Migraine headache – Dr Gert Ferreira – Chiropractor
The third part of our headache series is an interesting one, Migraines.
Migraines are recurring head pain due to changes in the vasculature (blood flow) of the neck and brain. The emergency departments say that these are one of the most common problems that they see. There is an estimate of 23 million people that suffer from migraines in America, and most often occur in females.
There are 2 types of migraines:
1.) Migraine without Aura – These are the most common migraines, 80% of all migraines.
2.) Migraine with Aura – These are the ‘classic’ migraines but they only account for about 20% of them. An aura or prodrome is symptoms of the nervous system. These symptoms precede a migraine and are usually followed by a head ache. The aura can be visual, sensory or motor. 64% of the cases are visual, thus hazy spots in your vision, there can be different patterns of spotting.
There are many theories that support the cause of migraines, some of them includes, triggering factors like food, abnormal brain activities and constrictions of the veins in the brain. Some trigger factors:
- Stress
- Hormone changes as in PMS, or menopause.
- Blood sugar changes that occur rapid – heavy sugar intake
- Red wine
- Cheese
- Nuts
- Tea
- Coffee
- Foods containing MSG
The pain experienced is normally a throbbing pain, on one side of the head, normally over the temple region. This pain can last for hours even for the whole day. 80% of the population reports signs of nausea, vomiting and 50% report signs of sensitivity to light.
How a Chiropractor will treat a migraine is to adjust the neck and that is most of the time 72% effective. They will also work on any involved muscles that can affect the migraine by massage or dry needling.
Home care includes, rest, Ice/heat therapy, ensure healthy sleep hygiene is maintained. Stretching of the muscles involved is vitally important. Avoid trigger foods, do not skip meals. Ibuprofen can assist in patients with mild headaches, but for a more natural ways, you can use the following supplements: 5-HTP, omega 3 oils, magnesium and Vitamin B
The prognosis of a migraine is good; the migraine should subside with treatment within 72 hours.
For more info please feel free to contact Dr Gert Ferreira – 012 663 1572 or send me us an e-mail to dr.gertferreira@gmail.com.
Regards
