A Migraine is a type of headache that affects about 24 million Americans.  They usually begin between the ages of 10 and 40 and they tend to affect more women than men (three times as many women as men).  In many patients the headaches end or substantially decrease in frequency and intensity after the age of 50.   There also seems to be a genetic link between parents and their children with the development of migraine headaches.

There are basic characteristics of migraine headaches.  Typically they last between 5 and 72 hours - they are throbbing type headaches that patients rate as moderate to severe in intensity.  Migraine headaches also tend to worsen with exertion and are often accompanied by nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to lights, sound and smell.  Diagnosing a migraine involves identifying three or four of these basic characteristics.

Despite the large number of people that suffer with migraines, the cause and pathophysiology is not completely understood

The cause of migraines are unknown but there are many "migraine triggers."  The most common migraine trigger is estrogen - which explains why so many more women are affected than men.  Other triggers include hunger, changes in barometric pressure, insomnia, muscle tension and stress.  There is loads of anecdotal evidence suggesting links between specific foods / beverages and migraines but nothing thus far has been specifically linked through medical research.   For more on migraine triggers click here.

Migraine headaches are vascular and primarily involve arterial blood flow to the brain and scalp and are characterized by two distinctive periods.  The first of these periods involves constriction of the blood vessels that feed the brain.  When the blood vessels constrict, blood supply to the brain is limited causing a variety of potential symptoms known as an AURA.  During the aura portion of a migraine, you may experience visual disturbances such as flashing lights, scotoma and fortification spectrums.  The second portion of the migraine is the actual headache itself and it is thought to be associated with a rebound dialation of the blood vessels that feed the brain and scalp.  The migraine headache is usually confined to one side of the head and may present itself as frequently as daily or as infrequently as once or twice yearly.

Chiropractic care for migraine headaches is very effective for some and not so effective for others.  Like so many other conditions, it is typically a group of contributing factors that lead to the expression of a symptom - if just one of the contributing factors can be eliminated the symptom itself may resolve.  In the case of migraine headaches, you may have the following contributing factors that trigger your migriane; hormonal, stress and muscle tension.  If you can employ some stress reduction in your life and we can reduce or eliminate the cause of the muscle tension with chiropractic care your migraines may either improve significantly or resolve entirely.  

You know that stress and muscle tension probably contribute to your migraines if you can feel knots in your shoulders, have pain in your neck or have limited range of motion in your neck.  If any of these sound familiar, call my office today - we may be able to improve your life.