6 Things We Wish People Knew About Migraines

To people who have never experienced migraine episodes, it’s challenging to grasp the extent of its disabling symptoms. Sometimes, the same issues show, and other times, a whole new set of symptoms occur. It can also come with varying triggers that could range from cured meats to a simple cup of coffee. If you’re considering seeking a Sioux Falls chiropractor due to migraine episodes, or someone who has a loved one suffering from chronic migraines, here are the top 6 things you should know about the symptom.

1. Migraines and headaches are not the same

Many people think that migraines are headaches are the same symptoms. However, you must understand that these two are entirely different from each other. In fact, headache is only one of the many symptoms of migraines. Some patients who consult with our Sioux Falls chiropractor complain about silent migraines, a painless symptom that tends to cause problems like numbness, visual disturbances (zigzag lines and flashing lights), confusion, blurry vision, and sensory sensitivity. 

2. Migraine attacks can drag on for days

Coping with migraine attacks often comes with challenges as the symptoms may bug you for several hours or days. That’s because migraines sometimes have four phases, namely prodrome, aura, headache, and postdrome. Sometimes the first phase tends to occur a couple of days before the rest of the stages begin to unfold. The most disruptive stage – the headache phase – could last for about 4 to 72 hours. After that, you might also experience the post-drome or hangover phase that might take about two days. 

3. Even kids can experience migraine episodes

Another misconception of the general public about migraines is that they can only occur in middle-aged to aging folks. In truth, even kids can suffer from it. According to a study, migraine is a common problem reported among pediatric doctors. In most cases, kids who experience migraines report symptoms such as:

• Banging pain in the head
• Abdominal pain
• Vomiting
• Irritability
• Rocking or crying even without an apparent reason
• Phonophobia (fear of hearing loud sounds)
• Frequent trips to the bathroom
• Nausea

4. There are several ways you can manage migraines 

Contrary to popular belief, headache medications aren’t the only option available if you want to alleviate your pain. Although pain relievers, anticonvulsants, and other types of medications used for migraines can provide quick results, the symptoms may come back shortly, causing you more irritation. 

If you’re not getting enough relief from your prescription, you may want to try natural remedies. Here’s a more detailed list of natural and holistic ways to manage migraines:

• Acupressure – Acupressure therapy involves massaging the pressure points for migraines for a few about 5 minutes. You can readily do this at home or find an acupuncture therapist to help you.  

• Using essential oils – Essential oils from plants like lavender, chamomile, rosemary, and peppermint may come in handy in soothing your migraine pain. 

• Proper stress management – Stress tends to aggravate pain and various illnesses. It would help you find better ways to manage your stress levels or avoid your stressors if you can.

• Avoiding migraine triggers – Certain scents, food, sound, and other stimuli can trigger the onset of an attack. Make sure to note what specific migraine triggers you have so you can avoid them or adjust to the situation.

• Upper cervical care – Upper cervical chiropractic care has been steadily gaining traction among migraineurs. That’s because it proves to be a promising approach to managing migraines by addressing its possible root cause – a neck bone misalignment. 

5. Your spine and migraines have a connection 

As a Sioux Falls chiropractor, Dr. Casey Weerheim always tells our patients about the importance of proper neck and spinal alignment. The spinal column supposedly protects your spinal cord, a bundle of nerves that innervate and control various parts of the body. Meanwhile, your neck bones – the C1 and C2 – take charge of protecting the brainstem. 

When a misalignment occurs, especially around the neck area, the bones tend to press on the nerves and the brainstem. Consequently, this disrupts the flow of brain signal transmissions. The compressed and irritated brainstem also fails to function, so you end up experiencing a plethora of problems such as neck pain and various migraine symptoms.

The faster you get your misaligned neck bones realigned, the better improvements you will see with your migraine attacks. 

6. Our Sioux Falls chiropractor can help with migraines

So how do you correct a cervical subluxation the natural way? The answer is upper cervical care. As we’ve mentioned above, upper cervical care is natural relief option for migraineurs. It’s a specific division of chiropractic care that focuses on the neck bones.  

The process involves taking precise measurements to identify the degree of bone misalignment. Then, guided by the assessment and digital imaging test results, Dr. Weerheim, as your Sioux Falls chiropractor, can determine how to help you. Note that each patient comes with different needs and degrees of vertebral subluxations. That’s why we customize our approach to ensure that we can provide adjustments that can hold for as long as possible. 

Once the C1 and C2 bones go back to their neutral position, the flow of information between your brain, brainstem, and spinal cord also improves.  As a result, you experience less frequent migraine attacks or reduce the severity of your symptoms. Just like that, you can finally enjoy activities that you couldn’t every time your migraine episode starts to bother you. 

Ready to experience a better and more sustainable option of migraine relief? Contact us at Upper Cervical of Sioux Falls today! You may reach us at 605-250-2024 or via our website form to book an appointment with a trusted Sioux Falls chiropractor.