A lot of people experience migraine headache; thus, many are seeking chiropractic migraine headache relief. Migraines are more than just a worse type of headache. There is so much more to this condition. Migraines are a neurological condition that brings a variety of symptoms. They are incredibly debilitating when they occur, capable of stopping a person from doing anything else until the episode goes away. Here are some of the most frequent symptoms of migraines:

• Dizziness or vertigo
• Persistent throbbing head pain that can be severe (on one or both sides of the head)
• Numbness or tingling in the arms, face, or legs
• Nausea with vomiting
• Attacks that can last from 4 to 72 hours
• Visual disturbances – causing blind spots, or flashing lights
• Sensitivity to loud noises, bright lights, and specific strong or offensive scents

Who Usually Gets Migraine Headache?

According to the Migraine Research Foundation, at least 39 million Americans experience migraine headache attacks, including women, men, and children. Women get migraines three times more than men. Some people experience episodic migraines – these occur less than 15 days in a month. Others, around 4% get chronic migraines – these happen more than 15 days in a month.

Chronic migraines are more common in boys than girls until they reach puberty. Beyond that point, girls are more prone to them. It is a clear indication that fluctuating hormones, like estrogen, may cause migraine episodes.

What Causes Migraines?

Research showed that the development of migraines has a genetic component involved. If you have someone in your family who suffers from migraines, it means you are also at risk of developing it. However, that is not the only factor involved. Another factor that plays a huge role can be the environment or weather changes.

There was a time when migraine headache pain was only in the patient’s head because scientists could not find any proof of why the brain should feel any pain. There was also a point when the sinuses got blamed. Then later, due to the constriction and dilation of blood vessels in the head, they were found to be the primary source of migraine attacks. 

Scientists have learned a lot about migraines, for the past decade, using neuroimaging and research. Therefore, it is now clearer. Migraines have a neurological origin. It means migraines have a link to specific brain chemicals and nerve pathways. In short, this means the central nervous system (CNS) plays a significant role. Therefore, the brain is not sensing the pain. Instead, it says, the pain comes from the blood vessels and nerve fibers surrounding the brain. Migraine pain flares up whenever the blood vessels suffer from inflammation.

What Can Trigger Migraine Episodes?

• Certain foods (personal food triggers)
• Lack of sufficient sleep
• Weather changes (extreme cold and heat)
• Chemicals
• Perfumes
• Certain food additives – MSG, aspartame
• Chocolate
• Caffeine – too much or too little
• Some medications (as side effects)
• Fluorescent lighting or bright lights
• Depression

So many people have tried for several years trying to figure out what their triggers are. These can be different for everybody. Migraine patients should keep migraine diaries to help them identify, record, and analyze their (personal) migraine triggers. 

Migraine patients can also consult the help of neurologists, headache specialists, and NUCCA chiropractors. Many have given different migraine treatments a shot, hoping to find something that can give them lasting relief, but found little to no success. Most care options only deal with the symptoms of migraine, not the underlying cause of it. If you are to ultimately deal with health problems, get to the root cause, find lasting relief, and achieve complete resolution.

Migraine Care Options 

There are several available options to care for migraines. Natural home remedies and new classes of medications are available. However, what is the best option for you right now?

• First-Step Medication

This option can care for mild to moderate migraine headache. It often involves over-the-counter medication, such as aspirin, Tylenol, and ibuprofen or a combination of these. However, if these aren’t effective, triptans, a drug that stabilizes swollen and inflamed blood vessels, would help. 

• Daily Medication

These are preventative options for migraines. These drugs are for dealing with other health conditions. Fortunately, some of these are quite useful for migraine headache use. However, there are possible severe side effects that come with these drugs.

• The Do’s and Don’ts Diet

This plan was developed by a neurologist at John’s Hopkins, named Dr. David Buchholz. 

• Do what you can to reduce triggers.
• Don’t take any decongestants or over-the-counter medications.
• Do use certain preventative medications (antidepressants, anticonvulsants, and beta-blockers).

• Wrinkle-Free Injections

The FDA recently approved Botox to care for a chronic migraine headache. This procedure works at freezing the muscles in the head. As a result, it stops pain messages from being sent to the brain. Like any drug, there are certain risks involved with Botox, and they can be very concerning.

Chiropractic Migraine Relief for Migraineurs 

There was a clinical study involving a 23-year-old woman with chronic migraine headache for ten years with accompanying neck pain and low back pain. She had previous medications that proved ineffective. Finally, she had upper cervical chiropractic care. As a result, she experienced a significant improvement in the severity and frequency of her migraine headache. Her quality of life improved. 

NUCCA technique of upper cervical chiropractic is a natural, non-invasive, and effective alternative to taking medication. NUCCA chiropractors fix misalignments in the upper cervical spine, particularly concerning the C1 (atlas) and C2 (axis) vertebrae. If this occurs, wrong signals reach the brain, and disruption of proper vital fluids, blood, and cerebrospinal fluid happens. All of these lead to migraine headache and other health concerns. 

NUCCA is very gentle and precise. Meaning the technique will not cause cracking, twisting, or popping of the neck or spine. Instead, the focus is on the upper cervical spine and addressing the issues. As a result, the misaligned bones move back to their original positions gently. Once precisely corrected, patients can start to feel better and improve their daily lives through the NUCCA technique. Find a NUCCA migraine chiropractor near you today.

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