Migraines are so exceedingly common that they actually affect 1 billion people around the globe. Approximately 39 million Americans experience migraines, making it one of the most frequently complained about neurological conditions.
It is difficult to understand the reason for migraine onset and how sufferers may feel during an episode. People fortunate enough never to have had one may not understand the extent to which it can affect a person’s overall ability to function. Over 90% of those suffering with a migraine cannot continue with their everyday life activities. Job tasks, household chores and caregiving can all feel unachievable during these painful events.
Bringing Clarity to Migraine Misconceptions
Clarifying a few of the misconceptions about migraines can be very helpful for those afflicted and for those who care for them.
- Migraines are not simply really bad headaches. A migraine is a neurological condition including symptoms that can be disabling for many individuals. These symptoms can happen with or without a headache, such as the following:
- Nausea or vomiting
- Dizziness
- Numbness or tingling in the face, arms, or legs
- Extreme sensitivity to smells, light, and noise
- Visual disturbances called aura
- Cognitive issues or brain fog
- Neck or jaw pain
- Fatigue
- Women aren’t the only ones who can get migraines. It is true that more women than men suffer from migraines (approximately 85% of migraine sufferers are women); however, men do get them as well. Surprisingly, among children the statistic is swapped, with boys being more likely to have migraines than girls are.
- Migraines can be chronic. Some people may have only infrequent migraines. However, the number of chronic migraine sufferers is more than 4 million. These are people who have migraine episodes as often as 15 or more days out of the month. More than 20% of chronic sufferers are disabled.
- Migraines can affect children as well as adults. About 10% of children ages 6-11 struggle with migraines, but for many of them, it will not get diagnosed. Migraines seem to be hereditary to some extent. According to research, if one parent has migraines, the child has a 50% chance of also having them. If both parents have migraines, then the percentage shoots to a 75% chance for their child. Almost half of adult migraine sufferers have their first episode sometime before 12 years of age.
- Avoiding foods that are migraine triggers, such as chocolate or wine, can help prevent migraines, but not always. Many factors can bring on migraines symptoms, and it is a good idea to avoid them. However, this does not ensure that you can keep migraines at bay entirely. Here are a few of the more common triggers you may not have heard of:
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- Hormonal fluctuations
- Weather factors like wind, bright sun, or barometric pressure changes
- Food additives such as MSG
- Aged cheeses or meats
- Changes in sleep pattern, like pulling an all-nighter
- Strong scents, including perfumes or smoke
- Certain medications like oral contraceptives
Migraine medications don’t always work. Overusing medications is a leading cause for migraines. Many people who use pain relievers will administer them multiple times a week. Using prescriptions even 10 days out of the months can lead to migraine symptoms. Many of these individuals get caught in the cycle of taking more pain relievers or migraine medication because of these symptoms.
Had Enough of Migraine Symptoms?
Regularly managing debilitating pain from a chronic condition can feel hopeless at times. The treatment options for migraines are many, ranging from therapies to medications.
The medications given are either preventative or taken at the onset of symptoms. In order to find out their specific triggers, many sufferers journal the patterns of their episodes while others have been informed that they simply must cope.
We’d like to introduce an alternative perspective on migraines. Upper Cervical Chiropractic care for the correction of head and neck misalignment. We utilize precision methods to detect, measure, and correct the problem. This type of chiropractic care focuses on the upper spine, or the meeting place between the head and neck. Misalignments in this area can cause a number of issues in the body:
- Brainstem function – the brainstem is where the brain and body exchange vital information.
- Blood flow – migraines and other condition can result from any kind of blood flow restriction between the head and the neck.
- Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow – the CSF is responsible for supplying nutrients to tissues in the nervous system and eliminating metabolic waste. When the flow get interrupted, it leads to problems from the metabolic waste buildup.
When there is a dysfunction in any of these systems, it can be the cause of migraine-related symptoms. Damage to these nerves occurs when the atlas, or upper vertebra in the neck, shifts from its natural position. This can cause problems throughout the body, including those of a neurological origin like migraines.
Our goal is to detect, measure, and correct head and neck misalignment. To schedule a consultation with Dr. Blom click the button below or call 208-559-0541.
References:
http://migraineresearchfoundation.org/about-migraine/migraine-facts/
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/migraine-headache/symptoms-causes/dxc-20202434
https://www.migrainetrust.org/about-migraine/types-of-migraine/other-headache-disorders/medication-overuse-headache/
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