For anyone who has endured a migraine attack, you know how debilitating it can be. For some, an episode can have effects that linger for days, even after the pain in the head subsides. If you’ve been in this boat before, you’re not alone. Over 37 million people in the U.S. suffer from migraines, and for 2-3 million of these folks, the migraines are a chronic condition.
Managing Migraines
Relieving migraines using traditional means can feel like a gamble; many people who suffer from chronic migraines understand the anxiety of not knowing when the next attack may come. Medications can help to lessen the symptoms, but they sometimes come with a host of other undesirable side effects. Understandably, people are seeking out natural alternatives to managing their migraines. There’s a lot of good advice out there – from choosing the right type of exercise, such as indoor cycling due to its low-impact nature, to using various essential oils, such as peppermint, as a natural remedy. These tips will hopefully provide relief for some migraine sufferers, but the truth is that, while natural, they are still just chasing down symptoms.
Upper Cervical Chiropractic Can Be the Migraine Solution
Because migraines are not understood in their entirety, getting at the root cause of them has been a challenge. However, what we focus on here at Upper Cervical Hawaii is aimed at removing obstructions to the nervous system that may be contributing to migraines at the root level. The vertebrae of the spine are designed to provide protection to the spinal cord, which carries vital messages between the brain and body. When, by either an accident or wear and tear, a misalignment of a vertebra occurs, it puts pressure on the spinal cord. This has the most dramatic impact when the topmost vertebra, the atlas, shifts out of its normal position because it affects the brainstem. This type of pressure on the brainstem can cause the signals travelling over the nerves to become distorted and can contribute to dysfunction of the blood vessels and nerves leading up to a migraine attack.
We look at each patient as an individual to determine if an atlas misalignment is a contributing factor to his or her migraine condition. By restoring normal spinal alignment, pressure is relieved from the brainstem and body function is allowed to return to normal.
References:
https://wwlp.com/2016/02/18/using-exercise-to-manage-migraine-pain
https://migraine.com/migraine-statistics
To schedule a consultation with Dr. Breuwet, call our Honolulu office at 808-201-1324. You can also click the button below.
If you are outside of the local area you can find an Upper Cervical Doctor near you at www.uppercervicalawareness.com.
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