Migraine Management: How Chiropractic Treatment can Offer Relief

Migraines getting you down? Are they making it hard to focus on things, or to get essential parts of your daily routine done? If this sounds like you, or someone you know, keep reading to learn more about migraine management and how our Chermside Chiropractor can help you.

What’s the difference between migraines and headaches?

While a migraine is a type of headache, there are a few different types. A very common variant of headache is a tension headache. This can be felt on one side of your head, or across both sides. It’s usually described as a dull, annoying pain, and can occasionally feel like a band is wrapped around your head. Tension headaches can last anywhere from a few hours to recurring over days or weeks depending on the cause.

Migraines can also be felt on one side of your head, or both sides. However, these headaches generally last from 4 to 72 hours. Along with the headache itself, migraines have a few distinguishing features. These can include sensitivity to light and loud noises, nausea, and may or may not include a disturbance known as an aura. Auras can manifest as a visual, auditory, somatosensory (related to touch and pressure), or motor symptom. Roughly 25% of migraine sufferers report also experiencing auras, so if this includes you, you’re not alone!

When talking to your chiropractor about migraines, let them know which symptoms you feel and how often. This can help them alter their treatment plan to ensure you’re receiving the best possible care for your migraines.

How can a chiropractor help my migraines?

A study done in 2019 revealed that 75% of migraine sufferers also complain of neck stiffness, muscle tension, and jaw problems. Thankfully, these symptoms, along with migraines themselves, are all things that chiropractors are qualified to and experienced in treating!

When presenting to a chiropractor’s office complaining of migraines, the first step is for the chiropractor to take a detailed history of your complaint and medical history. This can help narrow down potential causes and triggers of the migraine, which in turn can help you better manage your migraines at home.
After the history and some physical testing, your chiropractor will ensure it’s safe to adjust you before going forward.

Studies have shown that regular chiropractic treatment, including spinal manipulation, is effective in the management and treatment of migraines, both with and without auras. The frequency (how often you go to the chiropractor’s office) will depend on your chiropractor. Regular, and consistent chiropractic care is more effective for migraines than just one appointment. While you may feel better after your first adjustment, the best results are yielded from a consistent schedule of care as prescribed by your chiropractor. Pop in to our North Brisbane office in Chermside for an appointment to get a personalised treatment plan for your migraines!

How can I manage my migraines?

While migraines can be difficult to get through life with, there are things that you can do between chiropractic visits to help manage your migraines.

Whilst in a migraine, a handy tip is to lay down somewhere dark to combat the light sensitivity from migraines. Pair this with applying a cold pack to the back of your neck, and this should help settle the migraine.

To prevent further migraines, keeping a headache diary is an effective way to find possible triggers of your migraines so you can avoid them. You can track what brings on your migraines, and also what reduces your migraine symptoms. Try things such as gentle, regular exercise, relaxation, focusing on nutrition, and reducing stress. Rich food such as chocolate, cheese, and red wine are common food triggers; if these are things you frequently have, try taking them out of your diet to see if it makes a difference.

Another recommended way to treat migraines is with regular massage therapy. A 45 minute massage focused on the neck, back, shoulder, and head has been proven to reduce the frequency of episodic migraines, and improve symptoms. Luckily, here at Tan Chiro, we have both chiropractic and remedial massage appointments available!

Come visit us in our North Brisbane clinic to get you on the path of a pain free life today!

Bernstein, C. et al. (2019) ‘Integrating chiropractic care into the treatment of migraine headaches in a tertiary care hospital: A case series’, Global Advances in Health and Medicine, 8, p. 216495611983577. doi:10.1177/2164956119835778. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6440032/

Bryans, R. et al. (2011) ‘Evidence-based guidelines for the chiropractic treatment of adults with headache’, Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, 34(5), pp. 274–289. doi:10.1016/j.jmpt.2011.04.008. Available from: https://www.jmptonline.org/article/S0161-4754(11)00068-6/fulltext#secd596307e2460

Kikkeri, N.S. (2024) Migraine with aura, StatPearls [Internet]. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK554611/