Migraine headaches typically involve an intense, throbbing pain on one or both sides of the head. Chiropractors treat migraine sufferers by using a variety of manual medicine techniques and dietary counseling. According to an article by chiropractor Dr. Michael Flanagan on the website Dynamic Chiropractic, chiropractic care is one of the safest and most effective methods of treatment for migraine headaches.
Cervical Spine Adjustments
According to a 2000 study published in the "Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics," some people report substantial improvement in their migraines following chiropractic spinal manipulative therapy, or SMT. The researchers note that approximately 80 percent of the study participants reported stress as a precipitating factor in the onset of their migraines, and that chiropractic SMT may affect the physical conditions related to stress, thereby reducing migraine symptoms, including frequency, duration, disability and medication use. A study published in 2008 in "Internal Medicine Journal" states that cervical manipulation performed by a chiropractor is equally effective at reducing migraines as cervical manipulation or mobilization performed by a medical practitioner or a physiotherapist. Patients who received chiropractic SMT reported a greater reduction in pain associated with their attacks, relative to the other groups.
Manual Therapies
Chiropractors use several manual therapy methods to treat migraines, including massage therapy and trigger point therapy. A 2006 study published in the "Annals of Behavioral Medicine," suggests that massage therapy may be an effective non-pharmacologic treatment for migraine sufferers. According to Dr. Janet Travell, medical researcher and the co-author of the book "Travell & Simon's Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction: The Trigger Point Manual," patients suffering from migraine headaches, especially migraine without aura, often possess trigger points--hyper-irritable nodules within a tight band of muscle that, when compressed, reproduce the patient's headache pain. Chiropractors target their migraine patients' trigger points to help decrease the frequency, duration and severity of patients' migraine headaches.
Dietary Counseling
Many chiropractors incorporate dietary counseling into their migraine patients' treatment plans. According to the University of California-Berkeley's University Health Services, consuming certain foods along with skipping meals and taking certain medications can trigger a migraine headache. A non-exhaustive list of some known dietary migraine triggers include chocolate and cocoa, alcoholic beverages, caffeine, figs, raisins, papayas, fava and garbanzo beans, freshly baked yeast bread, cultured dairy products, certain types of cheese, processed meats and MSG. To help identify foods that contribute to the onset of migraines, a chiropractor may suggest that the patient keep a food journal. Once identified, suspect foods can be temporarily eliminated to determine if this will affect the frequency, duration and severity of migraine headaches.
References
- U.S. Department of Health & Human Services: Migraine
- Dynamic Chiropractic: Migraines, Strokes and Chiropractic
- "Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics"; Chiropractic Spinal Manipulative Therapy for Migraine; Peter J. Tuchin et al.; February 2000
- InterScience: "Internal Medicine Journal"; A Controlled Trial of Cervical Manipulation for Migraine; G.B. Parker et al.; June 2008
- Springer Link: "Annals of Behavioral Medicine"; Massage Therapy as a Treatment for Migraine; Sheleigh P. Lawler and Linda D. Cameron; August 2006
