Chiropractic care is popular for treating spinal and joint issues. It is also becoming popular because of its impact on patients with migraines and tension headaches. A study on the caseload of many practices revealed that most patients were seeking migraine and headache relief.
There is not enough research on the effectiveness of the therapy for migraine management and prevention. Despite this, many people report improving their symptoms after a session. However, the treatment can have adverse effects instead of fixing the condition. In the face of these side effects, guidelines were developed and more research is being done to refine the treatment.
Migraines
Migraines are a complex condition. They affect about 39 million people in the United States. They often include a throbbing headache. This comes with other symptoms like nausea, dizziness, or sensitivity to light.
Currently, you can get medication to prevent migraines or ease the acute episodes’ symptoms. You could also get pain injections if you get intense episodes to deal with the issue. Neck pain is often associated with some types of migraines.
This usually makes them difficult to tell apart from cervicogenic headaches. When you have migraines related to neck pain, a chiropractor can ease the symptoms. Treatment for migraines such as these may involve the following:
Neuromuscular Massage
This type of massage is better known as a trigger point massage. It targets specific trigger points. In migraine treatment, they will focus on the trigger points. These trigger points are in the back, neck, shoulders, and head to relax the muscles.
The massage helps improve blood circulation in the area and relieves stress. It releases pressure from compressed nerves that may be causing neck pain and worsening the headaches.
Multidisciplinary Care Intervention
This approach incorporates several modalities to address various issues causing headaches. The most common treatments they use are:
- Relaxation techniques
- Physical therapy exercises
- Dietary management
- Stress management
It minimizes migraine pain and discomfort, frequency, and duration.
Tension Headaches
These types of headaches are usually episodic and often result from muscular tension. The most common muscular tension that leads to this is associated with the neck, head, and shoulder. The headache symptoms will often improve with medications like Tylenol or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories.
Traditional chiropractic adjustments are ineffective in treating this type of headache. But they are responsive to multidisciplinary therapies. The most effective therapies include trigger point therapy, stretching, and stress management. Other chiropractic treatments that can help with it are:
Low-Load Craniocervical Mobilization
This treatment requires a lot less force than that necessary for spinal manipulation. Chiropractors apply the forces on the sensitive joints of the neck and cervical spine to restore rhythmic movement. They may also use some stretching to help relieve the pressure between the vertebrae in the cervical spine.
Can Chiropractic Care Treat Other Headaches?
These usually start with one-sided pain at the back of the head, which then travels to the front. It usually presents shoulder and arm pain on the same side. This type of headache responds to:
- Spinal manipulation
- Joint mobilization
- Deep neck flexion exercises
For more on chiropractic care for migraines and tension headaches, visit Healing Hands Center for Integrative Medicine at our office in Montclair, New Jersey. Call (973) 783-1800 to book an appointment today.