Condition of the Week: Migraine Headaches.
Understanding migraine headaches and how you could help relieve or manage them with alternative health care.
What is a Migraine Headache?
Frequent or not, head or neck pain caused by migraines and tension headaches are not something to live with and endure. According to the International Headache Society, headaches impact almost 40 percent of the American population. Migraines and tension headaches alike are caused by muscle contractions in the head or neck region. Anything from a bright screen, loud music or lack of food and water can all be triggers for one of these uncomfortable aches, but there is a natural and drug-free solution.
Costs of Migraine Headaches:
Migraines can be debilitating, causing many days of lost work. There is the cost of doctor visits, pharmaceuticals, hospital stays, babysitter costs and more. The average cost can be up to $10,000 a year.
How Can Care in our office Help Those with Migraines and Tension Headaches?
The first step is to determine the underlying causes of migraines. This starts with a consultation, examination and xrays. May also require blood work with nutritionally based finding as well as traditional findings, labs, advanced imaging and obtaining past medical records. Based on these findings, our office has many treatment and therapy protocols. All findings and treatment protocols can be sent to current medical professionals, naturopaths, coaches or other health care professionals to co-manage care.
· Chiropractic care that may including Hands on / Activator / Occipital release.
· Acupuncture using needles, needles with electric stimulation, and/or Ear seeds.
· Class 4 Laser
· Nutritional protocols
· Cervical traction with concurrent infrared
· Vagal Nerve recommendations and stimulation with may including TENS therapy
· Digital exercises and customized activities of daily living advice.
Routine alternative health care provides patients suffering from migraines and tension headaches with a safe, non-invasive, non-addictive alternative to prescription medications or over-the-counter pain medications (OTCs), which are commonly prescribed to patients help them manage their pain.
· Chiropractic adjustments reduce joint restrictions or misalignments in the spine and other joints in the body in an effort to reduce inflammation and improve function of both the affected joint and nervous system. By increasing joint mobility and improving your nervous system function and spinal health, your body has the ability to better manage the pain caused by migraines and tension headaches.
· Acupuncture is profoundly beneficial for the treatment of migraines. In a clinical study, it got formulated that people with throbbing headaches due to migraines got reduced by 50-59% by practicing acupuncture for approximately six months. It decreases the recurrence and intensity of the pain by establishing a balance of blood and energy or qi in the body. By the administration of acupuncture needles at specific acupoints on these meridians, it is believed that the body’s regular energy stream will be re-balanced and side effects of the migraines can be soothed. Over the long term, acupuncture is believed to support parasympathetic nervous system activity, allowing the body to maintain optimal heart rate, respiratory rate, and blood pressure, all of which can trigger a migraine when disrupted.
· Class 4 Laser: Class IV lasers that promote a healing process. Laser therapy is safe and efficient. Procedures are done right in our office and patients are able to continue their day right after treatment. his advanced technology enhances your healing and relieves your pain and the inflammation. Your pain will be reduced by having fewer neuronal impulses and upping the amount of endorphins released. Your inflammation is addressed by reducing inflammatory factors and dilating lymphatics that ease your edema. Your healing is boosted from a greater blood flow, which releases cytokines and increases collagen production and fibroblast activity.
· Vagal nerve stimulation: The vagal nerve is the longest nerve in your body and is found right behind where you feel for your pulse. The vagus nerve is essentially controlling your parasympathetic nervous system, responsible for stimulating your “rest and digest” activities. But the most interesting thing about the vagus nerve is the new research that has revealed its link with treating chronic inflammation, which can lead to high blood pressure, digestive issues, and migraines. Known as the missing link, the nerve may be able to treat these issues without medication!
To see if Chiropractic care, Acupuncture, Cervical traction, Vagus Nerve Stimulation, Nutritional Supplements and/or Laser is right for your condition, Dr. McFarland at Naturally Right Chiropractic will perform a consultation, examination and if necessary, refer you out for diagnostic imaging such as x-ray or MRI. Based on the findings of our chiropractic exam and consultation, Dr McFarland may elect to co-treat your migraines and tension headaches with other healthcare professionals including massage therapists, physical therapists or other primary care physicians.
