Migraine headaches often begin in childhood, adolescence or early adulthood. For many suffering from migraines, whether the classic or common type, they can be down right debilitating. The following are some classic symptoms of migraine headache sufferers.
Aura
Most people experience migraine headaches without aura. Auras are usually visual but can also be sensory, motor or verbal disturbances. Each of these symptoms typically begin gradually, will build up over several minutes, then commonly lasts for 10 to 30 minutes. Examples of aura include:
- Visual phenomena, such as seeing various shapes, bright spots or flashes of light
- Vision loss
- Pins and needles sensations in an arm or leg
- Speech or language problems
Less commonly, an aura may be associated with aphasia or limb weakness (hemiplegic migraine).
Attack
When untreated, a migraine typically lasts from four to 72 hours, but the frequency with which headaches occur varies from person to person. You may have migraines several times a month or much less frequently. During a migraine, you may experience some of the following symptoms:
- Pain on one side of your head
- Pain that has a pulsating, throbbing quality
- Sensitivity to light, sounds and sometimes smells
- Nausea and vomiting
- Blurred vision
- Diarrhea
- Lightheadedness, sometimes followed by fainting
When to Get Help
Migraine headaches are often left untreated. If you regularly experience signs and symptoms of migraine attacks, keep a record of your attacks and how you treated them. If you’re looking for relief, a proven route is through chiropractic care. The great part about chiropractic: it’s safe, drug-less, and effective.
A study published in 2012 demonstrated that chiropractic care reduced pain severity in migraine patients by an average of 68%. In other words, chiropractic patients had their pain levels drop from an average of 5 to 1.5 on scale of 1 to 10. That’s pretty impressive.
At my office, I treat migraine and headache sufferers on a regular basis. One of the most effective ways I treat migraines is through neck, or cervical, traction. Neck traction helps to relieve pressure that restricts the movement of the cervical spine. It works by applying a controlled, gentle pull to the cervical spine that increases movement of the joints and releases pressure. This causes the muscles, tendons and ligaments to stretch, releasing tension and allowing inflammation to gradually dissipate.
I’ve seen patients go from having 3 migraines a week to once a month after a short treatment program.
If you have been suffering with a reoccurring migraine type headache, and are looking for help, contact our office today at 269-408-8439 to schedule a consultation.