown in studies of the effectiveness of chiropractic spinal manipulation for migraine headaches.

In a double-blind, placebo controlled study, 123 patients suffering from migraines were treated for two months with either chiropractic manipulations or fake electrical therapy as placebo. The study lasted six months: 2 months of pre-treatment, 2 months of treatment, and 2 months of post treatment. After the two months of treatment the spinal manipulation group showed significant improvements in headache severity compared to the control group. Also at the end of the two-month follow up evaluation the benefits persisted.

In another study, 218 people with migraine headaches were divided into three treatment groups: manipulation, medication (amitriptyline), or manipulation plus medication. All of the groups experienced similar benefits during the treatment, but at the time of the follow up four weeks later, the manipulation group experienced the most benefits.

Resources: NYU Langone Medical Center, American Chiropractic Association, Migraine.com, San Francisco State University, Chiropractic Family Center of Brick

Yucha Chiropractic & Massage provides chiropractic treatment to help people lie more productive and active lives. Common conditions that are solved with chiropractic treatment at Yucha include herniated (slipped) discs, migraine headaches, sciatica, back pain, and sports injuries. They are located in Pottstown, PA, but treat patients from the surrounding areas including Boyertown and Limerick.

Posted by: Ashley Dempsey